A verb in the role of a noun: -mek, -me and their cases
English says I learned to drive, and the second verb stays a verb. Turkish cannot do that. The second verb turns into a name and takes whatever tail the first verb demands. For example: “Araba kullanmayı yeni öğrendim” — I have only just learned to drive a car. A rule from the Turkish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English says I learned to drive, and the second verb stays a verb. Turkish cannot do that. The second verb turns into a name and takes whatever tail the first verb demands.
There are two name forms. -mek/-mak is the dictionary one, doing in general: konuşmak güzeldi. -me/-ma is the working one, and tails cling to it: yüzmeyi biliyorum, gitmeye karar verdim.
The rule is simple: if a tail follows, take -me, not -mek. Which tail it is, the first verb decides. Whom: Araba kullanmayı yeni öğrendim. To whom: Türkçe öğrenmeye başladım. From: Yanlış yapmaktan korkuyorum.
The trap is saying araba kullanmak öğrendim. Nobody says that: öğrenmek wants the whom-tail.
Table
| the form | the case | with which verbs | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -mek / -mak | no case | lazım, zor, güzel | konuşmak güzeldi |
| -meyi / -mayı | the whom-tail | bilmek, öğrenmek, sevmek | yüzmeyi biliyorum |
| -meye / -maya | the to-tail | başlamak, karar vermek, çekinmek | gitmeye karar verdim |
| -mekten / -maktan | the from-tail | korkmak, bıkmak, hoşlanmak | beklemekten bıktım |
| -diği / -dığı | a whole clause | anlamak, görmek, söylemek | geldiğini duydum |
By example
- Araba kullanmayı yeni öğrendimI have only just learned to drive a car
- Türkçe öğrenmeye iki yıl önce başladımI started learning Turkish two years ago
- Yanlış yapmaktan korkuyorumI am afraid of making a mistake
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
A verb in the role of a noun: how does it work in Turkish?
English says I learned to drive, and the second verb stays a verb. Turkish cannot do that. The second verb turns into a name and takes whatever tail the first verb demands.
What does it look like in an example sentence Turkish?
“Araba kullanmayı yeni öğrendim” — I have only just learned to drive a car. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.