Verbal Nouns (Infinitives) in Turkish

Overview

Verbal nouns, known as isim-fiiller in Turkish, are verb forms that function as nouns in a sentence. They let you use actions as subjects, objects, or parts of larger expressions. When you say "Swimming is fun" or "I want to swim," you are using verbal nouns — the action of swimming is being treated as a thing.

At the A2 level, verbal nouns open up a significant expansion of what you can express. Instead of only making simple statements about actions, you can now talk about wanting to do things, liking activities, and describing the manner of doing something. Turkish has three main verbal noun suffixes, each with its own character and use.

How It Works

The Three Verbal Noun Suffixes

Suffix	Form	Function	Example
-mek / -mak	Full infinitive	"to do" — used with modal verbs	yüzmek (to swim)
-me / -ma	Action noun	The act of doing — used as subject/object	yüzme (swimming)
-iş / -ış / -uş / -üş	Manner noun	The way of doing	yüzüş (the way of swimming)

Vowel Harmony

The suffix follows standard vowel harmony rules:

Last vowel	-mek/-mak	-me/-ma	-iş/-ış/-uş/-üş
e, i	-mek	-me	-iş
a, ı	-mak	-ma	-ış
o, u	-mak	-ma	-uş
ö, ü	-mek	-me	-üş

-mek / -mak: The Full Infinitive

This is the dictionary form of the verb. It is used with verbs that take another verb as a complement:

Turkish	English	Pattern
Yüzmek istiyorum.	I want to swim.	infinitive + istemek
Gelmek zorundayım.	I have to come.	infinitive + zorunda
Okumak güzel.	Reading is nice.	infinitive as subject
Yazmayı seviyorum.	I love writing.	infinitive + accusative

Common verbs that take -mek/-mak:

Turkish verb	English	Example
istemek	to want	Gitmek istiyorum.
sevmek	to love/like	Okumak seviyorum. (or okumayı)
bilmek	to know how to	Yüzmek biliyorum. (or yüzmeyi)
zorunda olmak	to have to	Çalışmak zorundayım.
lazım / gerek	necessary	Gitmek lazım.

-me / -ma: The Action Noun

This form turns the verb into a noun meaning "the act of doing." It can take case suffixes and possessive markers:

Turkish	English	Note
Okuma yazma	Reading and writing	Two action nouns
Yüzme havuzu	Swimming pool	Compound noun
Bekleme odası	Waiting room	Compound noun
Ders çalışma	Studying (lessons)	Action noun

With case suffixes:

Form	Example	English
Nominative	Yüzme güzel.	Swimming is nice.
Accusative	Yüzmeyi seviyorum.	I love swimming.
Dative	Okumaya başladım.	I started reading.
Ablative	Koşmadan yoruldum.	I got tired from running.

With possessive suffixes (creating noun clauses):

Turkish	English
Senin gelmeni istiyorum.	I want you to come. (lit: your coming)
Onun gitmesini bekliyorum.	I'm waiting for him to go.

-iş / -ış / -uş / -üş: The Manner Noun

This form describes the manner or style of an action:

Turkish	English
bakış	gaze, the way of looking
gülüş	smile/laugh, the way of laughing
yürüyüş	walk, the way of walking
görüş	view, opinion (way of seeing)
geliş	arrival (the act of coming)
gidiş	departure (the act of going)
dönüş	return (the act of returning)

Many -iş forms have become fixed nouns:

Turkish	English	Literal
gidiş-dönüş	round trip	going-returning
alışveriş	shopping	taking-giving
anlayış	understanding	manner of comprehending

Examples in Context

Turkish	English	Note
Yüzmek istiyorum.	I want to swim.	-mek with istemek
Okuma yazma bilmek	To know reading and writing	-me as compound
Gelişi güzel	Haphazard (random coming)	-iş as manner
Türkçe öğrenmek zor mu?	Is learning Turkish difficult?	-mek as subject
Koşmayı seviyorum.	I love running.	-me with accusative
Gidiş bileti ne kadar?	How much is a one-way ticket?	-iş as fixed noun
Erken kalkmak lazım.	It's necessary to get up early.	-mek with lazım
Onun gelmesini bekliyoruz.	We're waiting for him to come.	Possessive -me clause
Bakışı çok soğuk.	His gaze is very cold.	-iş as manner noun
Yemek yapmayı öğreniyorum.	I'm learning to cook.	-me with accusative
Bu işi bitirmek zorundayım.	I have to finish this job.	-mek with zorunda

Common Mistakes

Confusing -mek and -me

• Wrong: Yüzmek havuzu (to-swim pool)
• Right: Yüzme havuzu (swimming pool)
• Why: In compound nouns, the -me/-ma form is used, not the full infinitive -mek/-mak. The -mek form is for verb complements (wanting, having to), while -me is for noun-like uses.

Forgetting the Accusative with sevmek

• Wrong: Okumak seviyorum.
• Right: Okumayı seviyorum. (I love reading.)
• Why: When a verbal noun is a specific, definite object of a verb like sevmek, it takes the accusative suffix. The -me form with accusative is standard here.

Not Adding Possessive Suffixes in Noun Clauses

• Wrong: Sen gelmek istiyorum. (I want you to come — incorrect)
• Right: Senin gelmeni istiyorum. (I want your coming — correct)
• Why: When someone else is the subject of the verbal noun, Turkish uses a possessive construction: genitive (senin) + verbal noun with possessive suffix (gelme-n-i).

Overusing the Full Infinitive

• Wrong: Using -mek/-mak in every context
• Right: Choose the right form for the context
• Why: Each suffix has specific roles. Using -mek where -me is needed (or vice versa) creates unnatural or incorrect sentences.

Usage Notes

The -me/-ma form is extremely productive in Turkish and appears in many compound nouns you encounter daily: bekleme salonu (waiting lounge), yüzme dersi (swimming lesson), yazma tahtası (writing board). Recognizing this pattern helps you decode unfamiliar compound nouns.

In spoken Turkish, the distinction between -mek and -me can blur in some contexts. However, in writing and formal speech, using the correct form matters. As a rule of thumb: use -mek with modal expressions (istemek, lazım, zorunda), use -me for everything else.

Practice Tips

• Take ten common verbs and create all three forms: -mek, -me, -iş. Then use each in a sentence. For example: gitmek (to go), gitme (going), gidiş (departure).
• Practice the possessive verbal noun construction by creating sentences about what you want other people to do: Onun gelmesini istiyorum. Senin çalışmanı bekliyorum.
• Look for -me/-ma compound nouns in your environment (signs, menus, labels) and try to identify the base verb.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Continuous Tense — You need to understand verb stems and basic conjugation before working with verbal nouns.