In Turkish grammar, the passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or the object affected by the action, rather than the person performing it. This guide will show you how to form and use it correctly.
1. When to Use the Passive Voice?
When the doer (subject) is unknown.
When the subject is obvious or unimportant.
When emphasizing the event itself (e.g., The door was opened).
2. Forming the Passive Voice
The passive voice is created by adding suffixes like -l or -n to the verb stem, following the rules of vowel harmony.
Active Verb | Meaning | Verb Stem | Passive Form | Meaning |
Açmak | To open | Aç | Açılmak | To be opened |
Yazmak | To write | Yaz | Yazılmak | To be written |
Yapmak | To do/make | Yap | Yapılmak | To be done/made |
Söylemek | To say | Söyle | Söylenmek | To be said |
3. Conjugation Samples (Example: Yapılmak)
Tense | Example (O - It) | English Meaning |
Present Continuous | Yapılıyor | It is being done |
Past Tense | Yapıldı | It was done |
Future Tense | Yapılacak | It will be done |
4. Practical Examples in Context
Unknown Subject: Bu kitap dün yazıldı. (This book was written yesterday.)
Focus on Action: Yeni bir yol yapılıyor. (A new road is being built.)
General Rules: Kapılar sabah açılır. (Doors are opened in the morning.)