How to Ask Questions in Turkish?

In this article, we will cover how to form questions in Turkish. There are two main types of questions: yes-no questions with the -mi suffix and open questions using question words. Last but not least, you can use “değil mi?” to change a statement into a question easily. Hadi başlayalım!

How to Ask Yes-No Questions with the -mi Suffix

To for yes-no questions in Turkish, you must use the -mi suffix placed at the end of the sentence. This suffix allows you to turn a statement into a question.

Note that the suffix -mi changes according to vowel harmony rules, adapting to the last vowel in the verb stem:

• -mi: for words with front vowels (e, i)
• -mı: for words with back vowels (a, ı)
• -mu: for words with back rounded vowels (o, u)
• -mü: for words with front rounded vowels (ö, ü)

Conjugating -mi in the Present, Past, and Future Tenses

For the past and future tenses, the verb is conjugated as usual, and the -mi suffix remains unchanged. In the present tense however, the verb is conjugated in the third person singular of the present continuous, while the -mi suffix is conjugated according to the subject:

• Ben => miyim
• Sen => misin
• O => mi
• Biz => miyiz
• Siz => misiniz
• Onlar => mi

Here is a table giving you examples of how to form questions with the verb “gelmek” and the -mi suffix in the present, past, and future tenses:

Tense	Pronoun	Question Form	Translation
Present	Ben	Geliyor muyum?	Am I coming?
	Sen	Geliyor musun?	Are you coming?
	O	Geliyor mu?	Is he/she/it coming?
	Biz	Geliyor muyuz?	Are we coming?
	Siz	Geliyor musunuz?	Are you coming? (plural/formal)
	Onlar	Geliyorlar mı?	Are they coming?
Past	Ben	Geldim mi?	Did I come?
	Sen	Geldin mi?	Did you come?
	O	Geldi mi?	Did he/she/it come?
	Biz	Geldik mi?	Did we come?
	Siz	Geldiniz mi?	Did you come? (plural/formal)
	Onlar	Geldiler mi?	Did they come?
Future	Ben	Gelecek miyim?	Will I come?
	Sen	Gelecek misin?	Will you come?
	O	Gelecek mi?	Will he/she/it come?
	Biz	Gelecek miyiz?	Will we come?
	Siz	Gelecek misiniz?	Will you come? (plural/formal)
	Onlar	Gelecekler mi?	Will they come?

Turn statements into questions with “değil mi?”

Moreover, you can easily turn a statement into a yes-no question adding “değil mi?” at the end of the sentence. “Değil mi?” literally translates to isn’t it/aren’t you in English.

• Statement: Sen her gün parka gidiyorsun. (You go to the park every day.)
• Question: Sen her gün parka gidiyorsun, değil mi? (You go to the park every day, aren’t you)

How to Ask Open Questions in Turkish

For open-ended questions, Turkish has specific question words. Here’s a breakdown of the most essential question words and their meanings in Turkish.

Key Turkish Question Words

• Ne? – What?
  • Example: Bu ne? (What is this?)
• Nerede? – Where?
  • Example: Kitap nerede? (Where is the book?)
• Nereden? – From where?
  • Example: Sen nereden geldin? (Where did you come from?)
• Nereye? – To where?
  • Example: Nereye gidiyorsun? (Where are you going?)
• Ne zaman? – When?
  • Example: Ne zaman geliyorsun? (When are you coming?)
• Neden? / Niye? – Why?
  • Example: Neden buradasın? (Why are you here?)
• Hangi? – Which?
  • Example: Hangi kitap senin? (Which book is yours?)
• Hangisi? – Which one?
  • Example: Hangisi doğru? (Which one is correct?)
• Kim? – Who?
  • Example: Bu kim? (Who is this?)
• Kimin? – Whose (is it)?
  • Example: Bu kimin kitabı? (Whose book is this?)
• Kime? – To whom?
  • Example: Bu mektup kime? (To whom is this letter?)
• Nasıl? – How?
  • Example: Bu nasıl çalışır? (How does this work?)
• Ne kadar? – How much? / How many?
  • Example: Bu ne kadar? (How much is this?)
• Ne kadar zaman kaldı? – How long left?
  • Example: Sınıfın bitmesine ne kadar zaman kaldı? (How long left until the class ends?)

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