‘If’ in Turkish: A Guide to Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences in Turkish express hypothetical situations and their possible outcomes. They typically utilize the conditional suffix -se/-sa and can also include “eğer” (“if”). We explain how to form hypothesis and the different cases in this article.

Forming the Conditional With Suffix -se/-sa

The Turkish conditional form is created by adding -se/-sa directly to verbs, nouns, or adjectives. The vowel harmony rules determine whether you use -se or -sa:

Last vowel	Conditional Suffix
e, i, ö, ü	-se
a, ı, o, u	-sa

Verbs

Attach -se/-sa directly to the verb stem followed by personal endings:

Verb (Infinitive)	Stem	Conditional Form (3rd person singular)	Translation
gelmek	gel-	gelse	if he/she comes
yapmak	yap-	yapsa	if he/she does
görmek	gör-	görse	if he/she sees

Examples:

• Bugün erken gelsem, filmi kaçırmam. (If I come early today, I won’t miss the movie.)
• Zamanın varsa, bana yardım etsen iyi olur. (If you have time, it would be good if you help me.)

Nouns & Adjectives

To form conditionals with nouns and adjectives, the suffix -se/-sa is also added directly:

Word	Conditional Form	Translation
hasta (adj.)	hastaysa	if he/she is sick
doktor (n.)	doktorsa	if he/she is a doctor

Examples:

• Hava güzelse, dışarı çıkarız. (If the weather is nice, we will go outside.)
• O öğrenciyse, ücretsiz giriş yapabilir. (If he/she is a student, entry is free.)

Negative Conditional Sentences

For negative forms, attach the suffix to the negative form of the verb (-ma/-me):

Verb	Negative Conditional Form	Translation
gelmek	gelmese	if he/she doesn’t come
anlamak	anlamasa	if he/she doesn’t understand

Examples:

• Sen gelmezsen, ben giderim. (If you don’t come, I will go.)
• Bu kitabı okumazsan, anlayamazsın. (If you don’t read this book, you won’t understand.)

‘If’ with ‘değil’ and ‘var/yok’

When expressing conditional sentences involving negation or existence using değil, var, or yok, attach -se/-sa directly to these words:

Word	Conditional Form	Translation
değil	değilse	if he/she/it is not
var	varsa	if there is
yok	yoksa	if there is not / otherwise

Examples:

• O mutlu değilse, yardımcı olmalıyız. (If he/she isn’t happy, we should help.)
• Yeterli zamanımız varsa, kahve içelim. (If we have enough time, let’s have coffee.)
• Soru yoksa, devam edebiliriz. (If there are no questions, we can continue.)

Usage of “Eğer”

The word eğer means “if” and is optionally used at the beginning of conditional sentences to emphasize the conditional meaning. Although it enhances clarity, its use is not mandatory since the suffix -se/-sa alone already indicates conditionality.

Including “eğer” often strengthens emphasis or makes your conditional statement clearer, especially in longer or more formal sentences.

Examples with “eğer”:

• Eğer hava güzelse, pikniğe gideriz. (If the weather is nice, we’ll go for a picnic.)
• Eğer beni dinlemezsen, hata yaparsın. (If you don’t listen to me, you’ll make a mistake.)

With these guidelines, forming conditional sentences in Turkish won’t be a problem for you! Try to practice by adding conditional statements in your daily conversations. To go further, learn how to express necessity in Turkish with “gerek” and “lazım”.