In this lesson we will focus on Simple Past tense.
Listen to this passage carefully.
" Affedersiniz, dün sizi aradım,bulamadım. Evde değildiniz.Nerdeydiniz?
Dün evde değildim çünkü geçen hafta seyahate çıktım.
Nereye gittiniz?
Bursa'ya gittim.
Kiminle gittiniz? yalniz mi gittiniz?
Yalniz gitmedim.Kız arkadaşımla birlikte gittik.
Bir arkadaşım Bursa'da her yer dolu dedi.Siz nasıl yer buldunuz?
Bir seyahat acentasında arkadaşım var.Ona telefon ettim.O bana yardım etti.
Kaç gün kaldınız? Nerede kaldınız?
Beş gün kaldık.Otelde kaldık.Otel çok temizdi.Çok memnun kaldık.Otobüs rahattı,yemekler lezzetliydi.
Bu seyahat size kaça mal oldu?
Aşağı yükarı iki milyar lira harcadık ama çok memnunuz.Çok eğlendik ve dinlendik
Vocabulary/Vocabolario
Aramak: To look for - cercare
Bulmak: To find - trovare
Geçen hafta: Last week - la scorsa settimana
Seyahate cıkmak: To take a trip -partire per un viaggio
birlikte: Together - insieme
Her yer: everywhere - ovunque
Yardım etmek: To help - aiutare
Memnun kalmak: To be happy, to be satisfied - restare contento
Rahat: Comfortable - comodo, tranquillo
Lezzetli: delicious, moutherwatering - saporito, gustoso
Mal olmak: To cost - costare
Harcamak: To spend - spendere
Eğlenmek: To enjoy - divertirsi
Dinlenmek: to rest - riposarsi
GRAMMAR NOTES
The Simple Past tense (Belirli geçmiş zaman) is used in Turkish to express a determined action which took place in the past.
To form the Simple Past tense we use specific suffixes to append between the infinitive root and the proniminal suffix.
The suffixes used to form ths simple past tense are linked to the final suffix of the infinitive mode as well as the dominant vowel of the infinitive root.
The simple past suffixes to be attached to the infinitive base are the following:
-di -dü -ti -tü for the rounded verbs (infinitive ending in -MEK)
-dı -du -tı -tu for the unrounded verbs (infinitive ending in -MAK)
The mutation of "d" into "t" occurs when the infinitive root ends in one of the voiceless consonants:
S, Ş, Ç, T, K, H, P, F
Once we have determined which is the appropriate suffix to use, then we attach the appropriate personal suffix and at this stage it is very easy to conjugate a verb into simple past tense.
A few examples will help better understand:
It would be redundant to repeat how to append the personal suffixes as the vowel harmony rule should be very clear to you all at this point.
It is also appropriate to remind you that we can omit the subject ( personal pronouns) while forming a sentence.
Sevmek (to love) Past tense suffix : di
I loved: Sevdim
You loved: Sevdin
He, she, it loved: Sevdi
We loved: Sevdik
You loved: Sevdiniz
They loved: Sevdiler
Harcamak: To spend Past tens suffix: -dı
I Spent : Harcadım
You spent: Harcadın
He,she, it spent: Harcadı
We spent: Harcadık
You spent: Harcadınız
They spent: Harcadılar
Gülmek (to laugh) Past tense suffix: -dü
I laughed: Güldüm
You laughed: Güldün
He,she,it laughed: Güldü
We laughed: Güldük
You laughed: Güldünüz
They laughed: Güldüler
As for the compound verbs, those composed by a noun plus ETMEK ( these verbs are derived mostly from arabic nouns), it is appropriate to point out that only the second term ETMEK is to be conjugated according the rules we have just mentioned.
It is also appropriate to point out that the past tense suffixes regardless the tense,can be used to render the meaning of simple past tense to nouns, adjectives and adverbs as well.
As we will see in studying the other forms of past tenses where this rule is applicable, the suffixes atteched to noun, adverbs and adjectives render the meaning of the past tenses of the verb TO BE.We already touched this topic in Lesson 24.
Needless to remind you that in this case the suffixes' choice occurs in accordance with th vowel harmony rule.
You can try with other verbs always bearing in mind the key rules tto form the Simple past tense.
As a drill put into Simple past tense the following verbs:
Yardım etmek, Seyahat etmek, Kalmak, Aramak, Bulmak
