Simple Present - Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) - Tense Participles
We have seen the Simple Present Tense is used for habitual situations. This then is the same meaning for its Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle when used as an Adjective. It is used to describe a state of being, and as an adjective if it precedes the known which it describes. The formation of both the positive and negative participles is the same as the respective Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Tense bases.
Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle - Positive Form
Formation of the Timeless - Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle - Positive.
akmak - to flow. The Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) tense base is - akar.
If we place the tense base after the noun then it is a verb:
- Nehir, denize kadar akar.
- The river flows as far as the sea.
However if we use it before the noun then it is a adjective meaning - which flows
- Yatak odasında akar su var.
- There is running water in the bedroom.
- Meaning water is available in that room.
This is at variance with the Present Participle - akan. Here the meaning is different.
- Yatak odasında akan su var. - There is water (which is) flowing in the bedroom.
- The meaning here is that there is leak or maybe the roof is leaking.
It is apparent that the Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle describes what generally happens as a rule and the Present Participle describes what is happening now.
Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participles as Common Nouns
The Positive Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle is the same as the Simple Present Tense base in -r
akmak - to flow. The positive Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) tense base is - akar
Many Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participles have entered the language as common nouns in their own right.
Yazmak - to write. Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) tense base - yazar - which means - writer or author.
- Bu kitabın yazarı Orhan Kemal' dır.
- This writer (author) of this book is Orhan Kemal.
But if we were to use the Present Participle then the meaning changes.
- Bu kitabı yazan Orhan Kemal' dır
- It is Orhan Kemal who wrote this book.
Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle - Negative Form
This is also used as an adjective mainly to describe the general state of things. We also use this construction in English quite a lot.
- I saw an unbelievable film last night. - which is not able to be believed.
- It is an unforgettable film. - which is not able to be forgotten.
Here we in English are using the Participle as an Adjective by placing it in front of its noun.
But it can take its Verbal form as well:
- The film I saw last night was unbelievable.
- It could not be believed. - as a verb.
- The film is unforgettable.
- It is not able to be forgotten - as verb.
So we can see it is all a matter of position of the Participle. Placed before its noun it is an adjectival description - placed after its noun it becomes a verb. This then is the way Turkish uses these participles, in exactly the same manner as English.
The Negative Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle
Formation of the Timless Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) Participle - Negative.
akmak - to flow. The negative Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) tense base is - akmaz
We can best show it use by example:
- İnanılamaz bir şey oldu!
- An unbelievable thing has happened!
- Dün akşam unutulmaz bir filim seyrettik.
- We watched an unforgettable film last night.
Some Common Nouns - Negative
Many of these negative participles have also become nouns in their own right.
The usual example of this is - çıkmaz - that which does not exit.
This has come to mean a cul-de-sac, so one can often see the sign - ÇIKMAZ SOKAK - a street with no exit - cul-de-sac.
It can also be found on doors which lead nowhere in public buildings - ÇIKMAZ - NO EXIT.
A Special Case
There is one formula to translate - as soon as.. which uses both positive and negative Wide Tense (Geniş Zaman) participles in apposition. This formula is quite heavily used in day to day speech and is treated separately in depth elsewhwere
