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Verbal Nouns & the Infinitive

-mek, -me, -dik

-mek / -mak = the infinitive ('to do')

The dictionary form.

📊 Verbal nouns
Suffix Use Example
-mek / -mak infinitive ('to...') gelmek
-me / -ma action noun ('the -ing') gelmesi
-dik / -ecek factual / future 'that...' geldiğini
💬 Examples
gelmek
to come
📝 Infinitive -mek
okumak istiyorum
I want to read
📝 Infinitive as the object of 'want'
-me / -ma turns a verb into a noun ('the -ing')

For embedded clauses.

💬 Examples
Gelmeni istiyorum.
I want you to come.
📝 gel + -me + -n (your coming)
Sigara içmek yasak.
Smoking is forbidden.
📝 Verbal noun as subject
-dik / -ecek + possessive = 'that ...' (reported facts)

Noun clauses.

💬 Examples
Geldiğini biliyorum.
I know that he came.
📝 gel + -dik + -in + -i (that he came)
Geleceğini söyledi.
He said that he would come.
📝 -ecek noun clause