Verbal Nouns (İsim-Fiiller: -me, -mek, -iş) in Turkish

Turkish Verbal Nouns (İsim-Fiiller or nominalizations) transform verb stems into functional nouns while preserving their ability to take objects and adverbial modifiers. Mnemonically remembered as Ma-Y-Iş-Mak, there are three primary suffixes:

1. -mAk / -mEk (Full Infinitive): Represents the dictionary citation form and general activity. It can take bare cases like dative (-e) and ablative (-den), but cannot take possessive suffixes: Yüzmek sağlıklıdır (Swimming is healthy); Kitap okumaktan hoşlanırım (I enjoy reading books). 2. -mA / -mE (Short Infinitive / Action Noun): The most versatile verbal noun suffix. It readily takes possessive and case suffixes, forming subordinate clauses governed by verbs of wanting, liking, or ordering: - Senin gel-me-n-i istiyorum (I want you to come, literally 'I want your coming'). - Sigara iç-me-k yasaktır / Sigara iç-me-yi bıraktı (He quit smoking). - Onun git-me-si lazım (He needs to go). 3. -(y)Iş / -(y)İş / -(y)Uş / -(y)Üş (Manner of Action): Focuses on the unique style, manner, or process of performing the action: yürüyüş (gait / walking style), bakış (glance / way of looking), gülüş (smile / laugh).

Learners often confuse the verbal noun -me with the negative suffix -me. The negative suffix is unaccented (accent falls on preceding syllable), whereas the verbal noun -me carries regular word stress.