Necessity Mood (-meli / -malı) in Turkish
Necessity Mood (-meli / -malı)
The suffix -mAlI expresses obligation, necessity, advice ('must / should / ought to'), or logical presumption.
The Necessity Mood (Gereklilik Kipi) is formed with the two-fold suffix -mAlI (-meli / -malı). It expresses obligation, recommendation, moral duty ('must / should / ought to'), as well as strong logical supposition.
Conjugation and usage: 1. Personal Paradigm: git-meli-y-im (I must go), git-meli-sin (you must go), git-meli (he must go), git-meli-y-iz (we must go), git-meli-siniz (you must go), git-meli-ler (they must go). 2. Negation: Attach -me/-ma before -meli: yap-ma-malı-sın (you should not do / you must not do), git-me-meli-y-iz (we must not go). 3. Logical Presumption: In addition to obligation, -mAlI indicates strong probability or deduction: Işıklar yanıyor, evde olmalılar (The lights are on; they must be at home). 4. Past Necessity ('should have'): Combining -meli with the past copula -di produces -meliydi, meaning 'should have / ought to have (but didn't)': Daha çok çalışmalıydın (You should have studied more).
In Turkish, -mAlI is softer than the impersonal construction with lazım / gerek / zorunda olmak, making it ideal for polite advice and recommendations.
Examples
Sınavda başarılı olmak için her gün düzenli çalışmalısın.
You should study regularly every day to be successful in the exam.
Sağlığımız için her gün bol su içmeli ve spor yapmalıyız.
For our health, we should drink plenty of water and exercise every day.
Işıklar açık duruyor, Ahmet şu anda ofisinde olmalı.
The lights are on; Ahmet must be in his office right now.
Bu önemli kararı vermeden önce ailene danışmalıydın.
You should have consulted your family before making this important decision.
Related terms
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