Definite Past Tense (-di / -dı) in Turkish

The Definite Past Tense (Görülen / Bilinen Geçmiş Zaman) uses the suffix -DI (-dı, -di, -du, -dü / -tı, -ti, -tu, -tü). It represents past actions that the speaker directly witnessed, participated in, or knows as an established, indisputable historical fact.

Formation rules: 1. Vowel and voiced consonant stems: Take -dı / -di / -du / -dü according to 4-way vowel harmony: gör-dü (he saw), al-dı (he took), gel-di (he came), oku-du (he read). 2. Voiceless consonant stems (f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p): Assimilate the d into -tı / -ti / -tu / -tü: git-ti (he went), bak-tı (he looked), yap-tı (he did), iç-ti (he drank). 3. Personal Endings (Type 2): The definite past takes unique personal endings directly on -dI: -m (1st sing.), -n (2nd sing.), - (3rd sing.), -k (1st plur.), -nIz (2nd plur.), -lAr (3rd plur.): gittim, gittin, gitti, gittik, gittiniz, gittiler. 4. Negation and Questions: Negation uses -me/-ma before -di (gel-me-di = he did not come). Question forms place mı/mi after the fully inflected verb: Geldin mi? (Did you come?), Gördünüz mü? (Did you see?).

Crucially contrast this with the evidential past -miş, which is reserved for hearsay, indirect inferences, or surprise realization.