All languagesTurkish › Lesson 37

İşteş çatı (reciprocal)

Görüşmek — to see each other.

When two or more people do something to each other, Turkish glues -(I)ş onto the verb stem. görmek = to see → görüşmek = to see one another / meet. bulmak = to find → buluşmak = to meet up (find each other). tanımak = to know (a person) → tanışmak = to get to know each other. The same suffix can also signal collective action ('do together').

Form

Stem + -(I)ş with vowel harmony (-ış / -iş / -uş / -üş) + tense. After consonants, a buffer vowel appears: gör- + -üş-görüşmek. After vowel-final stems, just : anla- + -ş-anlaşmak (to come to an understanding / agree).

Reciprocal vs collective

Two readings sit on the same suffix. Reciprocal: the action goes both ways between the participants — kucaklaşmak = 'to hug each other'. Collective: several people do the action together, not necessarily to each other — koşuşmak = 'to run around together / scurry'. Context picks the right one.

ile or birbirini

The other party is usually marked with ile ('with') or its suffixed form -yle / -la / -le: Ali ile görüştüm = 'I met with Ali'. To stress 'each other' overtly, use birbiri + possessive: birbirimizi tanıyoruz = 'we know each other'. With a reciprocal verb, birbirini is often optional — the verb already says it.

Common reciprocals

görüşmek (see each other / be in touch), buluşmak (meet up), tanışmak (get acquainted), anlaşmak (agree, get along), konuşmak (originally 'speak together' — now just 'speak'), öpüşmek (kiss each other), kucaklaşmak (hug each other), savaşmak (fight, war), kavga etmek (have a fight — uses etmek), vedalaşmak (say goodbye to each other).

Frozen meanings

Some -ış verbs have drifted from a strict reciprocal meaning. konuşmak is just 'to talk' — the 'with each other' is implied but no longer required. çalışmak = 'to work' (originally 'to strive together'). Treat these as ordinary vocabulary; the reciprocal feel is bleached out.

Examples

Yarın seninle görüşürüz.
We'll meet (see each other) tomorrow.
Aorist, 1pl.
Saat üçte kafede buluşalım.
Let's meet up at the café at three.
buluş- + -alım (let's).
Dün yeni komşularla tanıştık.
We got acquainted with the new neighbors yesterday.
tanışmak + instrumental -larla.
Sonunda anlaştık.
In the end we came to an agreement.
anlaşmak = agree, get along.
Birbirimizi yıllardır tanıyoruz.
We've known each other for years.
birbiri + possessive + accusative.
Kavga ettiler ama sonra kucaklaştılar.
They had a fight but then hugged each other.
kucaklaşmak — reciprocal of kucaklamak.

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