Ability: -ebil / -abil

The suffix -(y)Abil expresses ability, potential, or possibility. It attaches to the verb stem and follows vowel harmony. The meaning depends on the verb and the surrounding context.

1. Function

-(y)Abil indicates:

• capacity or skill
• external possibility
• feasibility or permission

The suffix does not inflect; tense and personal markers follow it.

2. Forms

The suffix harmonizes with the vowel of the verb stem:

Back vowels (a, ı, o, u) → -abil
Front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) → -ebil

If the stem ends in a vowel, y may occur between the stem and the suffix:

oku → okuyabil-
ye → yiyebil-
ara → arayabil-

If the stem ends in a consonant, no buffer appears:

gel → gelebil-
bak → bakabil-
sev → sevebil-

3. Position in the Verb Structure

-(y)Abil appears immediately after the verb stem and before tense, aspect, and personal endings.

Sequence:

verb stem → -(y)Abil → tense/aspect → personal ending

Examples:

gel-e-bil-ir
yap-a-bil-ecek
oku-y-a-bil-di
ara-y-a-bil-iyor

4. Interaction with Tense

-(y)Abil combines with all tense and aspect markers.

Present:
gelebilir, yapabilir

Future:
yapabileceğim, alabileceksiniz

Past:
yapabildim, görebildik

Continuous:
görebiliyordum, yapabiliyorsunuz

The ability suffix retains its position regardless of tense.

5. Negation

The negative of ability is formed with -AmA (the suffix -mA fused with the ability marker). The form surfaces as -ama / -eme according to vowel harmony. Unlike other negatives, the -bil part disappears in the affirmative-to-negative shift.

Back vowel stems → -amaFront vowel stems → -eme

Sequence: verb stem → -AmA → tense → person

Examples:

• yap → yapamam — I cannot do it

• gel → gelemem — I cannot come

• gör → göremezsin — you cannot see

• git → gidemez — he/she cannot go

• al → alamayız — we cannot take

• koş → koşamazlar — they cannot run

Full negative present: gidemem, gidemezsin, gidemez, gidemeyiz, gidemezsiniz, gidemez(ler)

Note: A second, more complex form exists, -AmAyAbil (gidemeyebilir), which combines inability with possibility ("might not be able to"). This belongs to the possibility lesson, not to basic ability negation.