Reported Speech
B1
Clauses
Reported speech in Turkish is formed through nominalized clauses instead of direct quotation.
The reported content functions as a noun phrase created through verbal nominalization and possessive suffixes.
1. Function
Reported speech encodes statements, thoughts, knowledge, or perceptions without direct quotation.
The reported clause behaves syntactically as a noun and occupies argument positions of the main verb, such as subject or object.
2. Forms
Reported clauses are formed with:
–DIK for non-future reference.
–AcAK for future reference.
Both forms require possessive suffixes that mark the subject of the reported clause.
Consonant Softening with –DIK and –AcAK
When the nominalizers –DIK or –AcAK are followed by vowel-initial possessive or case suffixes, the final consonant k must soften to ğ. This is a mandatory rule in Turkish phonology.
Consonant Softening Examples (–DIK / –AcAK)
geldiğini
(from geldiğ- + Accusative –I)geleceğini
(from geleceğ- + Accusative –I)yaptığına
(from yaptığı- + Dative –A)kalacağımızı
(from kalacağımız- + Accusative –I)
3. Morphology
The verb stem is nominalized and followed by possessive suffixes.
Suffix shapes:
–DIK → dık / dik / duk / dük
–AcAK → acak / ecek
Possessive suffixes (illustrative forms):
geldiğim
geldiğin
geldiği
geleceğimiz
Nominalized clauses may take case suffixes according to their syntactic function.
4. Syntax
The nominalized clause may precede or follow the main verb depending on sentence structure.
The clause functions as a subject or object within the sentence.
Case marking applies to the end of the nominalized clause, after the –DIK / –AcAK and possessive suffixes, not to the verb stem alone.
5. Usage
–DIK is used when the reported event is Past or Present relative to the reporting moment.
–AcAK is used when the reported event is Future relative to the reporting moment.
Reported speech does not require quotation markers.
Examples
Onun geldiğini söyledi. (He/She said that he/she came.)
Toplantının bittiğini biliyorum. (I know that the meeting is over.)
Yarın geleceğini düşündüm. (I thought that he/she would come tomorrow.)
Burada kalacağımızı açıkladı. (He/She announced that we would stay here.)
Ne yaptığını sordular. (They asked what he/she was doing.)
Seni aradığımı hatırlıyor. (He/She remembers that I called you.)
Notes
Reported clauses are obligatorily nominalized.
Possessive suffixes mark the subject of the reported clause.
Temporal reference is encoded through –DIK and –AcAK rather than finite tense marking.
Reported Speech – FAQ (B1)
Q: How does tense change when forming reported speech in Turkish?
A: The original tense is embedded into a nominalized verb form using –DIK or –AcAK, while person markers adjust to the reporting context.
Q: How are subjects and objects expressed in reported speech clauses?
A: The subject takes the genitive case, and the verb takes a possessive suffix agreeing with that subject.
Q: How is evidential meaning conveyed in reported speech?
A: Reported speech commonly combines with –miş to indicate indirect information or hearsay when the speaker did not witness the event directly.