Impersonal Passive Constructions
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use impersonal passives to talk about general rules, rumors, or actions where the 'who' doesn't matter.
- Add -ıl, -il, -ul, -ül to consonant stems: 'Yazılır' (It is written).
- Add -ın, -in, -un, -ün if the stem ends in 'l': 'Alınır' (It is bought).
- Add -n if the stem ends in a vowel: 'Oxunur' (It is read).
Meanings
The impersonal passive in Azerbaijani is used to express actions where the doer is unknown, unimportant, or represents people in general. It is the equivalent of 'it is said,' 'one goes,' or 'smoking is prohibited.'
General Rules & Prohibitions
Used in signs, laws, and social norms to state what is or isn't done.
“Burada siqaret çəkilmir.”
“Girişə icazə verilmir.”
Reporting Rumors/News
Used to share information without attributing it to a specific source.
“Deyilir ki, qiymətlər qalxacaq.”
“Xəbər verilir ki, nümayəndə heyəti gəlib.”
General Actions (Intransitive)
Used with verbs of movement or state to describe a general atmosphere or collective action.
“Toyda çox rəqs edilir.”
“Bu yolla şəhərə gedilir.”
Suffix Selection by Stem Ending
| Stem Ending | Suffix | Example Verb | Passive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consonant (not L) | -ıl / -il / -ul / -ül | Yaz- | Yazılır | It is written |
| Consonant (not L) | -ıl / -il / -ul / -ül | Gör- | Görülür | It is seen/done |
| Ends in 'L' | -ın / -in / -un / -ün | Al- | Alınır | It is taken/bought |
| Ends in 'L' | -ın / -in / -un / -ün | Bil- | Bilinir | It is known |
| Ends in Vowel | -n | Oxu- | Oxunur | It is read |
| Ends in Vowel | -n | Gözlə- | Gözlənilir | It is expected (Irregular) |
| Irregular | -yil | De- | Deyilir | It is said |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Stem + Passive + Tense | Danışılır (It is spoken) |
| Negative | Stem + Passive + ma/mə + Tense | Danışılmır (It is not spoken) |
| Question | Stem + Passive + Tense + mi⁴? | Danışılırmı? (Is it spoken?) |
| Future | Stem + Passive + acaq/əcək | Baxılacaq (It will be looked at) |
| Past | Stem + Passive + dı⁴ | Görüldü (It was seen) |
| Necessity | Stem + Passive + malı/məli | Gedilməlidir (One must go) |
| Ability | Stem + Passive + (y)a bilər | Yazıla bilər (It can be written) |
طیف رسمیت
Onun gələcəyi bildirilir. (Reporting news/rumors)
Deyilir ki, o gəlir. (Reporting news/rumors)
Deyirlər gəlir. (Reporting news/rumors)
Eşitmişəm gəlir ha! (Reporting news/rumors)
The Impersonal Passive Universe
Usage
- Xəbərlər News
- Qaydalar Rules
- Şayiələr Rumors
Suffixes
- -ıl / -il Standard
- -ın / -in After 'L'
- -n After Vowel
Choosing the Right Suffix
Does the stem end in a vowel?
Is the last consonant 'L'?
Examples by Level
Burada çörək satılır.
Bread is sold here.
Bu kitab oxunur.
This book is being read.
Məktub yazılır.
The letter is being written.
Qapı açılır.
The door is opening / is being opened.
Burada siqaret çəkilmir.
Smoking is not allowed here.
Bu söz necə deyilir?
How is this word said?
İçəri girilmir.
One does not enter inside.
Tez-tez görüşülür.
Meetings happen often / One meets often.
Deyilir ki, sabah hava soyuq olacaq.
It is said that the weather will be cold tomorrow.
Bu məsələyə sabah baxılacaq.
This matter will be looked at tomorrow.
Yeni qanun qəbul olundu.
A new law was adopted.
Oraya avtobusla gedilir.
One goes there by bus.
Hesab edilir ki, bu metod daha səmərəlidir.
It is considered that this method is more efficient.
Görüşdə mühüm qərarlar alındı.
Important decisions were taken at the meeting.
Problemin həllinə çalışılır.
Work is being done on the solution of the problem.
Bu barədə ətraflı məlumat verilməlidir.
Detailed information must be given about this.
Məsələyə konseptual tərəfdən yanaşılır.
The issue is being approached from a conceptual side.
Belə qənaətə gəlinir ki, nəticələr doğrudur.
The conclusion is reached that the results are correct.
Tarix boyu bu torpaqlar uğrunda döyüşülüb.
Throughout history, battles have been fought for these lands.
Qanunun aliliyinə riayət olunmalıdır.
The rule of law must be observed.
Mövzuya dair müxtəlif mülahizələr irəli sürülməkdədir.
Various opinions regarding the subject are being put forward.
Hadisələrə obyektiv prizmadan nəzər salınır.
Events are being looked at from an objective prism.
Müasir dövrdə texnologiyanın roluna yenidən baxılır.
In the modern era, the role of technology is being re-examined.
Zərurət yarandıqda müvafiq tədbirlər görüləcəkdir.
Appropriate measures will be taken when the necessity arises.
Easily Confused
Both use the -ın suffix. For example, 'döyünmək' can mean 'to be beaten' or 'to beat (heart)'.
Verbs like 'açılmaq' (to open) can be passive or just describe a state change.
اشتباهات رایج
Mən yazılır.
Məktub yazılır.
O oxuılır.
O oxunur.
Burada siqaret çəkmir.
Burada siqaret çəkilmir.
Al-ıl-ır.
Al-ın-ır.
Deyir ki, yağış yağacaq.
Deyilir ki, yağış yağacaq.
Məsələyə baxılmalıdır tərəfindən komitə.
Məsələyə komitə tərəfindən baxılmalıdır.
Sentence Patterns
Burada ___ -ılır / -ilmir.
Deyilir ki, ___.
Məsələyə ___ tərəfindən baxılır.
Belə hesab edilir ki, ___.
Real World Usage
Qapılar bağlanır, növbəti stansiya...
Deyilir ki, bu gün dərs olmayacaq.
Şirkətimizdə komanda işinə üstünlük verilir.
Yeməklər kərə yağı ilə hazırlanır.
Prezident tərəfindən fərman imzalandı.
Deyilənə görə, onlar ayrılıblar.
The 'L' Rule
No 'I' or 'You'
Polite Distance
Rumor Starter
Smart Tips
Don't look for a person (I, you, he). Look for the object or the general action being described.
Use the impersonal passive + -malı/-məli instead of 'Sən' (you).
Switch your brain to the 'N' suffix (-ın) immediately.
Remember it's irregular: 'Deyilir', not 'Demilir'.
تلفظ
Stress on the Suffix
In Azerbaijani, the stress usually falls on the last syllable of the verb, but the passive suffix itself is not stressed if a tense marker follows it.
Soft 'L'
The 'l' in -ıl/-il is clear and light, especially after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü).
Rising-Falling
Deyilir ki... ↗ ↘
Used when introducing a rumor or news item to build anticipation.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the 'L' in Passive as a 'Lens' focusing on the action, not the person.
Visual Association
Imagine a megaphone (📢) broadcasting a message to a crowd. There is no one person speaking; the message just 'is said' (deyilir) to everyone.
Rhyme
L is for the action done, N is when the L is won (after L-stems).
Story
In a village with no names, people only use impersonal passives. They don't say 'Ali wrote a book,' they say 'A book was written' (Kitab yazıldı). They don't say 'We are going to the market,' they say 'To the market is gone' (Bazara gidilir).
Word Web
چالش
Look at 5 signs in your city (or online) and try to translate them into Azerbaijani using the impersonal passive.
نکات فرهنگی
In formal hosting, impersonal passives are used to offer things politely. Instead of 'Will you drink tea?', one might hear 'Çay içilir?' (Is tea being drunk? / Would one like tea?).
Official documents in Azerbaijan heavily rely on the impersonal passive to maintain a distance between the state and the citizen.
The passive suffixes -l and -n date back to Old Turkic (Orkhon inscriptions).
Conversation Starters
Şəhərdə ən çox hansı dildə danışılır?
Eşitdiyinizə görə, sabah hava necə olacaq? (Deyilir ki...)
Sizin ölkənizdə qonaqlara necə xidmət edilir?
İş yerində qaydalara necə riayət olunur?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Bu mağazada hər şey ucuz ___.
Məktub artıq yaz__dı.
Find and fix the mistake:
Burada siqaret çəkmir.
Burada çox ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
In Azerbaijani, you can make a passive form of the verb 'to go' (getmək).
A: Bu söz necə ___? B: Bilmirəm, lüğətə baxaq.
Identify the intruder.
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesBu mağazada hər şey ucuz ___.
Məktub artıq yaz__dı.
Find and fix the mistake:
Burada siqaret çəkmir.
Burada çox ___.
1. Demək, 2. Baxmaq, 3. Getmək
In Azerbaijani, you can make a passive form of the verb 'to go' (getmək).
A: Bu söz necə ___? B: Bilmirəm, lüğətə baxaq.
Identify the intruder.
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Yes, but it's more common in formal writing. In daily speech, we just omit the doer entirely.
Because the stem 'al-' ends in 'L'. To avoid the awkward 'll' sound, Azerbaijani switches to the '-ın' suffix.
'Deyilir ki' is 'It is said' (passive), while 'Deyirlər ki' is 'They say' (active). Both are used for rumors, but 'Deyilir' is more formal.
Almost every verb, including intransitive ones like 'getmək' (to go) or 'yatmaq' (to sleep), can be made impersonal in Azerbaijani.
Use the verb 'edilmək'. For example: 'İşlər görülür' or 'Kömək edilir'.
'Açılır' is passive (it is opened), while 'açınır' is reflexive (it opens itself, like a flower).
No, the passive suffix comes before the tense marker. You can have passive in past, present, or future.
Yes, it is very common in Azerbaijani poetry to create a sense of fate or universal truth.
In Other Languages
It is said / One does
English cannot make 'go' passive (*It is gone), but Azerbaijani can (Gedilir).
Man / Es wird
German requires a subject (Man/Es), Azerbaijani does not.
On dit
French 'on' is active voice; Azerbaijani impersonal is passive voice.
Se dice
Spanish 'se' is a separate particle; Azerbaijani is a suffix.
Говорят / -ся
Russian often uses 'They' (plural) where Azerbaijani uses 'It' (singular passive).
-il / -in
Minor vowel harmony and vocabulary differences.
