Understanding Turkish Word Formation with “Dönüştürülebilir”

Have you ever looked at a long Turkish word and wondered how all those pieces come together? Turkish might seem complex from the outside, but once you understand how roots and suffixes interact, everything starts to click. In this post, we’ll explore one of the best examples of Turkish word formation:

“dönüştürülebilir.” It’s a word you’ll often see on recycling labels, and it perfectly illustrates how Turkish builds meaning step by step through derivation, causation, the passive voice, and ability structures.

Let’s break it down layer by layer.

1) dön- → root verb (to turn / to return)

2) -üş- → derivational suffix

This forms dönüş-, giving the sense of changing, becoming something else — as in dönüşmek (to transform).

Additionally, dönüş can also function as a noun, meaning turning or return.

3) -tür- → causative suffix

This creates dönüştürmek, meaning “to make something transform / to convert.”

Now we have a transitive verb: “to transform something.”

4) -ül- → passive voice suffix

This is the key difference. dönüştürül- = to be transformed / to be converted.

This step turns an active verb into a passive one.

5) -ebilir → ability

This adds the meaning “can / be able to.”

So dönüştürülebilir = can be transformed, can be recycled

And when combined with geri (back / again / re-), we get:

Geri Dönüştürülebilir = Recyclable

Other adjectives derived from passive verbs

Turkish has many adjectives formed from passive verbs. They usually end in -ebilir, -mez, or -miş.

Here are some examples:

• yapılabilir = doable

• anlaşılabilir = understandable

• kabul edilebilir = acceptable

• unutulmaz = unforgettable

• affedilmez = unforgivable

• inanılmaz = unbelievable

• haşlanmış (yumurta) = boiled (egg)

• ödenmemiş (fatura) = unpaid (bill)