Turkish Grammar › Converbs
Karşıtlık Yapıları (-sA dA, -sA bile)
Concessive Conditionals
Level B2Converbs
The hypothetical members of the concessive family: yağmur yağsa da çıkarım, zengin olsa bile mutlu olmaz.
In this topic you will see the last two members of the concessive family: «-sA dA» and «-sA bile». Both carry the meaning "even if / no matter what".
Adding a conjunction to the conditional mood («-sA») you learned in B1 produces a CONCESSIVE meaning: «Yağmur yağsa da çıkarım.» — meaning I will go out regardless of whether it rains.
In the «-sA dA» structure, «da/de» is written separately: yağsa da, gelse de, bilse de.
«-sA bile» does the same job, but is a bit more emphatic: «Zengin olsa bile mutlu olmaz.» — even being rich is not enough to make him happy.
Unlike the previous two topics, this structure assumes a situation that has NOT happened or is NOT YET certain; it is hypothetical, like the conditional mood. «-DIk/-(y)AcAk hâlde» and «-mAsInA rağmen», by contrast, describe a REALISED or CERTAIN situation.
Compare: the difference between «Param olmadığı hâlde geldim.» (I really had no money, and I came) and «Param olmasa da gelirim.» (it is not yet known, but even if I have none, I will come) is the degree of REALITY.
The person suffix attaches to the verb through the conditional's own conjugation: gelsem de, gelsen de, gelse de, gelsek de.
The negative form is regular: gelmesem de, bilmese bile.
Now let's look at the whole concessive family: with a noun, «rağmen/karşın» (B1: yağmura rağmen); with a verb in a realised situation, «-DIk/-(y)AcAk hâlde» or «-mAsInA rağmen/karşın»; with a verb in a hypothetical situation, «-sA dA/bile». They all answer the same question: "Even so?"
«-sA da» and «-sA bile» are very common in everyday speech, especially when making a promise or giving reassurance: «Ne olursa olsun gelirim, yağmur yağsa da.»
Examples
- Yağmur yağsa da pikniğe gideriz.We'll go on the picnic even if it rains.
- Zengin olsa bile mutlu olmaz.He wouldn't be happy even if he were rich.
- Param olmasa da bu hediyeyi alırım.I'll buy this gift even if I have no money.
- Geç kalsa bile onu bekleriz.We'll wait for him even if he's late.
- Kimse inanmasa da doğruyu söyleyeceğim.I'll tell the truth even if no one believes it.