Gelebilirler

Gelebilirler is a Turkish finite verb form that expresses the possibility or permission for a group of people to come. It is built from the verb gel (to come) combined with the ability/possibility suffixebil and the present tense marker, plus the third-person plural suffix -ler. The overall meaning is roughly “they can come” or “they might come,” depending on context.

Morphology and usage

The base infinitive gelebilmek means “to be able to come.” The form gelebilir attaches the potential suffix -ebilir (with appropriate vowel harmony yielding -ebilir for stems like gel) to form gelebilir, indicating possibility. Adding the third-person plural marker -ler yields gelebilirler, specifying that the subject is “they.” In everyday Turkish, gelebilirler commonly conveys hypothetical or reported possibility rather than a definite action.

Nuance and context

Gelebilirler often appears in informal or discursive speech, where the speaker talks about what people might do. It does not guarantee that they will come; it merely indicates that it is possible for them to come. The form can contrast with gelebilir (they/you can come, they/you might come) by including explicit plurality with -ler when the subject is plural and unspecified.

Examples

- Onlar gelebilirler. — They may come / They could come.

- Toplantıya kimlerin gelebileceğini bilmiyoruz; bazıları gelebilirler. — We don’t know who among the invitees might come; some of them could come.

See also

Turkish grammar: mood and aspect, especially the potential mood (ebil/e bilmek), and Turkish plural suffix -ler.