Gitmeliydi

Gitmeliydi is a Turkish verb form that expresses a past obligation or expectation, roughly translating to "should have gone" or "was supposed to go." It functions as the past conditional of the verb gitmek, meaning to go, and is commonly used to reflect on actions that would have been appropriate in the past.

The form is built from the verb stem git- combined with the obligation suffix -meli/-malı and the past tense element -di, producing gitmeliydi. The clause typically carries a subject implied by context, though explicit subjects can appear, for example: O gitmeliydi. (He/She should have gone.) Other person forms exist in the same pattern: gitmeliydim (I should have gone), gitmeliydin (you should have gone), gitmeliydik (we should have gone), gitmeliydiniz (you plural should have gone), gitmeliydiler (they should have gone).

Usage of gitmeliydi centers on retrospective judgment about past actions. It is used in narrative, analysis, and reported speech to indicate that a different past choice or course of action would have been preferable. The nuance differs slightly from similar forms that denote obligation in the present or future, since gitmeliydi explicitly situates the judgment in the past.

In Turkish grammar, gitmeliydi belongs to the family of past conditional constructions formed with -meli/-malı plus a past tense suffix. It is a standard, versatile tool for expressing hindsight, duty, or expectation regarding past events without specifying tense beyond the past. See also Turkish mood and tense systems for related forms and examples.