Kalkabilirler

Kalkabilirler is a Turkish verb form used to express possibility or ability for a plural subject. It is the third-person plural form of the verb kalkmak (to stand up, to rise) in the potential mood. The form is built from the verb stem kalk-, with the suffix -abilir/-ebilir indicating potential or ability, followed by the personal ending -ler for they. The exact meaning is “they can stand up” or “they may stand up,” depending on context.

Negation is formed with additional negation in the potential: kalkamazlar means “they cannot stand up,” and kalkamayabilirler means “they may not be able to stand up” or “they might not be able to stand up.” These variants show how Turkish expresses certainty versus possibility in the same tense frame.

Usage notes include that kalkabilirler is appropriate when the subject is plural and not specified, or when speaking about a group as a generic or hypothetical entity. The form is common in descriptive or narrative contexts, as well as in everyday speech when discussing capability or likelihood.

Examples:

- Hasta olanlar yataktan kalkabilirler. (Those who are ill can get out of bed.)

- Çocuklar sabah erken kalkabilirler. (The children can get up early in the morning.)

- Onlar kötü hava koşulları nedeniyle kalkamayabilirler. (They might not be able to stand up due to the bad weather.)

Kalkabilirler therefore functions as a concise, standard marker of plural potential in Turkish, closely tied to the broader system of -ebilmek/-abilmek constructions that express ability and possibility.