Sapabilir

Sapabilir is a Turkish verb form meaning can veer or may diverge. It is derived from the verb sapmak (to deviate, to turn off course) and uses the potential mood suffix -abilir/-ebilir to express possibility. The form sapabilir literally corresponds to “it can veer” and is used with a third-person singular subject; other persons are formed with sapabilirim, sapabilirsin, sapabiliriz, sapabilirler, etc. Turkish verbs follow vowel harmony, so the suffix vowels adjust to the stem, but the basic meaning remains “can/ may.” Negative and other tenses are formed similarly, for example sapmayabilir meaning “may not veer.”

Usage and meaning

Sapabilir is used for both literal and figurative deviations. In geography or transportation, it can describe a road, river, or path that may turn off or diverge. In planning or argumentation, it can express that plans, strategies, or lines of reasoning may deviate from an expected course.

Examples

Bu yol sağa sapabilir. This road may turn to the right.

Planlarım sapabilir; bu yüzden alternatif bir yol düşünmeliyim. My plans may deviate, so I should consider an alternative route.

Relation to Turkish grammar

Sapabilir illustrates the potential mood formed with -abilir/-ebilir and demonstrates how Turkish conveys possibility without an auxiliary verb. It is a common pattern across many verbs and integrates with standard Turkish verb conjugation for person, number, and negation. See also Turkish language, Turkish verbs, and sapmak.