anlatmak

Anlatmak is a Turkish verb meaning to tell, narrate, or explain. It is used to convey information about events, experiences, or reasons, either by recounting what happened or by clarifying details. The sense can range from simple storytelling, as in telling a story, to giving an explanation or account of circumstances.

The verb is transitive and typically appears with a direct object marked by the accusative or a noun phrase such as bir şeyi (something) or olayı (the event). It can take an indirect object indicating the listener, as in bana bir şeyi anlatmak (to tell me something) or olayı ona anlatmak (to tell him the event). Common constructions include bir şeyi anlatmak, olayı anlatmak, and nedenini anlatmak (to explain the reason). In addition to narration, anlatmak is used for explanations and descriptions in more factual contexts, similar to the English “explain.”

Morphologically, anlatmak is built from the stem anlat- plus the infinitive suffix -mak. It has regular Turkish verb conjugations: anlatıyorum (I am telling), anlattı (he/she told), anlatacak (will tell), anlatsa (if he/she told), and so on. The passive form is anlatılır (is told), and the infinitive passive is anlatılmak (to be told/to be narrated). Related forms include anlatıcı (narrator), anlatım (narration or expression), and anlatı (story or narrative). Distinct from aşırı açıklamak or izah etmek, anlatmak emphasizes the act of conveying content, whether as storytelling or explanation.