sapabilirler

Sapabilirler is a Turkish verb form used to express possibility or ability for a third-person plural subject. It is formed by attaching the modal suffix -abilir to the verb stem and then adding the plural suffix -ler, resulting in sapabilirler. The base verb is sapmak, and sap- carries the core meaning; the phrase as a whole indicates that “they can” or “they may” perform the action described by the stem verb. The exact meaning depends on the verb it combines with, so sapabilirler by itself is not a complete statement.

Usage and nuance: The -ebilir suffix denotes potential or possibility and can translate to “can” or “may” in English. Its sense is determined by the context, including time reference and surrounding words. Turkish does not encode a specific tense in this suffix; time is inferred from the broader sentence.

Negation and related forms: The negative of sapabilirler is sapamayabilirler, meaning “they may not be able to” or “they might not.” Related forms include other persons and tenses built with the same modal suffix, such as yapabilirler (they can) for different verbs, or sapabiliriz (we can) depending on the subject.

Examples:

- Görüştüğümüz ekipler bu planda sapabilirler. (The teams we are speaking with may deviate from this plan.)

- Analistler hipotezden sapabilirler. (Analysts may deviate from the hypothesis.)