uçmaya

Uçmaya is a Turkish non-finite verb form derived from the verb uçmak, meaning “to fly.” It represents the infinitive or verbal noun form used to express the action of flying without specifying a subject or tense. In Turkish, this infinitive-like form is commonly used as the object or complement of other verbs, and to indicate intention, purpose, or plan.

Formation and function: Uçmaya is created by attaching the suffix -maya to the verb stem uç- (from uçmak). The choice between -maya and -meye follows vowel harmony; because the stem vowel is a back vowel (u), the suffix appears as -maya. The resulting form can function as a noun phrase equivalent to “to fly” or as an infinitive clause within larger sentences, often after verbs of decision, desire, or intention.

Usage examples:

- Uçmaya karar verdim. (I decided to fly.)

- Uçmaya çalışıyoruz. (We are trying to fly.)

- Uçmaya başlayıp başlamadığımızı konuşabiliriz. (We can discuss whether we have started to fly.)

- Uçmaya hazır mıyız? (Are we ready to fly?)

Relation to other forms: While uçmaya conveys the act of flying in a non-finite sense, Turkish also uses related forms such as uçma as a noun meaning “the act of flying.” The simple infinitive form with mak/mek (e.g., uçmak) serves a different non-finite function but is related semantically to uçmaya.

See also: uçmak, uçma, uçuş.