The order of suffixes (ev-ler-im-de)
Turkish words often carry several suffixes in a row, always in the same order. For nouns: stem – plural – possessive – case: ev-ler-im-de (in my houses). English spreads this over several words.
| Step | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 stem | – | ev (house) |
| 2 plural | -ler | evler (houses) |
| 3 possessive | -im | evlerim (my houses) |
| 4 case | -de | evlerimde (in my houses) |
| 5 -ki | -ki | evlerimdeki (the ones in my houses) |
And for verbs?
- Stem – (ability) – negation – tense – person: gel-me-di-m (I didn't come), gör-ebil-ir-im (I can see).
- Each suffix follows the vowel just before it, not the stem: ev-ler-im-de, kitap-lar-ım-da.
- A consonant softens only before a vowel: kitab-ım, but kitap-lar.
Examples
- Kardeşlerimizle tatile gidiyoruz.We're going on holiday with our siblings.
- Çocuklarınız nerede?Where are your children?
- Gözlüklerin masamda.Your glasses are on my desk.
- Bunu yapamadım.I couldn't do it.
- Evlerimizdeki eşyalar eski.The things in our houses are old.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Benim kedimler bahçede.✓ Benim kedilerim bahçede.English “my cats” puts “my” first; in Turkish the plural comes before the possessive: kedi-ler-im.
- ✗ Telefon çantadam.✓ Telefon çantamda.English “in my bag” puts “in” first; in Turkish the possessive comes before the case: çanta-m-da.
- ✗ Arkadaşımlarla geldim.✓ Arkadaşlarımla geldim.Plural first, then person, then ile: arkadaş-lar-ım-la.
- ✗ Çantalarimda kitap var.✓ Çantalarımda kitap var.Each suffix follows the vowel just before it: after -lar it is -ım.
- ✗ Ağacları kestiler.✓ Ağaçları kestiler.A consonant softens only before a vowel; before -lar the ç stays: ağaçlar, ağaçları.