How do you say “I am happy” in Turkish?

Lesson19 Section 3

🇹🇷 Turkish Grammar Focus: Personal Endings & Vowel Harmony

This lesson explains why personal suffixes like “I am” and “you are” change in words like mutluyum and üzgünüm.

📚 Example Sentences

❓ The Core Question

Why do we use -yum in “mutluyum” but -üm in “üzgünüm”? And why -sun in “mutlusun” but -sün in “üzgünsün”?

The Answer: It’s all governed by a fundamental rule in Turkish called Vowel Harmony. Suffixes must “harmonize” with the last vowel of the word they are attached to.

🎵 The Rule of Vowel Harmony

The vowel in the suffix changes to match the last vowel in the root word. We look at two features of the vowel:

1. Front (e, i, ö, ü) or Back (a, ı, o, u)

2. Rounded (o, u, ö, ü) or Unrounded (a, e, ı, i)

Here are the personal suffixes for “I am” (ben) and “you are” (sen):

Personal Suffix Table

🔍 Applied Analysis: mutlu vs. üzgün

Let’s break down our examples using the table above.

Case 1: The Word mutlu (Happy)

1. Last Vowel: u (a back and rounded vowel)

2. Applying the Rule:

   • For Ben (I am), we use the suffix for o/u: -yum

   • For Sen (You are), we use the suffix for o/u: -sun

Case 2: The Word üzgün (Sad)

1. Last Vowel: ü (a front and rounded vowel)

2. Applying the Rule:

   • For Ben (I am), we use the suffix for ö/ü: -yüm

   • For Sen (You are), we use the suffix for ö/ü: -sün

💡 Important Note on the Buffer Letter -y-:
The letter -y- in -yum and -yüm is a buffer letter. It is used to prevent two vowels from coming together when the root word already ends with a vowel (like mutl**u**). If the word ends in a consonant (like üzgün), the personal suffix attaches directly without the need for the -y- buffer.

✅ Summary

The suffixes change to make the words easier to pronounce and to maintain a consistent and harmonious sound pattern in the language. By following the vowel harmony rules, you can correctly form these sentences for any adjective.