The Turkish Pronoun -ki: Complete Guide to Possessive Forms
The Turkish Pronoun -ki: Complete Guide to Possessive Forms
Teaching the Pronominal “-ki” (The One/Ones Belonging To…)
What is the Pronominal “-ki”?
This suffix creates a pronoun that always refers to people, animals, or things mentioned before. It means “the one(s) that belong to…” or “the person(s)/thing(s) in/at…”.
CRITICAL RULES:
-
🔑 IT ALWAYS REFERS TO A NOUN ALREADY MENTIONED. It never introduces something new.
-
🔑 IT REPLACES THE NOUN + ITS POSSESSOR/LOCATION. Think:
Benim araba-m→Benim-ki. -
🔑 IT CAN REFER TO PEOPLE, ANIMALS, OR OBJECTS. The context tells you which.
-
🔑 “Sınıftaki” ≠ “Sınıftakiler” → The
-lerending makes it plural people.
MAIN DIFFERENCE: ADJECTIVE vs. PRONOUN
| If you see this… | It’s an ADJECTIVE (-ki) | It’s a PRONOUN (-ki) |
|---|---|---|
| TEST QUESTION | Can you add a noun after it? YES | Can you add a noun after it? NO |
| STRUCTURE | Location/Owner + -ki + NOUN | Location/Owner + -ki + (NOTHING) |
| MEANING | “The [noun] that is in/belongs to…” | “The PEOPLE/THINGS that are in/belong to…” |
| EXAMPLE | Sınıftaki öğrenci (The student in the class) |
Sınıftakiler (The people in the class) |
| EXAMPLE | Benim arabam (My car) |
Benimki (The one that is mine) |
30 EXAMPLES – PRONOMINAL “-ki” (ALWAYS REFERS TO PEOPLE/THINGS)
| Turkish Example (Pronoun “-ki”) | English Translation & WHAT IT REFERS TO |
|---|---|
| 1. Benimki burada. | Mine is here. (Refers to: my thing/person – MY BOOK, MY CAR, MY CHILD) |
| 2. Seninki geç kaldı. | Yours is late. (Refers to: your person – YOUR FRIEND, YOUR SON) |
| 3. Onunki çok pahalı. | His/Hers is very expensive. (Refers to: his/her thing – HIS WATCH, HER PHONE) |
| 4. Bizimki hasta. | Ours is sick. (Refers to: our person – OUR DAUGHTER, OUR FRIEND) |
| 5. Sizinki doğru cevabı verdi. | Yours gave the correct answer. (Refers to: your person – YOUR STUDENT) |
| 6. Onlarınki çok yaramaz. | Theirs is very naughty. (Refers to: their person – THEIR CHILD) |
| 7. Ayşe’ninki kayboldu. | Ayşe’s got lost. (Refers to: Ayşe’s thing – AYŞE’S BAG, AYŞE’S KEY) |
| 8. Öğretmeninki en iyisi. | The teacher’s is the best. (Refers to: teacher’s thing – TEACHER’S IDEA, TEACHER’S METHOD) |
| 9. Evdekiler yemek yiyor. | The people at home are eating. (Refers to: PEOPLE – MY FAMILY, THE RESIDENTS) |
| 10. Sınıftakiler test oluyor. | The people in the classroom are taking a test. (Refers to: PEOPLE – THE STUDENTS) |
| 11. Dışarıdakiler girse mi? | Should the people outside come in? (Refers to: PEOPLE – PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE) |
| 12. Türkiye’dekiler bayramı kutluyor. | The people in Turkey are celebrating the holiday. (Refers to: PEOPLE – PEOPLE IN TURKEY) |
| 13. Yukarıdakiler duysun. | Let the people upstairs hear. (Refers to: PEOPLE – PEOPLE ON THE UPPER FLOOR) |
| 14. Erken gelenler otursun. | The people who came early should sit. (Refers to: PEOPLE – EARLY ARRIVALS) |
| 15. Bilenler parmak kaldırsın. | Those who know should raise their hand. (Refers to: PEOPLE – KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE) |
| 16. Çalışanlar ödüllendirilsin. | The workers should be rewarded. (Refers to: PEOPLE – EMPLOYEES) |
| 17. Kırmızı giyenler buraya gelsin. | Those wearing red should come here. (Refers to: PEOPLE – PEOPLE IN RED CLOTHES) |
| 18. Büyük olan senin, küçük olan benim. | The big one is yours, the small one is mine. (Refers to: THINGS – TWO OBJECTS, HOUSES, etc.) |
| 19. İlk söylediğin doğruydu. | The first thing you said was correct. (Refers to: THING – YOUR FIRST STATEMENT) |
| 20. Yaptıklarını beğendim. | I liked what you did / the things you did. (Refers to: THINGS – YOUR ACTIONS, YOUR WORK) |
| 21. Gördüklerimi unutamıyorum. | I can’t forget what I saw / the things I saw. (Refers to: THINGS – THE SIGHTS, IMAGES, EVENTS) |
| 22. Bildiğin her şeyi anlat. | Tell me everything you know. (Refers to: THING – YOUR KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION) |
| 23. Alacaklarım var. | I have things to buy. (Refers to: THINGS – ITEMS TO PURCHASE) |
| 24. Okuyacaklarım çok. | What I will read / The things I will read are many. (Refers to: THINGS – BOOKS, DOCUMENTS) |
| 25. Güzel olan her şey değerlidir. | Everything beautiful / All that is beautiful is valuable. (Refers to: THINGS – BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS, ART, etc.) |
| 26. Akıllı olan susar. | The smart one remains silent. (Refers to: PERSON – A SMART PERSON) |
| 27. İki kişiden yaşlı olan konuştu. | The older of the two people spoke. (Refers to: PERSON – THE OLDER PERSON) |
| 28. Arabası olanlar park etsin. | Those who have cars should park. (Refers to: PEOPLE – CAR OWNERS) |
| 29. Evliler bu salonda toplansın. | Married people should gather in this hall. (Refers to: PEOPLE – MARRIED COUPLES) |
| 30. Türkçe konuşanlar anlar. | Turkish speakers will understand. (Refers to: PEOPLE – PEOPLE WHO SPEAK TURKISH) |
📌 REMINDER:
-
SIFAT -ki (Adjective): Comes before a noun, describes the noun 📝
-
ZAMİR -ki (Pronoun): Replaces the noun entirely 🔄
📊 COMPARISON TABLE WITH EXAMPLES
| SIFAT -ki (Adjective) – Used WITH a Noun | ZAMİR -ki (Pronoun) – Used INSTEAD of a Noun |
|---|---|
| Benim arabam 🚗 siyah. My car is black. |
Benimki 🚗 siyah. Mine is black. |
| Senin telefonun 📱 yeni. Your phone is new. |
Seninki 📱 yeni. Yours is new. |
| Onun evi 🏠 büyük. His/Her house is big. |
Onunki 🏠 büyük. His/Hers is big. |
| Bizim köpeğimiz 🐕 mutlu. Our dog is happy. |
Bizimki 🐕 mutlu. Ours is happy. |
| Sizin yemeğiniz 🍝 lezzetli. Your food is delicious. |
Sizinki 🍝 lezzetli. Yours is delicious. |
| Onların çocukları 👶 yaramaz. Their children are naughty. |
Onlarınki 👶 yaramaz. Theirs are naughty. |
| Ayşe’nin elbisesi 👗 kırmızı. Ayşe’s dress is red. |
Ayşe’ninki 👗 kırmızı. Ayşe’s is red. |
| Öğretmenin sorusu ❓ zor. The teacher’s question is difficult. |
Öğretmeninki ❓ zor. The teacher’s is difficult. |
| Masada kitap 📚 var. There is a book on the table. |
Masada olan 📚 var. There is one on the table. |
| Dolapta süt 🥛 yok. There is no milk in the cupboard. |
Dolaptaki 🥛 yok. The one in the cupboard isn’t there. |
| Sınıfta öğrenci 🧑🎓 var. There is a student in the class. |
Sınıftakiler 🧑🎓 var. There are people in the class. |
| Bahçede çocuk 🧒 oynuyor. A child is playing in the garden. |
Bahçedekiler 🧒 oynuyor. Those in the garden are playing. |
| Cebimde para 💰 var. I have money in my pocket. |
Cebimdekiler 💰 az. What’s in my pocket is little. |
| Dünkü film 🎬 iyiydi. Yesterday’s movie was good. |
Dünkü 🎬 iyiydi. Yesterday’s was good. |
| Yarınki toplantı 📅 saat 3’te. Tomorrow’s meeting is at 3. |
Yarınki 📅 saat 3’te. Tomorrow’s is at 3. |
| Akşamki haber 📰 ilginçti. The evening news was interesting. |
Akşamki 📰 ilginçti. The evening one was interesting. |
| Sabahki hava ☀️ soğuktu. The morning weather was cold. |
Sabahki ☀️ soğuktu. The morning one was cold. |
| Geçen haftaki sınav ✏️ zordu. Last week’s exam was difficult. |
Geçen haftaki ✏️ zordu. Last week’s was difficult. |
| Vitrindeki elbise 👚 pahalı. The dress in the window is expensive. |
Vitrindeki 👚 pahalı. The one in the window is expensive. |
| Raftaki kitaplar 📖 eski. The books on the shelf are old. |
Raftakiler 📖 eski. The ones on the shelf are old. |
🎯 TEACHER’S NOTE:
Ask the student:
-
“Is there a noun AFTER ‘-ki’ in this sentence?” 👉 Adjective
-
“Is ‘-ki’ standing ALONE in this sentence?” 👉 Pronoun
Example checks:
-
✅ “Benim arabam 🚗” → “araba” noun exists → ADJECTIVE
-
✅ “Benimki 🚗” → No noun → PRONOUN
-
✅ “Sınıftaki öğrenciler 🧑🎓” → “öğrenciler” noun exists → ADJECTIVE
-
✅ “Sınıftakiler 🧑🎓” → No noun → PRONOUN
Zamir “-ki” → Tam İsim Karşılaştırması (30 Örnek)
| Zamir “-ki” ile (PRONOUN) | Tam İsim ile (FULL NOUN) | İngilizce (English) | Emoji |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. …. yeni. | ……. yeni. | Mine is new. / My car is new. | 🚗 |
| 2. ……nerede? | Senin ….. nerede? | Where is yours? / Where is your pen? | ✏️ |
| 3. O….. büyük. | …. ev… büyük. | His/Hers is big. / His/Her house is big. | 🏠 |
| 4. ……hasta. | ….. köpeği…. hasta. | Ours is sick. / Our dog is sick. | 🐕 |
| 5. …..ezzetli. | Siz…. yemeğ…. lezzetli. | Yours is delicious. / Your food is delicious. | 🍝 |
| 6. ….. yaramaz. | Onların ….. yaramaz. | Theirs is naughty. / Their child is naughty. | 👶 |
| 7. Ayşe’….. kırmızı. | Ayşe’….. elbise…. kırmızı. | Ayşe’s is red. / Ayşe’s dress is red. | 👗 |
| 8. Öğretmen…. doğru. | Öğretmen…. cevab.. doğru. | The teacher’s is correct. / The teacher’s answer is correct. | ✅ |
| 9. Evde…. mutlu. | Evde…. insanlar mutlu. | Those at home are happy. / The people at home are happy. | 😊 |
| 10. Sınıfta…… çalışıyor. | Sınıf…. öğrenci… çalışıyor. | Those in the class are studying. / The students in the class are studying. | 🧑🎓 |
| 11. Dışarıda…. üşüyor. | Dışarıda….insan…. üşüyor. | Those outside are cold. / The people outside are cold. | 🥶 |
| 12. …. temiz. | …….tabaklar temiz. | Those on the table are clean. / The plates on the table are clean. | 🍽️ |
| 13. Raf…. eski. | Raf…. kitap…. eski. | Those on the shelf are old. / The books on the shelf are old. | 📚 |
| 14. Yukarıda….. gürültü yapıyor. | Yukarıda….komşular gürültü yapıyor. | Those upstairs are making noise. / The neighbors upstairs are making noise. | 🔊 |
| 15. Burada… sıkıldı. | Burada…. misafirler sıkıldı. | Those here got bored. / The guests here got bored. | 😒 |
| 16. İçeride…. sessiz. | İçeri…. ço…..sessiz. | Those inside are quiet. / The children inside are quiet. | 🤫 |
| 17. Önde…. görüyor. | Ön….. kişi…. görüyor. | Those in front can see. / The people in front can see. | 👀 |
| 18. Arkada…..duymuyor. | Arkada…. dinleyici… duymuyor. | Those in back can’t hear. / The listeners in back can’t hear. | 🦻 |
| 19. Yurtdışında… özledi. | Yurtdışın…..akraba…. özledi. | Those abroad missed. / The relatives abroad missed. | 🌍 |
| 20. Hastane…. iyileşti. | Hastane… h…. iyileşti. | Those in the hospital recovered. / The patients in the hospital recovered. | 🏥 |
| 21. Park…. oynuyor. | Park…..çocuklar oynuyor. | Those in the park are playing. / The children in the park are playing. | 🏃♂️ |
| 22. Cadde….. yürüyor. | Cadde….yaya…. yürüyor. | Those on the street are walking. / The pedestrians on the street are walking. | 🚶 |
| 23. Denizde…. yüzüyor. | Deniz….insanlar yüzüyor. | Those in the sea are swimming. / The people in the sea are swimming. | 🏊 |
| 24. Dağda…. tırmanıyor. | Dağ…. sporcu… tırmanıyor. | Those on the mountain are climbing. / The athletes on the mountain are climbing. | ⛰️ |
| 25. Parti…..eğleniyor. | Parti….konuk…. eğleniyor. | Those at the party are having fun. / The guests at the party are having fun. | 🎉 |
| 26. Toplantı….. tartışıyor. | Toplantı…. üyeler tartışıyor. | Those in the meeting are arguing. / The members in the meeting are arguing. | 💬 |
| 27. Kütüphane….. okuyor. | Kütüphane….öğrenciler okuyor. | Those in the library are reading. / The students in the library are reading. | 📖 |
| 🛍️ | |||
| 29. Sırada…. bekliyor. | Sıra….. bekliyor. | Those in line are waiting. / The people in line are waiting. | ⏳ |
| 30. Yol….. yardım istiyor. | Yol….. yardım istiyor. | Those on the road need help. / The drivers on the road need help. | 🆘 |
| Türkçe Soru | İngilizce Çeviri |
|---|---|
| 1. Benim komşum.. kedi.. hasta, …. hasta mı? 🐱 | My neighbor’s cat is sick, is yours sick? |
| 2. Büyük ablam… oğlu çok haylaz, senin abla…. haylaz ….? 👦 | My older sister’s son is very naughty, is your sister’s naughty? |
| 3. Annem…. yemekler… çok lezzetli, senin annenin…. nasıl? 👩🍳 | My mom’s meals are very delicious, how are your mom’s? |
| 4. …. elbise…. kırmızı, anne…. ne renk? 👗 | Her dress is red, what color is your mom’s? |
| 5. İsviçre’…. çok mutlu, Katar’…. nasıl? 😊 | Those in Switzerland are very happy, how are those in Qatar? |
| 6. Almanya’…. işçiler çok disiplinli, Rusya’…. nasıl? 👷 | The workers in Germany are very disciplined, how are those in Russia? |
| Türkçe Soru (Öğrenciye Sorulacak) | İngilizce Çeviri |
|---|---|
| 7. Benim arabamın lastikleri eski, seninkiler yeni mi? 🚗 | My car’s tires are old, are yours new? |
| 8. Kardeşimin sınav sonuçları mükemmel, seninkinin sonuçları nasıl? 📊 | My sibling’s exam results are perfect, how are yours? |
| 9. Komşumuzun bahçesindeki güller açtı, sizinkinde ne açtı? 🌹 | The roses in our neighbor’s garden bloomed, what bloomed in yours? |
| 10. Bizim okulumuzun kütüphanesi büyük, sizinki nasıl? 📚 | Our school’s library is big, how is yours? |
| 11. Dayımın iş yerindeki yemekler ücretsiz, seninkindeki paralı mı? 🍽️ | The meals at my uncle’s workplace are free, are the ones at yours paid? |
| 12. Kuzenimin evindeki internet hızlı, seninkindeki yavaş mı? 📶 | The internet at my cousin’s house is fast, is the one at yours slow? |
| 13. Teyzemin pişirdiği kek çok tatlıydı, seninkinin pişirdiği nasıldı? 🍰 | The cake my aunt baked was very sweet, how was the one yours baked? |
| 14. Dedemin anlattığı hikayeler sıkıcı, seninkinin anlattıkları ilginç mi? 👴 | The stories my grandfather tells are boring, are the ones yours tells interesting? |
| 15. Halamın diktiği elbiseler modaya uygun, seninkinin diktikleri nasıl? 👚 | The dresses my aunt sews are fashionable, how are the ones yours sews? |
| 16. Eniştemin aldığı araba lüks, seninkinin aldığı ekonomik mi? 🚙 | The car my uncle bought is luxurious, is the one yours bought economical? |
| 17. Yeğenimin okuduğu okul özel, seninkinin okuduğu devlet okulu mu? 🏫 | The school my nephew/niece attends is private, is the one yours attends a public school? |
| 18. Akrabamızın yaşadığı şehir kalabalık, seninkinin yaşadığı sakin mi? 🏙️ | The city our relative lives in is crowded, is the one yours lives in quiet? |
| 19. Arkadaşımın çalıştığı şirkette maaşlar yüksek, seninkininkinde nasıl? 💼 | Salaries at my friend’s company are high, how are they at yours? |
| 20. Komşu çocuğunun oynadığı oyunlar eğitici, seninkinin oynadıkları eğlenceli mi? 🎮 | The games the neighbor’s child plays are educational, are the ones yours plays fun? |
| 21. İş arkadaşımın katıldığı toplantı verimliydi, seninkinin katıldığı nasıldı? 🤝 | The meeting my colleague attended was productive, how was the one yours attended? |
| 22. Kuzenimin gittiği spor salonu pahalı, seninkinin gittiği uygun fiyatlı mı? 🏋️ | The gym my cousin goes to is expensive, is the one yours goes to affordable? |
| 23. Komşumuzun bahçesindeki ağaçlar meyve verdi, sizinkindeki çiçek mi açtı? 🌳 | The trees in our neighbor’s garden bore fruit, did the ones in yours bloom flowers? |
| 24. Arkadaşımın önerdiği restoran kaliteli, seninkinin önerdikleri nasıl? 🍽️ | The restaurant my friend recommended is high quality, how are the ones yours recommends? |
| 25. Akrabamızın izlediği film ödüllü, seninkinin izledikleri popüler mi? 🎥 | The movie our relative watched is award-winning, are the ones yours watches popular? |
| 26. Komşu kızının çaldığı piyano sesi güzel, seninkinin çaldığı gitar nasıl? 🎹 | The piano sound the neighbor’s daughter plays is beautiful, how is the guitar yours plays? |