Lesson7-Section2 (General repetition1)
If you want to learn Turkish in a short time, you should review the words and sentence structures frequently.
Please learn the meanings of the words below and solve the quizzes.
You will find some questions and answers that are on your mind below. Please read the questions and answers.
Benim annem
My mother
Senin annen
Your mother
Onun annesi
His/Her mother
Benim babam
My father
Senin baban
Your father
Onun babası
His/Her father
Question:
Why is the suffix “sı” added after the word “baba” in the phrase “onun babası,” and why is the suffix “si” added after the word “anne” in the phrase “onun annesi”?
Answer:
The suffixes “sı” and “si” are possessive suffixes used to indicate third-person possession in Turkish. The difference in the forms of these suffixes depends on vowel harmony rules in Turkish. The word “baba” ends with an undotted vowel (a), so the appropriate suffix is “sı,” following major vowel harmony. The word “anne” ends with a dotted vowel (e), so the suffix “si” is used, following the same vowel harmony principle.
The phrases “onun annesi” and “annesi,” as well as “onun babası” and “babası,” have the exact same meaning because in Turkish, the possessive context is clear from the suffix itself. Including “onun” makes the phrase more explicit but is not necessary for the meaning. Both forms indicate possession by the third person (“his/her”), so they are interchangeable in meaning.
Benim kız kardeşim
My sister
Senin kız kardeşin
Your sister
Onun kız kardeşi
His/Her sister
Benim arabam
My car
Senin araban
Your car
Onun arabası
His/Her car
Benim evim
My house
Senin evin
Your house
Onun evi
His/Her house
Question:
Why is it that only the suffix “m” is added in the word “annem,” but the suffix “im” is added in the word “kardeşim”? What is this related to? Why is it that only the suffix “m” is added in the word “arabam,” but the suffix “im” is added in the word “evim”?
Answer:
The difference in the use of the suffixes “m” and “im” in Turkish is related to whether the last letter of the root word is a vowel or a consonant.
For example, in the word **”annem”** (my mother), the word ends with a vowel (“e”). Therefore, only the suffix “m” is added directly because there is no need for an additional vowel between the root word and the suffix.
However, in the word **”kardeşim”** (my sibling), the word ends with a consonant (“ş”). This requires the addition of the suffix “im” because an additional vowel (“i”) is needed to connect the root word to the possessive “m” smoothly.
Similarly, in **”arabam”** (my car), the root word ends with a vowel (“a”), so only the suffix “m” is attached without an extra vowel. In contrast, in **”evim”** (my house), the root word ends with a consonant (“v”), so the suffix “im” is used, adding an “i” for phonetic flow.
In summary, the use of “m” or “im” depends on whether the final letter of the root word is a vowel or a consonant. If the root word ends in a vowel, only “m” is added. If it ends in a consonant, “im” is used to create a smoother transition.
Examples:
göz: eye
- Benim gözüm: My eye
- Senin gözün: Your eye
- Onun gözü: His/her eye
telefon : phone
- Benim telefonum: My phone
- Senin telefonun: Your phone
- Onun telefonu: His/her phone
ofis : office
- Benim ofisim: My office
- Senin ofisin: Your office
- Onun ofisi: His/her office
Explanation of Suffix Differences:
The possessive suffixes in “benim gözüm”, “benim telefonum”, and “benim evim” vary due to the final letter of the root word.
- In “benim gözüm” (my eye), the word “göz” ends with a consonant. Therefore, the suffix “üm” is used, adding a vowel (“ü”) before the possessive “m” for a smooth transition.
- In “benim telefonum” (my phone), the word “telefon” ends with a consonant as well. Here, the suffix “um” is used, with the vowel (“u”) added for phonetic flow.
- In “benim evim” (my house), the word “ev” also ends with a consonant, and the suffix “im” is applied, adding a vowel (“i”) before “m”.
Question:
Why is the suffix “üm” added to the word “göz” to mean “my eye,” “um” added to “telefon” to mean “my phone,” and “im” added to “ev” to mean “my house”?
Answer:
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