işçi: worker, case forms and possession

The idea

Treat işçi as a noun ending in a vowel: işçiyi marks a specific direct object, işçiye a recipient, and işçinin a possessor. Its internal ç stays unchanged; the final sound is i, so the forms are işçide and işçiden. Possession gives işçim, işçimiz and işçisi. A case after the last form needs n: işçisine. For more than one worker use işçiler, but after a number use iki işçi.

Examples

• İşçiler bahçede dinleniyor.The workers are resting in the garden.
• İşçiye su getiriyorum.I am bringing water to the worker.
• Bugün işçiyi bekliyoruz.We are waiting for the worker today.
• İşçinin çantası burada.The worker’s bag is here.
• Anahtar işçide kaldı.The key stayed with the worker.
• Ben bu fabrikada işçiyim.I am a worker in this factory.
• Bizim işçimiz bugün izinli.Our worker is on leave today.
• işçilerimizdenfrom our workersişçi·ler-ler / -lar: the plural suffix·imiz-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: our·den-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out of
• Onun işçisine mesaj gönderdik.We sent a message to his or her worker.

Watch out

İşçim means “my worker”; “I am a worker” is işçiyim, with y. Also distinguish işçiyi (the worker as a specific object) from işçisi (his or her worker): the joining letters do different jobs.

Try it yourself

1. Complete with the correct form of işçi: Two workers are waiting at the door. Write the whole word.

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   işçi

   işçi: the number iki already tells us there are two people, so adding a plural ending here would be unnecessary and incorrect.

2. Complete: I know that worker. Write the full form of işçi.

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   işçiyi

   işçiyi: şu points to a particular worker whom the speaker knows. The verb has a specific direct object, and y joins the final i to the accusative -i.

3. Complete: Our worker is here today. Write the full form of işçi.

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   işçimiz

   işçimiz: bizim identifies the group associated with the worker. Add -miz straight to the vowel at the end of the noun; the sentence refers to one worker.

4. Complete: I am a worker in this workshop. Write the full form of işçi.

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   işçiyim

   işçiyim: the speaker is stating an occupation in this workshop. The ending -yim makes a first-person predicate; işçim would instead refer to someone working for the speaker.

Use it today

Write a two-sentence introduction for an imaginary factory worker, then a sentence about that person’s employer. Use işçiyim, işçinin and işçiye once each.