-ler / -lar: the plural suffix
Two shapes, one slot: -ler and -lar differ by a single vowel, and the plural always sits right after the noun, before our, your and case endings, as in evlerimizde.
Read and practiseAdventure journal
Turkish suffixes
See how endings build Turkish words: plural, cases, possession, tense and questions, with a table of every shape.
Adventure journal
Turkish suffixes
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-de / -da / -te / -ta: in, at, on
Learn the Turkish locative suffix in all four shapes, -de, -da, -te and -ta, how the last vowel and last sound choose one, and why it is Ankara'da with an apostrophe.
Read and practise-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out of
Say where you come from in Turkish. The ablative suffix has four shapes, and after his, her or its it adds an n: evinden, not evden.
Read and practise-e / -a / -ye / -ya: to, towards
Where does -e or -a go, when does a y appear, and why does kitap become kitaba? A guide to the Turkish dative for goals and receivers.
Read and practise-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object
Turkish marks a known, specific object with -i, -ı, -u or -ü. See which of the four fits, when a y or a softened k, p or ç steps in, and when no ending is needed.
Read and practise-in / -ın / -un / -ün: of, ’s (the genitive)
Say whose something is with the genitive: Ali'nin, çocuğun, kapının. Four shapes, the buffer n after a vowel, and why the thing owned needs an ending of its own.
Read and practise-im / -ım / -um / -üm / -m: my
Turn ev into evim and araba into arabam: which of five endings follows the last vowel, why vowel-final nouns take only -m, and how kitap becomes kitabım.
Read and practise-in / -ın / -un / -ün: your (evin, araban)
Say your house, your car, your mother in Turkish: the four -in/-ın/-un/-ün shapes after a consonant, the short -n after a vowel, and kitap becoming kitabın.
Read and practise-i / -si: his, her, its
Why is it evi but arabası? Learn the third-person possessive in all eight shapes, when a final consonant softens (kitap, kitabı), and why his and her are the same.
Read and practise-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: our
Learn how Turkish says our: the suffix -imiz and its seven other shapes, chosen by the last vowel and by whether the noun ends in a vowel, as in evimiz and arabamız.
Read and practise-ınız / -iniz / -unuz / -ünüz: your (plural, polite)
Say eviniz, arabanız, kitaplarınız: the ending for your when you address several people or one person politely, with its eight shapes and the vowel it drops after a vowel.
Read and practise-leri / -ları: their house, their car
Evleri, arabaları, kitapları: how the Turkish ending for “their” chooses -leri or -ları, why p, ç, t, k stay hard, and why evleri can also mean one person's houses.
Read and practiseBuffer -n-: evinde, evinden, evine
Learn why Turkish inserts n between the his/her possessive and a case suffix (evi + de = evinde), and why it never appears after my, our or your.
Read and practiseBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowels
Arabaya and kapıyı, not arabaa or kapıı: see where Turkish puts a linking y between a vowel-ending word and -e/-a or -i, and where it never does.
Read and practisebana, sana, ona: pronouns with case endings
How ben, sen and o change before case endings: bana, senden, onu, ona, and why biz and siz stay regular. Includes the full pronoun table.
Read and practiseApostrophes with names: Ankara'da, Ali'nin
Why Turkish writes an apostrophe between a name and its suffix, how the ending is picked, and why Ahmet and Zeynep keep their last letter.
Read and practisemi / mı / mu / mü: the yes-or-no question word
Turn any Turkish statement into a yes-or-no question with mi, mı, mu or mü: which vowel to choose, why it is written apart, and where the person ending goes.
Read and practise-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
Say who or how you are in Turkish with the person endings -im, -sin, -iz and -siniz, with vowel harmony and the buffer y that follows a vowel.
Read and practise-iyor / -ıyor / -uyor / -üyor: happening now
Make the Turkish present continuous: how the vowel before -yor follows the stem, what happens to bekle- and başla-, and why git- turns into gidiyorum.
Read and practise-miyor / -mıyor / -muyor / -müyor: not doing now
Gelmiyorum and never gelmeyorum: see how the negative -me/-ma narrows before -yor, how the stem's last vowel picks it, and where the person ending goes.
Read and practise-di, -dı, -du, -dü, -ti: the past (geldi, yaptı)
Eight shapes of the Turkish past ending: -di, -dı, -du, -dü and their t forms. See how the stem's last vowel and last sound pick one, as in geldi, yaptı and gördü.
Read and practisePast person endings: -m, -n, -k, -niz, -ler
Geldim, geldin, geldi, geldik, geldiniz, geldiler: how the Turkish past tense marks who did it, why he and she get no ending, and where harmony changes -niz and -ler.
Read and practise-medi / -madı: the negative past
Gelmedim, okumadım, görmedik: attach -me or -ma, then -di or -dı and a person ending to say what did not happen, with just two shapes to learn.
Read and practise-ecek / -acak: will, going to
Tomorrow's plans, promises and forecasts: the future suffix -ecek/-acak, its y buffer after vowels, and the k that turns into ğ in geleceğim.
Read and practise-le / -la: with, by means of
Kalemle, arabayla, benimle: attach -le/-la for 'with' or 'by', add a y after a vowel, and see how it relates to the separate word ile.
Read and practise-inci / -ıncı / -uncu / -üncü: ordinal numbers
Which ordinal shape fits? Choose -inci, -ıncı, -uncu or -üncü by the last vowel, drop the i after a vowel (ikinci) and soften dört to dördüncü.
Read and practise-ca / -ce / -ça / -çe: language names
Almanca, Arapça, İngilizce, Türkçe: the four shapes of the suffix that turns Alman, Arap, İngiliz and Türk into language names, and how to pick one.
Read and practise-li / -lı / -lu / -lü: with, having
Sütlü kahve, şekerli çay: see how the suffix -li, -lı, -lu or -lü says with or having, why its l never changes, and why Ankaralı has no apostrophe.
Read and practiseWithout: -siz / -sız / -suz / -süz
Şekersiz çay is tea without sugar. See how -siz, -sız, -suz and -süz follow the last vowel, why the s never changes, and why çocuksuz keeps its k.
Read and practise-in / -ın / -un / -ün: polite command
Come, look, sit down: build the Turkish command you give to several people or to someone you respect, with four vowel shapes and a y after vowels.
Read and practise-ir / -ar / -er: the aorist (gelir, yapar)
Gelir, yapar, okur: the Turkish general present. See when the suffix is -r, -ir or -ar, and why git turns into gider.
Read and practiseAorist person endings: -im, -sin, -iz, -siniz, -ler
Say who usually does something: -im, -sin, no ending, -iz, -siniz and -ler/-lar after the aorist, with the vowel harmony behind gelirim, yaparsın and görürsünüz.
Read and practise-mez / -maz: the negative aorist
Gelmez, yapmam, içmeyiz: build the negative aorist with -mez/-maz and see why the first person drops the z, so it is gelmem and yapmam, not gelmezim.
Read and practise-ebil- / -abil-: can and may (gelebilirim)
Say what you can or may do in Turkish with -ebil-/-abil-: the two shapes, the buffer y after a vowel, and forms such as gelebilirim, okuyabilirsiniz and gidebilirim.
Read and practise-eme / -ama: cannot, could not
Gelemem is not gelmem: put -eme or -ama before the tense to say you cannot do something, and see why okuyamadım and gidemem change.
Read and practise-meli / -malı: must, have to, should
Gitmeliyim, kalkmalısın, beklemeliler: add -meli or -malı to a verb stem and then a person ending to say what you must or should do.
Read and practise-memeli / -mamalı: must not
Gitmemeliyim, okumamalısın, yapmamalı: put -me/-ma and -meli/-malı on a verb stem to say what must not be done, with two shapes and six person endings.
Read and practise-mek / -mak: the infinitive
Yazmak, görmek, uyumak: why Turkish dictionary verbs end in -mek or -mak, how the last vowel of the stem chooses, and how the infinitive follows verbs like want.
Read and practiseWas and were: -di after nouns (öğrenciydim)
Öğrenciydim, evdeydik, soğuktu: how Turkish puts a noun, an adjective or a place into the past with -di, -dı, -du, -dü, their t forms and the y after a vowel.
Read and practise-miş / -mış / -müş / -muş: the reported past
Gelmiş means 'he came, I hear': build the reported past with -miş, -mış, -müş or -muş, add the person endings, and see when the -di past is the better choice.
Read and practise-dir / -dır / -tir / -tür: is, must be
Tell a fact or a safe guess with -dir and its eight shapes: kapalıdır, sıcaktır, tuzludur, dürüsttür. How the last vowel and sound pick the form, and when to leave it out.
Read and practise-lik / -lık / -luk / -lük: quality, state, job
From güzel to güzellik: add -lik, -lık, -luk or -lük to a word to name a quality, a state or a profession, and see why the final k softens to ğ before a vowel.
Read and practise-ci / -cı / -çi / -çı: the person who does it
Who sells it, drives it or plays it? Attach -ci, -cı, -cu, -cü or -çi, -çı, -çu, -çü to a noun to name the person, and learn which of eight shapes fits.
Read and practiseRelational -ki: evdeki, bugünkü, benimki
Evdeki, dünkü, benimki: how the suffix -ki turns a place or a time into an adjective and an owner into a pronoun, and why bugünkü is spelled with -kü.
Read and practise-eyim / -elim: let me, let’s (gideyim, gidelim)
Offer help and make suggestions in Turkish: -eyim for “let me” and “shall I”, -elim for “let’s”, with the two vowels, the buffer y and the git → gid- change.
Read and practise-meyecek / -mayacak: will not, is not going to
Gelmeyeceğim, yapmayacağız: add -me/-ma before -yecek/-yacak to say what will not happen, and see why the k becomes ğ.
Read and practise-iyordu: was doing, used to do
Geliyordum, yapıyordum, bekliyorlardı: add -du to the present continuous to say what was going on, and see where the plural -lar goes.
Read and practiseSuffix order: evlerimizden
Stem, plural, possessive, case: why it is evlerimizden and not evimlerden, and where the linking n in evinde comes from.
Read and practise-me / -ma: don't, the negative command
Gitme and gelmeyin mean don't: add -me or -ma to the verb stem, then -yin for several people or for politeness, and see why the stem itself never changes.
Read and practiseWith a pronoun: benimle, seninle, onunla
Benimle, seninle, onunla, bizimle: how -le/-la joins a personal pronoun through its genitive form, and why onlar is the one pronoun that stays plain.
Read and practise-se / -sa: the conditional suffix
An extra r matters: compare gelirse with gelsem, choose -se or -sa by the preceding vowel, and build Turkish conditions without changing git- to gid-.
Read and practiseConditional person endings: -m, -n, -k
Who would come? Compare gelsem, gelsen and gelsek, then build all six persons after -se/-sa, including plural or polite gelseniz.
Read and practise-ken / -yken: while, when
While dinner cooks or the soup is hot: attach Turkish -ken and -yken, keep their vowel unchanged, and build yaparken, evdeyken and öğrenciyken.
Read and practise-(y)ınca / -(y)ince: when, on doing
Okuyunca links reading to what happens next. Choose all four vowel forms of the Turkish “when” suffix, add y after a vowel, and spell gidince correctly.
Read and practise-ip / -ıp / -up / -üp: linked actions
Open the door, then wait: connect Turkish actions with -ip, choose all four vowel forms, add linking y and leave tense and person on the final verb.
Read and practiseBy doing: -arak / -erek
A smile, a run, a written word: build Turkish “by doing” forms with -arak/-erek, add the linking y where needed, and practise bekleyerek and giderek.
Read and practise-meden / -madan: without or before doing
A silent drawing session illustrates -meden/-madan: choose the vowel, keep the verb stem intact and add önce to make “before doing” explicit.
Read and practiseAfter doing: eight suffix forms
One action finishes before the next begins: choose the eight Turkish “after doing” forms, keep the final consonants, and write the following word separately.
Read and practise-mişti: pluperfect forms
An earlier past takes -mişti, -mıştı, -muştu or -müştü. Build affirmative, negative and question forms, then attach the right person ending.
Read and practise-irdi / -ardı: past habit endings
Giderdim recalls a former routine. Build the Turkish past aorist, keep -z in negatives, and separate the question particle in oynar mıydın.
Read and practise-ecekti / -acaktı: was going to
An earlier plan takes shape in gidecektim: build Turkish future-in-the-past forms, keep k before the past ending, and place the endings correctly in questions.
Read and practisePassive suffix: -ıl / -il / -ul / -ül
A bridge is built, a window is opened: choose the four Turkish passive suffix forms, attach them to the verb stem and add the past ending in the right order.
Read and practise-ın / -in / -un / -ün / -n: passive endings
From almak to alınmak: keep the final l, choose the passive vowel, and use just -n after a vowel. Build all five forms before adding tense.
Read and practise-dir / -dır: the causative suffix
A tailor, a joke, new shelves: build Turkish causatives with all eight forms of -dir, keep the stem intact, and add tense after the causative.
Read and practiseShort causative: making something happen
One consonant turns waiting into keeping someone waiting. Attach the short Turkish causative and keep both consonants when you add the past tense.
Read and practiseReflexive suffix: washing and dressing
Getting ready involves actions on yourself: choose the five Turkish reflexive suffix shapes, build complete verbs, and distinguish getting dressed from putting on a shirt.
Read and practiseReciprocal verb suffix
A meeting involves more than one person: choose the five Turkish reciprocal suffix forms, build familiar verbs, and avoid a misleading translation of love.
Read and practiseSubject participle: suffix forms
A waiting passenger or the people who came: build Turkish subject participles, choose the vowel, insert a linking consonant and attach plural and case endings.
Read and practiseObject participle: the forms of -dik
The magazine you read needs a verb before its noun in Turkish. Build object participles with all eight suffix shapes, softening and endings for the doer.
Read and practise-me / -ma: verbal nouns
Reading becomes a noun: attach Turkish -me or -ma, then add possession or case. Build okumayı and gelmen, and distinguish an activity from a negative command.
Read and practiseManner adverbs: the four suffix forms
Quietly, clearly or quickly: choose the Turkish adverb suffix by the final vowel and sound, build three word chains, and keep the stem consonant intact.
Read and practiseVerb formation from nouns and adjectives
Cleaning, salting and starting share a Turkish word-building pattern. Choose the verb-forming suffix, attach it directly, and keep it before tense endings.
Read and practiseBecoming: -leş / -laş
A garden grows prettier; a task gets harder. Build Turkish verbs of change with two suffix shapes, keep the base intact, and add infinitive or tense endings.
Read and practiseDiminutive: smallness and affection
A booklet, a tiny table, a dear mum: choose the Turkish diminutive ending, spot stem changes, and add plural or case endings in the right order.
Read and practiseThird-person imperative endings
A cooling soup and an open door show how Turkish expresses “let it happen”. Build all four third-person endings, their plurals and their negative forms.
Read and practise-ecek / -acak: future participles
Tomorrow’s reading takes shape in okuyacağım makale: attach the Turkish future participle, add the subject ending, and keep track of y and ğ.
Read and practise-(y)ış / -(y)iş / -(y)uş / -(y)üş: action nouns
A glance, a return, a way of reading: build Turkish nouns with -(y)ış, choose all eight shapes, and add plural or possessive endings.
Read and practiseDoer and quality: -ici
Readers, printers and constructive ideas share a Turkish suffix. Choose its vowel forms, add linking y where needed, and distinguish it from occupation endings.
Read and practise-er / -ar: equal shares
Two towels per guest, six candles per box: choose Turkish -er, -ar, -şer or -şar, spell dörder correctly, and describe groups with ikişerli.
Read and practise-dığı için: because someone does or did something
A postponed picnic has a reason: build Turkish -dığı için clauses, choose the subject ending, and keep a cause distinct from a purpose.
Read and practiseFamily and household suffixes
One person’s name can stand for a whole household. Build Turkish family forms, add case endings, and see why these words have no apostrophe.
Read and practiseThe whenever/as suffix
Each glance, each reading, each change: choose among eight Turkish suffix forms for recurring events and gradual change, then attach them to longer verb stems.
Read and practiseAs soon as: paired aorist forms
One event triggers the next immediately: build Turkish “as soon as” pairs, preserve stem changes, and keep person endings on the main verb.
Read and practise-a -a / -e -e: repeated action
Reading a passage again and again? Build Turkish repeated converbs with -a, -e, -ya and -ye, and distinguish sustained manner from progress through repetition.
Read and practise-seydi / -saydı: unreal conditions and regrets
A call never made: build arasaydım and getirseydik, compare both vowel patterns, and separate an unreal condition from its imagined result.
Read and practise-se bile / -se de: even if
A plan survives an obstacle: build Turkish “even if” phrases, place the person ending before bile or de, and keep the particle separate even after k.
Read and practise-mişçesine: as if it had happened
A prize imagined, a question seemingly unheard: build all four Turkish “as if” suffix forms and compare their spelling with the separate word gibi.
Read and practise-lan / -len: forming verbs of change
Dust gathers, a shirt gets dirty, a couple marries: choose -lan or -len and learn why a verb’s meaning cannot always be guessed from its base.
Read and practise-gi: nouns from verbs
Affection, knowledge and pressure share a Turkish word-building pattern. Choose its eight suffix forms and add noun endings without inventing new words.
Read and practise-ık / -ik / -uk / -ük: derived nouns and adjectives
A broken plate and an unstitched seam reveal how Turkish -ık/-ik/-uk/-ük forms words: choose the vowel, recognise the meaning and add noun endings.
Read and practiseAction and result nouns
Spelling, measurement and presentation: build established Turkish nouns from verbs, choose the suffix shape and distinguish word formation from possession.
Read and practise-man / -men: established person nouns
Teachers, advisers and experts illustrate a limited Turkish suffix pattern. Recognise established person nouns, choose the vowel and build longer noun forms.
Read and practise-sel / -sal: relational adjectives
Scientific methods and emotional reactions: form Turkish adjectives with two suffix shapes, preserve the stem, and recognise established cultural and national adjectives.
Read and practise-imsi: somewhat, resembling
A bluish curtain or a tangy yogurt: choose all eight Turkish approximation suffix shapes, attach them correctly, and describe a quality in the past.
Read and practiseIrregular causative suffixes
Cooking lentils and dropping a pen reveal two Turkish causative families. Choose the verb’s suffix, apply harmony, and build all six shapes.
Read and practise-leyin: at a time of day
Evening keeps its vowels: attach fixed -leyin in sabahleyin, akşamleyin and geceleyin, recognise öğleyin, and avoid using this ending with clock times.
Read and practise-miştir: confident past assumptions
A parcel that should already be here: build all four Turkish endings for past assumptions, form negatives, and distinguish a likely event from a formal statement.
Read and practiseReported copula: apparently is (-miş)
A room turns out to have been a storeroom: build reported noun predicates in Turkish, including vowel harmony, person endings, negatives and questions.
Read and practiseConditional copula: ise / -(y)sa / -(y)se
A state becomes a condition: turn öğrenci into öğrenciysen, compare attached and separate ise, and place person endings and negation correctly.
Read and practise-sa / -se: wishing with keşke
A quieter evening, a shared swim: build Turkish wishes with -sa/-se, place negation before the suffix, and let the person ending identify who would act.
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