Colours and tastes are not always clear-cut. This suffix lets you describe a hint of a quality: mavimsi is bluish, and ekşimsi is slightly sour. You will choose the form and then add a past ending.
The idea
After a consonant, use -ımsı, -imsi, -umsu or -ümsü according to the last vowel. After a vowel, the initial suffix vowel drops: -msı, -msi, -msu, -msü. The table pairs the forms. The suffix can also express resemblance to a noun: borumsu is tube-like; köylümsü means resembling a villager. Attach it directly, before inflection: mavi + msi + ydi gives mavimsiydi. In established forms, stem softening may appear: ipek becomes ipeğimsi, silk-like. Learn such words with their spelling.
| Last vowel | Base | Suffix | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| a, ı | beyaz | -ımsı | beyazımsı |
| e, i | yeşil | -imsi | yeşilimsi |
| o, u | mor | -umsu | morumsu |
| ö, ü | gümüş | -ümsü | gümüşümsü |
| a, ı | sarı | -msı | sarımsı |
| e, i | mavi | -msi | mavimsi |
| o, u | boru | -msu | borumsu |
| ö, ü | köylü | -msü | köylümsü |
Examples
- Perde ışıkta mavimsi görünüyor.The curtain looks bluish in the light.
- Yoğurt bugün biraz ekşimsi.The yogurt is a little sour today.
- Duvar gün ışığında sarımsı görünüyor.The wall looks yellowish in daylight.
- mavimsiydiit was bluishmavimsi-imsi: somewhat, resemblingydiWas and were: -di after nouns (öğrenciydim)
- ekşimsiydiit was slightly sourekşimsi-imsi: somewhat, resemblingydiWas and were: -di after nouns (öğrenciydim)
- morumsuyduit was purplishmorumsu-imsi: somewhat, resemblingyduWas and were: -di after nouns (öğrenciydim)
- Kumaşın yüzeyinde gümüşümsü bir parlaklık var.There is a silvery sheen on the surface of the fabric.
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Watch out
Do not turn mavi into maviimsi: its final i already belongs to the stem, so attach -msi. The meaning is a hint of blue, not necessarily light blue. This suffix is not a freely interchangeable replacement for “a little” before every adjective.
Try it yourself
Add the approximation suffix to mavi: bluish. Write the whole word.
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mavimsi
mavimsi: mavi ends in a vowel, so the added part starts with m. Keeping the stem’s i produces just one i before m.
Form “purplish” from mor with this lesson’s suffix.
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morumsu
morumsu: the final sound r requires the longer shape. The rounded back vowel o gives two u vowels in -umsu.
Add this lesson’s suffix to gümüş: resembling silver.
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gümüşümsü
gümüşümsü: the final vowel ü is front and rounded. Both suffix vowels therefore stay ü; the stem’s ş remains unchanged.
Use ekşi, the approximation suffix and the attached past copula: it was slightly sour. Write one word.
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ekşimsiydi
ekşimsiydi: first form ekşimsi, then add -ydi. The linking y separates the adjective’s final vowel from the attached past copula; the sentence describes a past taste.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Add the approximation suffix to mavi: bluish. Write the whole word.
Form “purplish” from mor with this lesson’s suffix.
Add this lesson’s suffix to gümüş: resembling silver.
Use ekşi, the approximation suffix and the attached past copula: it was slightly sour. Write one word.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the parts in order to build this word: it was bluish
Tap the parts in order to build this word: it was slightly sour
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Describe the colour of two objects and the taste of one food. Use a familiar adjective from this page, then put one description in the past and mark the suffix boundary.