-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are

The idea

Turkish has no separate word for “am, are”. A noun or adjective takes a person ending instead: -im (I), -sin (you), -iz (we), -siniz (you, plural or polite). The vowel follows four-way harmony: öğretmenim, yorgunum, Türküm, hazırım. For he, she, it there is no ending: O yorgun. After a vowel, -im and -iz get a y in front: öğrenciyim, hastayız.

Examples

• Ben bugün çok yorgunum.I am very tired today.
• Biz bu akşam evdeyiz.We are at home this evening.
• Sen çok iyi bir öğrencisin.You are a very good student.
• Siz öğrenci değilsiniz.You are not students.The negative does not change the noun: the person ending moves onto değil, giving değilsiniz.
• Onlar çok yorgunlar.They are very tired.He, she, it takes no ending: O yorgun. For people the plural -lar may be added, as here, or left out: Onlar yorgun.
• öğrenciyimI am a studentThe stem ends in the vowel i, so a y comes before the ending: öğrenci + im = öğrenciyim. The pronoun ben is dropped.
• öğretmenizwe are teachersAfter the consonant n there is no y. The longer possessive form öğretmenimiz means “our teacher”, so keep the two apart.
• okuldayımI am at schoolokul·da-de / -da / -te / -ta: in, at, on·yım-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
• Ankara'dayızwe are in AnkaraAnkara·'da-de / -da / -te / -ta: in, at, on·yız-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
• arkadaşımsınyou are my friendarkadaş·ım-im / -ım / -um / -üm / -m: my·sın-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are

Watch out

After a vowel, -im and -iz need the y: öğrenciyim, not öğrenciim; -sin and -siniz never take it. Do not confuse -iz with the possessive -imiz: öğretmeniz means “we are teachers”, öğretmenimiz means “our teacher”.

Try it yourself

1. Add the person ending for biz (we) to öğrenci (student): we are students.

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   öğrenciyiz

   öğrenciyiz: öğrenci ends in a vowel, so y goes before -iz; the front vowel i gives -iz.

2. Add the person ending for sen (you) to yorgun (tired): you are tired.

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   yorgunsun

   yorgunsun: the last vowel u is back and rounded, so -sun; there is no y after the consonant n.

3. Add the person ending for siz (you, plural) to öğretmen (teacher): you are teachers.

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   öğretmensiniz

   öğretmensiniz: the last vowel e is front and unrounded, so -siniz.

4. Add the person ending for ben (I) to Türk (Turkish): I am Turkish.

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   Türküm

   Türküm: the last vowel ü is front and rounded, so -üm.

Use it today

Write five short sentences about yourself and your friends: who you are, how you feel, where you are. Circle each person ending and check its vowel.