You will turn a noun into the person who sells, makes or does it, and choose the right one of eight shapes.
The idea
The suffix names a person tied to a thing or a job: gazete (newspaper) gives gazeteci (journalist), kitap gives kitapçı (bookseller). The vowel follows the last vowel of the word (i ı u ü, as in -ci -cı -cu -cü). The consonant is c after a voiced sound or a vowel, and ç after a voiceless one, one of ç f h k p s ş t: dondurmacı, but çiçekçi, sütçü.
| Last vowel | After a voiced sound or a vowel | Example | After a voiceless sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | -cı | dondurmacı | -çı | kitapçı |
| ı | -cı | ayakkabıcı | -çı | balıkçı |
| o | -cu | yolcu | -çu | okçu |
| u | -cu | oyuncu | -çu | yoğurtçu |
| e | -ci | gazeteci | -çi | çiçekçi |
| i | -ci | taksici | -çi | işçi |
| ö | -cü | gözcü | -çü | çöpçü |
| ü | -cü | kömürcü | -çü | sütçü |
Examples
- Sabah balıkçıdan balık aldık.We bought fish from the fishmonger this morning.
- Dondurmacı şimdi köşede.The ice-cream seller is at the corner now.
- Yolcular peronda bekliyor.The passengers are waiting on the platform.
- gazetecilerjournalistsgazeteci-ci / -cı / -çi / -çı: the person who does itler-ler / -lar: the plural suffix
- taksicininof the taxi drivertaksici-ci / -cı / -çi / -çı: the person who does itnin-in / -ın / -un / -ün: of, ’s (the genitive)
- gazetecilikjournalismgazeteci-ci / -cı / -çi / -çı: the person who does itlik-lik / -lık / -luk / -lük: quality, state, job
- dondurmacıdanfrom the ice-cream sellerdondurmacı-ci / -cı / -çi / -çı: the person who does itdan-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out of
- sütçümilkmanThe word süt ends in t, a voiceless sound, so the suffix begins with ç; the last vowel ü gives -çü.
- işçiworkerThe word iş ends in ş, a voiceless sound, so the suffix is -çi: işçi, not işci.
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Watch out
After a voiceless sound the suffix is written with ç: kitapçı, not kitapcı. The stem does not change: p does not soften to b here. And the suffix is not automatic for every job: öğretmen, doktor and avukat take nothing.
Try it yourself
Add the occupation suffix to kitap (book): the bookseller.
Show answer or example answer
kitapçı
kitapçı: p is voiceless, so the suffix starts with ç, and the last vowel a gives -çı. The p stays as it is.
Add the suffix to yol (road): the traveller.
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yolcu
yolcu: l is voiced, so the suffix starts with c, and the last vowel o gives the rounded -cu.
Add the suffix to çiçek (flower): the florist.
Show answer or example answer
çiçekçi
çiçekçi: k is voiceless, so the suffix starts with ç, and the last vowel e gives -çi. The k does not change.
Add the suffix to dondurma (ice cream): the ice-cream seller.
Show answer or example answer
dondurmacı
dondurmacı: the word ends in the vowel a, which counts as voiced, so the suffix starts with c, and a gives -cı.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Add the occupation suffix to kitap (book): the bookseller.
Add the suffix to yol (road): the traveller.
Add the suffix to çiçek (flower): the florist.
Add the suffix to dondurma (ice cream): the ice-cream seller.
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: journalists
Tap the parts in order to build this word: of the taxi driver
Keep your progress
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Write the Turkish names of four shops or jobs you know from your town, built from a noun plus this suffix. Check the last vowel and the last sound of each stem.