Without: -siz / -sız / -suz / -süz

The idea

The suffix -siz turns a noun into “without it”: şekersiz (without sugar), evsiz (homeless). It has four shapes that follow the last vowel of the noun: -siz after e i, -sız after a ı, -suz after o u, -süz after ö ü. The first consonant is always s, whatever the noun ends in.

Examples

• Ben şekersiz çay içiyorum.I drink tea without sugar.
• Annem sütsüz kahve içiyor.My mother drinks coffee without milk.
• Bahçede evsiz bir kedi var.There is a homeless cat in the garden.
• Bu çorba tuzsuz.This soup has no salt.The last vowel is u, so the ending is -suz. Such a word works as an adjective and can also close the sentence, as here.
• Çocuksuz bir tatil istiyoruz.We want a holiday without children.The k of çocuk stays: the ending begins with a consonant, so nothing softens. Compare çocuğum, where a vowel follows.
• Sensiz sinemaya gitmiyorum.I am not going to the cinema without you.Pronouns take the ending directly: ben → bensiz, sen → sensiz. The pronoun o is the exception and adds an n: onsuz.
• sessizcequietlyses·sizWithout: -siz / -sız / -suz / -süz·ceManner adverbs: the four suffix forms
• evsizlereto the homelessev·sizWithout: -siz / -sız / -suz / -süz·ler-ler / -lar: the plural suffix·e-e / -a / -ye / -ya: to, towards
• işsizlerinof the unemployediş·sizWithout: -siz / -sız / -suz / -süz·ler-ler / -lar: the plural suffix·in-in / -ın / -un / -ün: of, ’s (the genitive)

Watch out

Do not copy the d/t switch of the locative: there is no -ziz and no -tiz, the s never changes, so kitapsız. The final consonant stays hard too: çocuk does not soften to çocuğ before this ending, so çocuksuz is right and çocuğsuz is wrong.

Try it yourself

1. Add “without” to süt (milk): without milk.

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   sütsüz

   sütsüz: the last vowel of süt is ü, a front rounded vowel, so the ending is -süz, and the s stays even after t.

2. Add “without” to çocuk (child): without children.

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   çocuksuz

   çocuksuz: the last vowel is u, which gives -suz, and the final k stays because the ending begins with a consonant.

3. Add “without” to ışık (light): without light.

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   ışıksız

   ışıksız: the last vowel is ı, a back unrounded vowel, so the ending is -sız; the k does not soften.

4. Add “without” to ses (sound): without sound, quiet.

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   sessiz

   sessiz: the last vowel is e, so the ending is -siz; the double s is correct, one from the stem and one from the ending.

Use it today

Write three sentences about things you eat or drink without something, such as tea without sugar. Underline each -siz word and check its vowel.