Possessive suffixes: my, your, his

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Possessive suffixes: -m (my), -n (your), -sı/-si (his/her), -mız/-miz (our), -nız/-niz (your-pl), -ları/-leri (their)

Can express possession using possessive suffixes

Examples

Evim küçük ama bahçem büyük. — My house is small but my garden is big.
Annesi doktor, babası mühendis. — His/her mother is a doctor, his/her father is an engineer.
Adınız ne? — What is your name? (formal)

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Possessive suffixes: my, your, his

Possessive suffixes: -m (my), -n (your), -sı/-si (his/her), -mız/-miz (our), -nız/-niz (your-pl), -ları/-leri (their)

Learning Goal

Can express possession using possessive suffixes

Exam Skills:WritingSpeaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Evim küçük ama bahçem büyük.

My house is small but my garden is big.

Annesi doktor, babası mühendis.

His/her mother is a doctor, his/her father is an engineer.

Adınız ne?

What is your name? (formal)

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Turkish says "my", "your", "his" with a suffix on the noun, not a separate word: ev (house), evim (my house), evin (your house).

Owner	After a consonant	ev (house)	okul (school)	After a vowel: araba
my	-ım / -im / -um / -üm	evim	okulum	arabam
your	-ın / -in / -un / -ün	evin	okulun	araban
his / her / its	-ı / -i / -u / -ü	evi	okulu	arabası
our	-ımız / -imiz...	evimiz	okulumuz	arabamız
your (pl. / polite)	-ınız / -iniz...	eviniz	okulunuz	arabanız
their	-ları / -leri	evleri	okulları	arabaları

Consonant softening applies: kitap → kitabım (my book), çocuk → çocuğum (my child).

With or without benim, senin

The genitive pronoun (benim, senin, onun, bizim, sizin, onların) can come before the noun, but the suffix is still required: (benim) adım - my name. Use the pronoun for emphasis or contrast: Benim çantam bu, seninki şu. - This is my bag, yours is that one.

Benim adım Emma. - My name is Emma.
Annemin adı Fatma. - My mother's name is Fatma.
Telefonunuz çalıyor. - Your phone is ringing (polite).

"Ali's car": two suffixes

With a noun as the owner, both words take a suffix: the owner takes the genitive, the thing owned takes the third-person possessive: Ali'nin arabası - Ali's car. İstanbul'un nüfusu - Istanbul's population. English speakers usually forget the second suffix (*Ali'nin araba).

The suffix is also used where English uses a separate "have": Arabam var - I have a car (literally "my car exists"). See the var / yok topic.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

The 3rd person form gets a buffer -s- after vowels: araba-sı (not *araba-ı). Also confusing possessive with accusative (both use -ı/-i). 🇬🇧 English speakers: English uses separate words (my, your, his). Turkish suffixes are more compact but harder to learn.

Common Error Patterns

Forgot buffer -s- in 3rd person after vowel

After vowel: araba-sı (not *araba-ı). The -s- is mandatory for 3rd person after vowels.

Evim küçük ama bahçem büyük.

My house is small but my garden is big.

evim, bahçem: possessive -m (my).

Annesi doktor, babası mühendis.

His/her mother is a doctor, his/her father is an engineer.

annesi, babası: 3rd person possessive with -s- buffer.

Adınız ne?

What is your name? (formal)

adınız: your-name (formal siz possessive).

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use Possessive suffixes: my, your, his?: Turkish says "my", "your", "his" with a suffix on the noun , not a separate word: ev (house), evim (my house), evin (your house).
How do you form Possessive suffixes: my, your, his?: Consonant softening applies: kitap → kitabım (my book), çocuk → çocuğum (my child). The genitive pronoun ( benim, senin, onun, bizim, sizin, onların ) can come before the noun, but the suffix is still required: (benim) adım - my name. Use the pronoun for emphasis or contrast: Benim çantam bu, seninki şu. - This is my bag, yours is that one. With a noun as the owner, both words take a suffix: the owner takes the genitive, the thing owned takes the third-person possessive: Ali'nin arabası - Ali's car. İstanbul'un nüfusu - Istanbul's population. English speakers usually forget the second suffix ( *Ali'nin araba ).
What are common mistakes with Possessive suffixes: my, your, his?: The 3rd person form gets a buffer -s- after vowels: araba-sı (not *araba-ı). Also confusing possessive with accusative (both use -ı/-i). 🇬🇧 English speakers: English uses separate words (my, your, his). Turkish suffixes are more compact but harder to learn.

Owner

After a consonant

ev (house)

okul (school)

After a vowel: araba

-ım / -im / -um / -üm

evim

okulum

arabam

your

-ın / -in / -un / -ün

evin

okulun

araban

his / her / its

-ı / -i / -u / -ü

evi

okulu

arabası

our

-ımız / -imiz...

evimiz

okulumuz

arabamız

your (pl. / polite)

-ınız / -iniz...

eviniz

okulunuz

arabanız

their

-ları / -leri

evleri

okulları

arabaları

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Possessive suffixes: my, your, his?

Turkish says "my", "your", "his" with a suffix on the noun , not a separate word: ev (house), evim (my house), evin (your house).

How do you form Possessive suffixes: my, your, his?

Consonant softening applies: kitap → kitabım (my book), çocuk → çocuğum (my child). The genitive pronoun ( benim, senin, onun, bizim, sizin, onların ) can come before the noun, but the suffix is still required: (benim) adım - my name. Use the pronoun for emphasis or contrast: Benim çantam bu, seninki şu. - This is my bag, yours is that one. With a noun as the owner, both words take a suffix: the owner takes the genitive, the thing owned takes the third-person possessive: Ali'nin arabası - Ali's car. İstanbul'un nüfusu - Istanbul's population. English speakers usually forget the second suffix ( *Ali'nin araba ).

What are common mistakes with Possessive suffixes: my, your, his?

The 3rd person form gets a buffer -s- after vowels: araba-sı (not *araba-ı). Also confusing possessive with accusative (both use -ı/-i). 🇬🇧 English speakers: English uses separate words (my, your, his). Turkish suffixes are more compact but harder to learn.