In my latest session with Duygu Dora, we broke down the mechanics of the passive voice and the standard drill of possessive suffixes. Here is the logic for selecting suffixes and managing consonant shifts.
The Passive Voice (Edilgen Çatı)
The passive voice moves the focus from the subject to the action. To form it, we insert a suffix before the -mek/-mak infinitive.
The Selection Rules
- Default (-il/-ıl/-ül/-ul): Used if the verb root ends in any consonant except L.
- Sev-mek → Sevilmek (To be loved)
- Yaz-mak → Yazılmak (To be written)
- The ‘L’ or Vowel Rule (-in/-ın/-ün/-un): Used if the verb root ends in a vowel or the letter L.
- Düşün-mek (ends in ’n’, but takes ‘ü’ harmony) → Düşünülmek (To be thought of)
- Anla-mak (ends in vowel) → Anlanmak (To be understood)
Phrase of the day: Düşünmemek zor — It’s hard not to think.
Consonant Mutation (Ünsüz Yumuşaması)
When adding a possessive suffix (which starts with a vowel), certain hard consonants at the end of a word “soften.” This is the K-T-C-P rule:
- K → Ğ (e.g., Tavuk → Tavuğum)
- P → B (e.g., Kitap → Kitabım)
- T → D (e.g., Yurt → Yurdum)
- Ç → C (e.g., Ağaç → Ağacım)
Possessive Suffixes (İyelik Ekleri)
Possessives follow 4-way vowel harmony. If the noun ends in a consonant, you use the buffer vowels shown in parentheses below.
Example: Tavuk (Chicken)
Last vowel u implies u-harmony.
| Person | Suffix | Result | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | -(u)m | Tavuğum | My chicken |
| Sen | -(u)n | Tavuğun | Your chicken (sing.) |
| O | -(u) | Tavuğu | His/Her/Its chicken |
| Biz | -(u)muz | Tavuğumuz | Our chicken |
| Siz | -(u)nuz | Tavuğunuz | Your chicken (plur.) |
| Onlar | -ları | Tavukları | Their chicken(s) |
Example: Kitap (Book)
Last vowel a implies ı-harmony.
| Person | Suffix | Result | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | -(ı)m | Kitabım | My book |
| Sen | -(ı)n | Kitabın | Your book |
| O | -(ı) | Kitabı | His/Her book |
| Biz | -(ı)mız | Kitabımız | Our book |
| Siz | -(ı)nız | Kitabınız | Your book |
| Onlar | -ları | Kitapları | Their book(s) |
A Note on “Onlar”
The third-person plural can be tricky.
- Onların kitabı: Their book (Multiple people, one shared book).
- Kitapları: Can mean “Their book” OR “His/Her books.” Context usually clarifies which is intended.