what is it?
Personal suffixes are endings added to nouns, adjectives, and other nominal forms to create complete predicate statements without a separate verb. They express 'to be' in the present tense and agree with the subject in person and number. In Turkish, you cannot simply say ben öğretmen (I teacher); you must attach the appropriate suffix: ben öğretmenim (I am a teacher).
when to use it
To state someone's profession, identity, or role: doktorum (I am a doctor).
To describe a state or quality: mutluyum (I am happy), hazırsın (you are ready).
To indicate nationality or origin: Türküm (I am Turkish).
In everyday conversation and informal writing. For formal or written statements, -dIr may be added, but personal suffixes alone are the standard in speech.
formation
The personal suffixes attach directly to the nominal stem. The first- and second-person singular forms use a buffer y after vowels. Vowels in the suffixes follow vowel harmony rules.
| Person | Suffix | Example (öğretmen) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ben (I) | -(y)Im | öğretmenim | I am a teacher |
| sen (you, sg.) | -sIn | öğretmensin | you are a teacher |
| o (he/she/it) | Ø (zero) | öğretmen | he/she is a teacher |
| biz (we) | -(y)Iz | öğretmeniz | we are teachers |
| siz (you, pl./formal) | -sInIz | öğretmensiniz | you are teachers |
| onlar (they) | -lAr | öğretmenler | they are teachers |
The third-person singular takes no suffix. The bare noun or adjective itself serves as the predicate: o öğretmen (he/she is a teacher).
After a vowel, the first-person singular becomes -yIm and first-person plural becomes -yIz: mutlu → mutluyum (I am happy), mutluyuz (we are happy).
examples in context
common pitfalls
Dropping the personal suffix and relying on the pronoun alone. Saying ben öğretmen is incomplete. You must add the suffix: ben öğretmenim. The pronoun alone does not create a valid predicate in Turkish.
Using -dIr as a default predicate marker in conversational contexts. The suffix -dIr is formal and emphatic, typically found in written or official language. In everyday speech, use the personal suffixes directly: öğretmenim, not öğretmenimdir.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Siz çok iyi bir ___ . (tamirci)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in parentheses.