Learn Hardcore Turkish: Pasaportun geçerliliği yarın bitiyor. - Your passport’s validity ends tomorrow.

-un in pasaportun is the genitive suffix marking pasaport as the possessor (“of your passport”). -i in geçerliliği is the third-person singular possessive suffix on geçerlilik, giving “its validity.” Together they yield “the validity of your passport.”

Why is geçerlilik used instead of saying pasaportun yarın bitiyor?

The verb bitmek (“to end/expire”) applies to abstract notions like geçerlilik (“validity”), not directly to a physical object. You form geçerlilik by adding the nominalizer -lik to the adjective geçerli (“valid”), so you say “the validity of your passport ends tomorrow,” not “the passport ends tomorrow.”

What is the function of the suffix -lik in geçerlilik?

-lik turns the adjective geçerli (“valid”) into the noun geçerlilik, meaning “validity.” It’s a common noun-forming suffix in Turkish.

Why is the verb bitiyor in the present continuous tense when the event is in the future?

Turkish often uses the present continuous (-iyor) to express scheduled or certain future events. So geçerliliği yarın bitiyor literally means “its validity is ending tomorrow,” equivalent to “it expires tomorrow.”

Can yarın be moved to another position in the sentence?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible. You could say “Yarın pasaportun geçerliliği bitiyor” or “Pasaportun geçerliliği yarın bitiyor.” Placement before the verb is most neutral for time adverbs.

Why does geçerliliği contain an -s- before -i (i.e. -si)?

The third-person singular possessive suffix is written as -(s)I. When the noun ends in a consonant (like k in geçerlilik), you insert the s to attach the vowel suffix -i, producing geçerliliği.

What person and number does bitiyor indicate, and why?

bitiyor is third-person singular. Its subject is geçerliliği (“its validity”), a third-person singular noun phrase, so the verb agrees in third-person singular.

How would you say “The validity of my passport expires tomorrow”?

Use pasaportum (“my passport”) + genitive -un → pasaportumun, then geçerliliği and bitiyor:
Pasaportumun geçerliliği yarın bitiyor.

How do I ask “When does the passport’s validity end?” in Turkish?

You can say: Pasaportun geçerliliği ne zaman bitiyor?
Here ne zaman means “when.”

Why isn’t there any extra preposition or article like in English (“of,” “the”)?

Turkish expresses possession and definiteness through suffixes rather than separate words. -un covers “of your,” and the possessive -i plus context imply “the” in geçerliliği, so no separate articles or prepositions are needed.