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The suffix **-lIk** is a versatile tool for building vocabulary. Attach it to nouns and adjectives to create abstract concepts, containers, and purpose-specific items.

Because it follows 4-way vowel harmony, the suffix takes one of four forms depending on the last vowel of the root word:

| Last Vowel | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| **a, ı** | **-lık** | yaşlı **→** yaşlılık |
| **e, i** | **-lik** | genç **→** gençlik |
| **o, u** | **-luk** | çocuk **→** çocukluk |
| **ö, ü** | **-lük** | ön **→** önlük |

### Abstract Concepts and Life Stages

When added to adjectives or nouns describing people, **-lIk** acts like the English suffixes "-ness" or "-hood", turning physical states into abstract life stages. For example, **genç** (young) becomes **gençlik** (youth).

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### Containers and Furniture

When added to a physical object, **-lIk** creates the name of the container or furniture designed specifically to hold it. A place for a **kitap** (book) is a **kitaplık** (bookcase), and a container for **tuz** (salt) is a **tuzluk** (salt shaker).

**Grammar Note:** Because these derived words end in **-k**, they undergo consonant mutation. When you add a case suffix starting with a vowel (like the dative or accusative), the **k** softens to **ğ**.

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### Abstract Traits and Purpose-Built Items

You will also use this suffix to turn descriptive adjectives into abstract traits. For instance, **güzel** (beautiful) becomes **güzellik** (beauty), and **iyi** (good) becomes **iyilik** (goodness or a favor).

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Finally, **-lIk** can indicate an item made for a specific purpose or placement. For example, **ön** means "front", so an **önlük** is a garment worn on the front of the body: an apron.

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Derivational suffix (-lık / -lik)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

postposition

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstrative pronouns (bu, şu, o)

Basic question words (kim, ne)

Plural nouns (-lar, -ler)

I am and you are (-(y)ım, -sın)

We, you, and they are (-(y)ız, -sınız)

Negative statements (değil)

Yes and no questions (mı, mi, mu, mü)

Questions with 'to be' (mısın, mıyım)

Numbers 1 to 10 (bir, iki, üç)

Numbers 11 to 20 (on bir, on iki)

Numbers by tens to 100 (otuz, kırk...)

Counting objects (tane)

The locative case (-da, -de)

Consonant assimilation (-ta, -te)

Asking where (nerede)

There is / there are (var)

There is not / there are not (yok)

Asking how many (kaç)

Infinitive verbs (-mak, -mek)

Informal commands (git, gel)

Negative commands (-ma, -me)

Polite and plural commands (-In, -InIz)

Basic word order

Present continuous for consonant roots (-iyor)

Present continuous for vowel roots (-iyor)

Present continuous personal suffixes (-iyorum)

Negative present continuous (-miyor)

Present continuous questions (-iyor mu)

Future plans with present continuous

The dative case (-(y)a, -(y)e)

Consonant mutation (k, t, p, ç to ğ, d, b, c)

From or out of (-dan / -den)

Directional question words (nereye, nereden)

First and second person possessives (-(i)m, -(i)n)

Third person possessive (-(s)i)

Plural possessives (-imiz, -iniz, -leri)

The genitive case (-(n)in)

Definite noun compounds (-nin ... -si)

Indefinite noun compounds (bare noun + -(s)i)

Possessive buffer letter (n)

Spatial postpositions (içinde, üstünde)

The definite direct object (-(y)ı, -(y)i)

Object question words (kimi, neyi)

Adjectives modifying nouns

Manner and choice questions (nasıl, hangi)

Basic degree modifiers (çok, biraz)

Comparisons (daha, en)

Days of the week

Months of the year

The time question word (ne zaman)

Telling time (saat, buçuk)

Asking the time (saat kaç, saat kaçta)

Basic conjunctions (ve, ama, veya)

Causality conjunction (çünkü)

Means and accompaniment (ile, -(y)lA)

Purpose and beneficiaries (için)

Expressing desire (-mak istemek)

The past copula (-(y)DI)

The direct past tense (-DI)

Past tense personal suffixes (-DIm, -DIn)

Past tense negative (-mAdI)

Past tense questions (-DI mI)

Ordinal numbers (-(I)ncI)

Greetings and politeness

Saying 'too' (de, da)

Conversation fillers (şey, yani, hadi)

Conversational essentials

Reflexive pronouns (kendim, kendin)

Reciprocal pronouns (birbiri)

Indefinite pronouns for people (herkes, kimse)

Indefinite pronouns for things and places (her şey, hiçbir şey)

Conjunctions of consequence (bu yüzden, bu nedenle)

Correlative conjunctions (hem... hem, ne... ne)

Verbs taking the dative case (-e / -a)

Verbs taking the ablative case (-den / -dan)

Time origin (beri)

Time duration (-DIr)

Comparisons of similarity (gibi)

Comparisons of equality (kadar)

Perspectives (göre)

Verbal nouns (-mA / -mE)

Verbal nouns as objects (-mAyI / -mEyI)

Verbal nouns with the dative (-mAyA / -mEyA)

General necessity (lazım / gerek)

Personal necessity (-mAm lazım)

Third-person commands (-sIn / -sInlAr)

First person singular optative (-(y)AyIm)

Question	Answer
youth	gençlik
Youth is a very beautiful time.	Gençlik çok güzel bir zaman.
My friend from my youth has been living here for ten years.	Gençlik arkadaşım on yıldır burada yaşıyor.
old age	yaşlılık
When old age comes, people get very tired.	Yaşlılık gelince insanlar çok yoruluyor.
Is everyone afraid of old age?	Herkes yaşlılıktan korkuyor mu?
We have been childhood friends for ten years.	Biz on yıldır çocukluk arkadaşıyız.
Can you tell me about your childhood?	Bana çocukluğunu anlatabilir misin?
bookcase	kitaplık
You should buy a new bookcase for your room.	Odan için yeni bir kitaplık almalısın.
I put three novels in the bookcase.	Kitaplığa üç tane roman koydum.
salt shaker	tuzluk
Can you please give me the salt shaker?	Lütfen bana tuzluğu verebilir misin?
The salt shaker is on the kitchen table.	Tuzluk mutfak masasının üstünde.
sugar bowl	şekerlik
The sugar bowl is very dirty, you must wash it.	Şekerlik çok kirli, onu yıkamalısın.
When the guests arrive, you must put the sugar bowl on the table.	Misafirler gelince şekerliği masaya koymalısın.
shoe rack	ayakkabılık
You must put your shoes in the shoe rack immediately.	Ayakkabılarını hemen ayakkabılığa koymalısın.
We bought a cheap shoe rack yesterday.	Dün ucuz bir ayakkabılık aldık.
beauty	güzellik
Beauty is not the most important thing in life.	Güzellik hayatta en önemli şey değil.
When I saw the scenery, I was very surprised by this beauty.	Manzarayı görünce bu güzelliğe çok şaşırdım.
pencil case	kalemlik
The student forgot his pencil case at school.	Öğrenci kalemliğini okulda unuttu.
There are two red pens inside the pencil case.	Kalemliğin içinde iki tane kırmızı kalem var.
favor	iyilik
That doctor is constantly doing favors for people.	O doktor insanlara sürekli iyilik yapıyor.
Could you come to my office to do me a favor?	Bana bir iyilik yapmak için ofisime gelebilir misin?
teapot	çaydanlık
Will you bring the teapot when the guest comes?	Misafir gelince çaydanlığı getirir misin?
apron	önlük
There is a teapot and a sugar bowl in the kitchen, but there is no apron.	Mutfakta çaydanlık ve şekerlik var, ama önlük yok.
The cook is wearing his white apron in the kitchen.	Aşçı mutfakta beyaz önlüğünü giyiyor.
infancy	bebeklik
Since my daughter was born, I have been keeping her baby clothes.	Kızım doğalı bebeklik kıyafetlerini saklıyorum.
My mother shows my baby photos to the guests.	Annem misafirlere bebeklik fotoğraflarımı gösterir.

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