Saying "My"
In Turkish, you indicate that something belongs to someone by attaching a possessive suffix to the noun. To say "my," you add the suffix -(I)m directly to the end of the word.
If the noun ends in a vowel, simply add -m:
- aile (family) becomes ailem (my family)
- elbise (dress) becomes elbisem (my dress)
If the noun ends in a consonant, add a vowel before the -m following 4-way vowel harmony (-ım, -im, -um, or -üm):
- eş (spouse) becomes eşim (my spouse)
- bavul (suitcase) becomes bavulum (my suitcase)
Saying "Your"
To say "your" (when speaking to one person informally), use the suffix -(I)n. The rules are exactly the same as for "my".
If the noun ends in a vowel, simply add -n:
- abla (older sister) becomes ablan (your older sister)
- şemsiye (umbrella) becomes şemsiyen (your umbrella)
If the noun ends in a consonant, add -ın, -in, -un, or -ün based on 4-way vowel harmony:
- ad (name) becomes adın (your name)
- pasaport (passport) becomes pasaportun (your passport)
Emphasizing the Owner
Because the possessive suffix already makes it clear who the owner is, you usually do not need to use a separate word for "your" (senin). However, you can add it before the noun when you want to emphasize or clarify who the owner is.