Subject Pronouns
Before we attach suffixes, let's meet the Turkish subject pronouns. In this lesson, we will focus on ben (I) and sen (you, singular informal).
- ben (I)
- sen (you)
- o (he, she, it)
- biz (we)
- siz (you plural/formal)
- onlar (they)
Four-Way Vowel Harmony
While plurals use two-way harmony, many other suffixes in Turkish use Four-Way Vowel Harmony. Here, the suffix vowel changes to match the last vowel of the word, splitting into four distinct groups:
| Word's last vowel | Suffix vowel |
|---|
| a, ı | ı |
| e, i | i |
| o, u | u |
| ö, ü | ü |
Saying "I am" (1st Person Singular)
To say "I am," attach the suffix -ım, -im, -um, or -üm to the end of the word based on four-way vowel harmony.
If the word ends in a vowel, you must insert a buffer y before the suffix so two vowels do not crash into each other: -yım, -yim, -yum, -yüm.
One more pattern worth noticing: with an adjective, bir slips between the adjective and the noun — yeni bir ev = "a new house", iyi bir doktor = "a good doctor".
Saying "You are" (2nd Person Singular)
To say "you are," attach -sın, -sin, -sun, or -sün. Because this suffix starts with a consonant (s), you never need to use a buffer y.
Putting it Together
Because the suffix clearly shows who is doing the action, subject pronouns like ben and sen are actually optional in Turkish! However, using them adds emphasis, which is especially useful when contrasting two different people.