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### 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**.

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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".

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### 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**.

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### 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.

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I am and you are (-(y)ım, -sın)

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)

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)

First person plural optative (-(y)AlIm)

Question	Answer
I	ben
good	iyi
I am fine.	Ben iyiyim.
you	sen
You are a good doctor.	Sen iyi bir doktorsun.
tired	yorgun
I am tired.	Ben yorgunum.
sick	hasta
Those men are tired, you are sick.	O adamlar yorgun, sen hastasın.
I am an engineer, this is a new house.	Ben mühendisim, bu yeni bir ev.
You are sick.	Sen hastasın.
sad	üzgün
happy	mutlu
I am sad, you are happy.	Ben üzgünüm, sen mutlusun.
You are sad, that child is happy.	Sen üzgünsün, şu çocuk mutlu.
alone	yalnız
I am alone.	Ben yalnızım.
You are a lonely woman.	Sen yalnız bir kadınsın.
Who are you?	Sen kimsin?