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

Indefinite Noun Compounds

When linking two nouns where the first noun acts as a category, material, or type for the second noun (like "coffee cup", "lentil soup", or "Turkish coffee"), you create an indefinite noun compound (belirtisiz isim tamlaması).

Unlike definite compounds (which express ownership and add suffixes to both words), in an indefinite compound, the first noun remains completely bare. You only attach the 3rd-person possessive suffix to the second noun, following 4-way vowel harmony.

• First Noun (bare)
• Second Noun + -(s)ı / -(s)i / -(s)u / -(s)ü

Buffer Consonants and Softening

When attaching the possessive suffix to the second noun:

• If the word ends in a consonant, attach -ı, -i, -u, or -ü.
• If the word ends in a vowel, insert the buffer s before the suffix (-sı, -si, -su, -sü).

Also, remember that if the second noun ends in a hard consonant (like p, ç, t, k), it will usually soften when you add the vowel suffix (for example, k softens to ğ).

Let's look at some common combinations you might use in a cafe or restaurant:

In the example above, Türk is bare, and kahve takes the buffer s and the suffix -i to create "Turkish coffee".

Here, fincan (cup) ends in a consonant, so it simply takes -ı to become kahve fincanı (coffee cup).

Çorba ends in a vowel, taking the buffer s to form mercimek çorbası (lentil soup).

Notice how the hard k in kaşık (spoon) softens to ğ to form çorba kaşığı (soup spoon).

The Exception: "Su"

There is one important exception to the buffer rule. The word su (water/juice) is highly irregular in Turkish grammar. When it takes a possessive suffix, it uses the buffer y instead of s.

Therefore, su becomes suyu. You will see this frequently when talking about different types of fruit juices.