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### 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:

{{item:789260}}

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

{{item:789264}}

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

{{item:789267}}

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

{{item:789270}}

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

{{item:789275}}

### 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.

{{item:789279}}

{{item:789283}}

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

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)

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
Turk / Turkish	Türk
We want two Turkish coffees.	İki tane Türk kahvesi istiyoruz.
waiter	garson
That waiter is drinking a Turkish coffee.	Şu garson bir Türk kahvesi içiyor.
cup (ceramic/porcelain, e.g., coffee cup)	fincan
The new waiter is bringing two coffee cups.	Yeni garson iki kahve fincanı getiriyor.
This coffee cup is very small.	Bu kahve fincanı çok küçük.
lentil	mercimek
I am drinking lentil soup.	Mercimek çorbası içiyorum.
There is no lentil soup in the restaurant.	Lokantada mercimek çorbası yok.
spoon	kaşık
Please bring a soup spoon.	Lütfen bir çorba kaşığı getirin.
dessert	tatlı
That dessert spoon is very big.	Şu tatlı kaşığı çok büyük.
menu	menü
The dinner menu is sitting on the table.	Akşam menüsü masada duruyor.
Where is the dessert menu?	Tatlı menüsü nerede?
chicken	tavuk
The chicken soup is very hot. Drink slowly.	Tavuk çorbası çok sıcak, yavaş için.
orange	portakal
The children are drinking orange juice.	Çocuklar portakal suyu içiyor.
We are buying fresh oranges from the market.	Marketten taze portakal alıyoruz.
salad	salata
We are eating tomato salad and chicken.	Domates salatası ve tavuk yiyoruz.
The fruit salad is cheap and nice.	Meyve salatası ucuz ve güzel.
carrot	havuç
The waiter is bringing carrot salad.	Garson havuç salatası getiriyor.
The carrots are very fresh.	Havuçlar çok taze.
potato	patates
I am cooking potatoes this evening.	Bu akşam patates pişiriyorum.
There is potato soup on the menu.	Menüde patates çorbası var.
cucumber	salatalık
I am buying cucumbers and tomatoes from the market.	Pazardan salatalık ve domates alıyorum.
I am washing cucumbers and making a salad.	Salatalık yıkıyorum, salata yapıyorum.
fork	çatal
There is no fork on the table, there is a spoon.	Masada çatal yok, kaşık var.
Waiter, a fork please!	Garson, bir çatal lütfen!
to treat (someone) to, order for	ısmarlamak
I am treating you to a tea.	Sana bir çay ısmarlıyorum.
My friend is treating me to dessert.	Arkadaşım bana tatlı ısmarlıyor.