Breakdown of Yaşlısınız.
yaşlı
old (people)
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Questions & Answers about Yaşlısınız.
What does the suffix -sınız do in this word?
It acts as the verb "to be" for the plural or formal "you". In Turkish, to say "you are" with an adjective, we attach the suffix directly to the word. So, yaşlı (old) becomes yaşlısınız (you are old).
Why is the suffix -sınız instead of -siniz or -sunuz?
This is due to 4-way vowel harmony. The suffix must match the last vowel of the word it attaches to. The last vowel in yaşlı is ı, so the suffix uses ı as well, taking the form -sınız.
Does this sentence mean "you all are old" or just "you are old" for one person?
It can be both! The suffix -sınız is grammatically plural ("you all"), but Turkish also uses it to address a single person to show politeness or formal respect. If you were speaking informally to just one friend, you would use the singular suffix -sın to make yaşlısın.
Is yaşlı related to the word yaş (age)?
Yes, exactly. The word yaş means "age" and the suffix -lı means "with" or "having". So yaşlı literally translates to "with age", which is the standard way to describe a person or living thing as old in Turkish.