In this lesson, you will learn more about the -lİ suffix, one of the most frequently used suffixes in Turkish. It is used to create adjectives and nouns out of nouns. The most common translation of -lİ is 'with', but it can also convey the meaning of other prepositions, compounds and other verb-derived adjectives in English. That is to say, there is no one-to-one translation for -lİ, but you will master this suffix as you get exposed to it more and more.
Now let's look at a chart about it's functions with some examples:
| Functions of -lİ | Turkish | English |
|---|---|---|
| To indicate that the entity is described by or has the property of the root word | hızlı akıllı çelişkili | rapid clever contradictory |
| To indicate a place of origin, or where someone belongs | Berlinli Samsunlu | Berliner from Samsun |
| To talk about groups of items which are composed of the root number | üçlü dörtlü | threesome (or trio) quartet |
| Adjectival phrases out of Noun phrases | uzun bacaklı kırmızı tişörtlü yarım akıllı | long-legged in the red tshirt half-wit |
| Adverbial Phrases | senli benli (konuşmak) analı kızlı (gezmek) gizli saklı (iş yapmak) | (to speak) on first name basis (to travel/promenade) as mother-daughter (to work) in secret/in clandestine ways |
Adverbial phrases are only derived by using -lİ doubly, as in the examples.
When making adjectival phrases out of two nouns, drop the possessive suffix in the compound, and add -lİ. For example, aşk acısı, is a noun phrase literally meaning 'love pain', aşk acılı (bir film) is an adjectival phrase meaning '(a movie about) love pain'.
We also use nereli (from where) to inquire about someone's origins, and neli to ask about the flavour of something.
