Possessive suffixes indicate who owns an object. In Turkish, these suffixes are attached to the noun and change according to 4-Way Vowel Harmony ($I$).
Vowel Harmony Reminder ($I$):
Last vowel (a, ı) → suffix uses ı.
Last vowel (e, i) → suffix uses i.
Last vowel (o, u) → suffix uses u.
Last vowel (ö, ü) → suffix uses ü.
Possessive Suffixes Table
The suffix depends on whether the noun ends in a consonant or a vowel:
Pronoun (Owner) | Noun ends in Consonant | Noun ends in Vowel |
Benim (My) | -Im | -m |
Senin (Your) | -In | -n |
Onun (His/Her/Its) | -I | -sI |
Bizim (Our) | -ImIz | -mIz |
Sizin (Your pl./formal) | -InIz | -nIz |
Onların (Their) | -lArI | -lArI |
Practical Examples
Pronoun | Okul (School) - Consonant end | Oda (Room) - Vowel end |
Benim | Okulum (My school) | Odam (My room) |
Senin | Okulun (Your school) | Odan (Your room) |
Onun | Okulu (His school) | Odası (Her room) |
Bizim | Okulumuz (Our school) | Odamız (Our room) |
Sizin | Okulunuz (Your school) | Odanız (Your room) |
Onların | Okulları (Their school) | Odaları (Their room) |
Pro Tips:
Suffix Order: The possessive suffix always comes before case markers (prepositions).
Example: Odamda (In my room) → [Oda + m + da].
The "n" Buffer: When adding a case suffix (like "to" or "in") after the 3rd person possession (Onun/Onların), you MUST use n as a buffer letter.
Example: Onun evinde (In his house).
Formal Address: Use Sizin (plural) to show respect when talking to a single person who is older or in a professional setting.
Mastering possessive suffixes is your key to building personal sentences and describing your relationship with the objects around you.