-ın/-in/-un/-ün (mənsubiyyət)

Second-person Singular Possessive

Level 2

The suffix -ın, -in, -un, -ün (or just -n after vowels) is added to a noun to show possession by the second person singular ('your').

How It Works

This suffix follows the rules of vowel harmony and changes based on the last vowel of the word.

1. After Consonants:
Use the four-way version based on the last vowel:

  • -ın: after a, ı (e.g., adın - your name)
  • -in: after e, ə, i (e.g., evin - your house)
  • -un: after o, u (e.g., dostun - your friend)
  • -ün: after ö, ü (e.g., gözün - your eye)

2. Consonant Alternation:
In multi-syllable words, final q changes to ğ and final k changes to y before this suffix:

  • uşaq + -ın = uşağın (your child)
  • çiçək + -in = çiçəyin (your flower)

3. Vowel Drop (Syncope):
Some two-syllable nouns drop their second vowel when adding this suffix:

  • ağız (mouth) -> ağzın
  • çiyin (shoulder) -> çiynin

4. After Vowels:
If the word ends in a vowel, the connecting vowel of the suffix is dropped, and you simply add -n.

  • ana + -n = anan (your mother)
  • ütü + -n = ütün (your iron)

5. Exceptions:
The words su (water) and nə (what) use a buffer -y-: suyun, nəyin.

6. Usage Note:
This form is informal and singular. Use it with friends, family, or children. For formal situations or multiple people, use the plural/polite possessive instead.

Examples (4)

  1. Sənin adın nədir?

    What is your name?

    Word by Word: Your name-your what-is?

    Here, 'ad' (name) ends in a consonant and follows 'a', so '-ın' is added.

  2. Atan haradadır?

    Where is your father?

    Word by Word: Father-your where-is?

    Since 'ata' ends in a vowel, only '-n' is attached.

  3. Sənin evin çox gözəldir.

    Your house is very beautiful.

    Word by Word: Your house-your very beautiful-is.

    The word 'ev' takes '-in' to match the vowel 'e'.

  4. Dostun gəldi.

    Your friend came.

    Word by Word: Friend-your came.

    The word 'dost' takes '-un' because of the vowel 'o'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a buffer 'y' or 's' for standard vowel-ending words.

    Sənin anayın haradadır?
    Sənin anan haradadır?

    Unlike some other suffixes, the 2nd person singular possessive simply drops its own vowel and attaches '-n' directly to a vowel-ending stem. The only exceptions are 'su' and 'nə'.

  • Forgetting the consonant change for words ending in 'k' or 'q'.

    Sənin uşaqın məktəbdədir.
    Sənin uşağın məktəbdədir.

    When adding a suffix starting with a vowel to multi-syllable words, 'q' changes to 'ğ' and 'k' changes to 'y' (e.g., çiçək -> çiçəyin).

  • Failing to drop the internal vowel in specific two-syllable nouns.

    Sənin ağızın.
    Sənin ağzın.

    Certain body parts and nouns (like ağız, çiyin, burun) drop their second vowel when a possessive suffix starting with a vowel is added.

How It Connects

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-ın/-in/-un/-ün (mənsubiyyət)Level 2Second-person Singular Possessive

Learn This First

To understand the second-person singular possessive suffix, learners must first learn four-way vowel harmony to correctly apply the -ın/-in/-un/-ün variants. They also need to be familiar with the second-person singular pronoun 'sən' to understand the relationship of 'your', and know how to identify the base noun form (nominative case) to which the suffix is attached.

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