-(I)n

Second Person Singular Possessive Suffix

Level 1

Use -(I)n to say 'your' when talking to a friend or family member. It attaches directly to the noun and changes based on the word's last vowel.

How It Works

In Azerbaijani, possession is primarily shown through suffixes attached to the noun. The 2nd person singular suffix follows vowel harmony rules.

1. After a Consonant:
The suffix takes four forms based on the last vowel of the noun:

  • -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. After a Vowel:
If the noun ends in a vowel, the suffix's vowel is dropped, and you only add -n:

  • ata (father) + -ın = atan (your father)
  • bacı (sister) + -ın = bacın (your sister)

Note: The words su (water) and nə (what) are exceptions and require a buffer -y- (e.g., suyun, nəyin).

3. Consonant Changes:
When adding this suffix to words ending in k or q, the consonant softens:

  • k → y: çiçək → çiçəyin
  • q → ğ: uşaq → uşağın
  • pişik → pişiyin

Note: Softening usually does not happen in one-syllable words (e.g., kökün) or foreign loanwords (e.g., parkın).

4. Two-Syllable Vowel Drop:
For certain common nouns, the second vowel is dropped when adding the suffix:

  • burun (nose) → burnun
  • ağız (mouth) → ağzın

5. Usage:
The pronoun sən (you) in its genitive form sənin is often used for emphasis, but the suffix itself is mandatory.

Examples (4)

  1. Adın nədir?

    What is your name?

    Word by Word: Name-your what-is?

    The suffix -ın is added to 'ad' (name) because 'a' is a back unrounded vowel.

  2. Sənin evin çox gözəldir.

    Your house is very beautiful.

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

    Here, 'sənin' provides emphasis, while '-in' on 'ev' marks the possession.

  3. Uşağın haradadır?

    Where is your child?

    Word by Word: Child-your where-is?

    Note how the 'q' in 'uşaq' changes to 'ğ' before the suffix.

  4. Kitabın məndədir.

    Your book is with me.

    Word by Word: Book-your me-in-is.

    The suffix -ın is added to 'kitab' following vowel harmony.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ın to a vowel-ending noun when 'your father' is meant.

    Different Meaningatanın
    atan

    'atanın' is a real form: 'of the father'. For 'your father' (the subject or plain noun), the possessive is just 'atan' (ata + n); the n does not need a vowel before it.

  • Ignoring vowel harmony.

    dostın
    dostun

    The suffix must match the roundedness of the stem vowel. Since 'o' is rounded, you must use '-un'.

  • Keeping the vowel when 'your nose' is meant.

    Different Meaningburunun
    burnun

    'burunun' is a real form: 'of the nose' (genitive). For 'your nose', the second vowel of 'burun' drops before the possessive: 'burnun'.

How It Connects

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-(I)nLevel 1Second Person Singular Possessive Suffix

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