-sin

You Are

Level 1

In Turkish, you don't need a separate word for 'are'. Instead, you attach a suffix like -sin to the end of a noun or adjective to say 'you are' (singular/informal).

How It Works

In Turkish, sentences that describe a state or identity (like 'You are happy') are called nominal sentences. Instead of using a verb like 'to be', Turkish uses personal suffixes.

The suffix for the second person singular ('you') is -sin. Because of four-way vowel harmony, the vowel in the suffix must match the last vowel of the word it is attached to:

  • If the last vowel is a or ı, use -sın.
  • If the last vowel is e or i, use -sin.
  • If the last vowel is o or u, use -sun.
  • If the last vowel is ö or ü, use -sün.

Important Note on Social Context:
This is the singular sen form, commonly used with friends, family and children. Social expectations depend on the relationship and setting. For polite or respectful address to someone you do not know, a safe choice is the plural form -siniz instead.

Turkish often uses subject pronoun dropping. This means you can say 'Mutlusun' instead of 'Sen mutlusun' because the -sun ending already tells the listener you are talking about 'you'.

Examples (5)

  1. Sen çok iyisin.

    You are very good/kind.

    Word by Word: You very good-are.

    The suffix -sin is used because the last vowel in 'iyi' is 'i'.

  2. Bugün çok mutlusun.

    You are very happy today.

    Word by Word: Today very happy-are.

    The suffix becomes -sun to match the 'u' in 'mutlu'.

  3. Sen bir öğrencisin.

    You are a student.

    Word by Word: You a student-are.

    The suffix attaches directly to the noun 'öğrenci'.

  4. Çok üzgünsün.

    You are very sad.

    Word by Word: Very sad-are.

    The suffix becomes -sün to match the 'ü' in 'üzgün'.

  5. Yalnızsın.

    You are alone.

    Word by Word: Alone-are.

    The suffix becomes -sın to match the 'ı' in 'yalnız'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using singular -sin when addressing several people.

    Siz çok iyisin.
    Siz çok iyisiniz.

    Siz takes the plural or polite ending -siniz, not the singular -sin. The same form also serves as respectful address to one person.

  • Ignoring vowel harmony.

    Sen mutlusin.
    Sen mutlusun.

    The vowel in the suffix must match the last vowel of the root word (u matches u).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-sinLevel 1You Are

Learn This First

To understand the '-sin' suffix, you must first learn four-way vowel harmony to correctly choose between its four forms. You also need to be familiar with personal pronouns, specifically 'sen' (you), and the general concept of using suffixes instead of separate words for the verb 'to be'.

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Words in This Pattern

-sin