-in (iyelik, 2. tekil)

Your

Level 1

Use -in (or its variants -ın, -un, -ün) to say 'your' in Turkish. It attaches directly to the noun.

How It Works

The 2nd person singular possessive suffix follows Four-Way Vowel Harmony and changes based on whether the word ends in a vowel or a consonant.

1. Words ending in a Vowel:
Simply add -n.

  • Anne (mother) → Annen (your mother)
  • Araba (car) → Araban (your car)

2. Words ending in a Consonant:
Add -ın, -in, -un, or -ün based on the last vowel.

  • Ev (house) → Evin (your house)
  • Okul (school) → Okulun (your school)
  • Göz (eye) → Gözün (your eye)
  • Ad (name) → Adın (your name)

Important Exceptions and Rules:

  • Consonant Softening: If a word with two or more syllables ends in p, ç, t, or k, it usually changes (e.g., kitap → kitabın, köpek → köpeğin). One-syllable words like süt and at usually stay the same (sütün, atın).
  • Ambiguity with Genitive: Note that the Genitive Case suffix is also -in. Context helps distinguish 'your house' (evin) from 'of the house' (evin).
  • The 'su' and 'ne' Exception: su (water) becomes suyun and ne (what) usually becomes neyin.
  • Vowel Dropping: Some two-syllable words drop their middle vowel (e.g., burun → burnun).
  • Informality: This suffix is for one person you know well. For formal situations or plural 'your', use -iniz.

Examples (6)

  1. Adın ne?

    What is your name?

    Word by Word: Name-your what?

    The word 'ad' (name) ends in a consonant, so '-ın' is added following vowel harmony.

  2. Senin evin çok güzel.

    Your house is very beautiful.

    Word by Word: Your house-your very beautiful.

    Here, 'senin' is used for emphasis, but the suffix '-in' on 'ev' is still mandatory.

  3. Kedini gördüm.

    I saw your cat.

    Word by Word: Cat-your-(acc) I-saw.

    Since 'kedi' ends in a vowel, we only add '-n'. The final '-i' is the accusative case marker.

  4. Kitabın bende.

    I have your book.

    Word by Word: Book-your at-me.

    Note how the 'p' in 'kitap' softened to a 'b' before the suffix '-ın'.

  5. Köpeğin nerede?

    Where is your dog?

    Word by Word: Dog-your where?

    The 'k' in 'köpek' changes to 'ğ' due to consonant softening when the suffix '-in' is added.

  6. Baban nerede?

    Where is your father?

    Word by Word: Father-your where?

    'Baba' ends in a vowel, so we simply add '-n'.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the suffix when using the pronoun 'senin'.

    Senin araba nerede?
    Senin araban nerede?

    In Turkish, you cannot just say 'senin' + noun. The possessive suffix on the noun is required.

  • Applying consonant softening to monosyllabic words.

    Südün
    Sütün

    Most one-syllable words like 'süt' (milk) or 'at' (horse) do not undergo consonant softening when adding the possessive suffix.

  • Confusing the possessive suffix with the 'to be' suffix.

    Sen öğrencisin.
    Senin öğrencin.

    '-sin' means 'you are' (You are a student), while '-in' means 'your' (Your student).

How It Connects

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

-in (iyelik, 2. tekil)Level 1Your

Learn This First

To understand the second-person singular possessive suffix (-in), you need to be familiar with four-way vowel harmony to choose the correct suffix form and consonant softening for nouns that change their final consonant. Familiarity with the first-person possessive suffix is also helpful as it establishes the pattern for possessive endings.

Words in This Pattern

-in