In Turkish, ki is a versatile tool used as a relative pronoun, a possessive pronoun, or a conjunction. Unlike most suffixes, ki is usually invariant (does not follow vowel harmony), with very few exceptions.
💡 Types and Uses of ki:
1- Attached Suffix (Defining Place/Time):
When attached to nouns with "in/at/on" (-de/-da), it identifies "the one at/in".
Bahçedeki ağaç: The tree in the garden.
Duvardaki resim: The picture on the wall.
Sabahki kahvaltı: The breakfast of the morning.
2- Possessive Pronoun (Belonging):
It replaces a noun to avoid repetition, usually attached to possessive pronouns.
Senin araban yeni, benimki eski: Your car is new, mine (my car) is old.
Bizimki: Ours / The one belonging to us.
3- Separate Conjunction (ki):
When written separately, it links two sentences, often emphasizing a result or expressing "that".
Baktım ki...: I saw that...
Dene ki göresin: Try so that you may see.
Phonetic Exceptions (Turning into kü):
There are only three common words where ki changes to kü for harmony:
Dün (Yesterday) → Dünkü (The one from yesterday).
Gün (Day) → Günkü (The one from that day).
Bugün (Today) → Bugünkü (The one from today).
Practical Examples:
Sınıftaki herkes öğretmeni dinliyor: Everyone in the class is listening to the teacher.
Bengü’nün yanındaki kız kim? Who is the girl beside Bengü?
Benim evim seninki gibi büyük değil: My house is not as big as yours.
Dünkü maçı kim kazandı? Who won yesterday's match?