These two suffixes are vital for building vocabulary in Turkish. They function as opposites: LI adds the meaning of "with" or "containing," while sIz adds "without" or "less."
💡 Phonetic Rule:
Both suffixes follow 4-way vowel harmony ($I$):
LI: (lı, li, lu, lü).
sIz: (sız, siz, suz, süz).
The Suffix LI (Meaning: With / Having / -ed)
It transforms a noun into an adjective, indicating possession or presence of a quality:
Hız (Speed) ← Hızlı (Fast/Speedy).
Akıl (Mind/Intelligence) ← Akıllı (Smart/Intelligent).
Sakal (Beard) ← Sakallı (Bearded).
Special Uses:
Origin: Bursalı (Someone from Bursa), Mısırlı (Egyptian).
Numbered groups: Beşli (Quintuple/Group of five).
The Suffix sIz (Meaning: Without / -less)
It is the direct antonym of LI, indicating the absence of a substance or quality:
Sabır (Patience) ← Sabırsız (Impatient).
Zarar (Harm) ← Zararsız (Harmless).
Para (Money) ← Parasız (Penniless/Free of charge).
📋 Comparison Examples:
Noun | With LI | With sIz |
Su (Water) | Sulu (Watery/Juicy) | Susuz (Waterless/Thirsty) |
Tat (Taste) | Tatlı (Sweet/Tasty) | Tatsız (Tasteless/Unpleasant) |
Ev (Home) | Evli (Married - "with a home") | Evsiz (Homeless) |
Sentence Examples:
Bu makarna çok tuzlu: This pasta is very salty.
Saygısız insanlardan nefret ediyorum: I hate disrespectful people.
Derse kalemsiz gelmeyin: Don't come to class without a pen.