Something that even native Turkish speakers confuse is the distinction between the suffix -ki and the word ki. Both are important and useful parts of the language, and so it is worth going over their meanings.
The suffix -ki is almost exclusively used after the suffix -de for location and the suffix –(n)in for possession. As you know, both these suffixes have different forms according to vowel harmony, but -ki does not ever change form.
What does -ki do? It singles out an individual example of a possessed or located person or object. So:
Otelde – in the hotel
Oteldeki – the one in the hotel
Can’ın – Can’s
Can’ınki – the one that is Can’s
Can’ınki kötü – Can’s one is bad
-ki can also be used to modify the noun following it:
Otelde papağan küfrediyor. – The parrot swears in the hotel.
Oteldeki papağan küfrediyor. – The parrot in the hotel swears.
If the -ki is used on its own without a noun following it, it can take additional suffixes preceded by the separating letter -n:
Okuldakini aldım. – I took the one at the school.
Benimki seninkine doğru gidiyor. – My one is going towards your one.
The word ki, written on its own, is a neat way of connecting clauses that were borrowed from the Indo-European language of Persian and thus may come relatively instinctively for the speakers of languages like English.
Belli – Clear (Or “It is clear.”)
Belli ki gelmeyecek. – It is clear that she is not going to come.
Öyle şeyler düşünüyorum. – I think of such things.
Öyle şeyler düşünüyorum ki kendimden korkuyorum. – I think of such things that I frighten myself.
Yapmadı. – He didn’t do it.
O yapmadı ki ödeme alsın. – He didn’t do it so why should he get payment (or in archaic English “he didn’t do it that he should get payment.”)
Ki on its own can also be used to end a sentence, indicating the missing clause.
Person one: Ona neden ödeme yapmadın? – Why didn’t you pay him?
Person two: Yapmadı ki… – He didn’t do it (that I should pay him for it)…
Person one: Bakıyorum. Aaa, belli ki… – Let me take a look. Ah, it is clear/obvious (that he didn’t do it) …
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