There are like 2 types of consonants in Turkish:
1. Voiced consonants
2. Unvoiced consonants
Unvoiced consonants dont make your Vocal cords 'shake' when you say them. These unvoiced consonants are the consonants you see in the following sentence:
efe paşa çok hasta.
Now there are a few rules:
1). When a word ends with one of the above mentioned consonants, (f,p,ş,ç,k,h,s,t) and is followed by a suffix with a voiced vowel (any other but the above mentioned), then this voiced vowel changes into an unvoiced vowel.
Example:
Küçük = little
-dir = he, she is
Küçük-dir BECOMES küçüktür
Because: the unvoiced K was followed by the voiced D and therefore this D transformed in a T.
2). Now, the second rule, explains why Melek-im becomes meleğim.
This rule only concerns P,Ç,K and T.
If one of these unvoiced consonants get BETWEEN TWO vowels because of adding a suffix, they changed into the following:
p --> b
ç --> c
k --> ğ
T --> d
Examples:
ağaç --> tree
ağaca --> to the tree.
The ç changed into a c because of adding the suffix -a- made it in between TWO vowels.
Erkek --> man
Erkeğim --> I'm a man
The K changed into a ğ, because of adding the suffix -im- made it in between TWO vowels.
This is quite confusing, but if you practise a little you get used to it and actually, its quite logical if you speak because then it 'rolls' out of your mouth better!
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If i made any mistakes in explaining this, i would like to hear a native tongue But isn't it said that you learn the best while teaching? (a)
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