musluk: tap, faucet and its changing k

The idea

The noun musluk means tap or faucet. Its final k becomes ğ before a vowel-initial ending: musluğu is the definite object or someone's tap, and musluğum is my tap. Before the consonant-initial ablative ending it stays k: musluktan means from the tap. The ending starts with t after voiceless k.

Examples

• Bu musluğu hemen kapat.Turn off this tap immediately.
• Musluğumuz bugün su damlatıyor.Our tap is dripping water today.
• Musluktan soğuk su akıyor.Cold water is flowing from the tap.
• Banyodaki musluk bozuk.The tap in the bathroom is broken.
• İki musluk satın aldık.We bought two taps.
• Musluğun kolu kırık.The tap's handle is broken.

Watch out

Do not soften k in musluktan: the ending starts with a consonant. Conversely, write musluğu, not musluku, before the vowel-initial accusative ending.

Try it yourself

1. Bu ___ kapat. (musluk)

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   musluğu

   musluğu: the demonstrative identifies a definite object; final k becomes ğ before accusative -u.

2. Benim ___ bozuk. (musluk)

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   musluğum

   musluğum: final k becomes ğ before the vowel-initial possessive ending -um for my.

3. Su ___ akıyor. (musluk)

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   musluktan

   musluktan: ablative -tan follows voiceless k and shows where the water comes from.

Use it today

Describe a tap in your home and write what flows from it. Ask someone to turn it off.