yüzlerinde

Yüzlerinde is a Turkish expression meaning “on their faces” or “on the faces (of them).” It is formed from yüz (face) with the plural possessive suffixleri to create yüzleri (their faces), followed by the locative suffixnde to indicate position. When combined, the form yüzlerinde means that something is located on or visible on their faces. The construction illustrates Turkish agglutinative morphology and vowel harmony.

In usage, yüzlerinde typically introduces a feature observable on people’s faces, such as emotions, expressions, or physical traits. It is common in descriptive language, journalism, poetry, and everyday speech to convey what is visible or conveyed through facial appearance.

Examples:

- Karanlığın içinde yüzlerinde korku okunuyordu. (In the darkness, fear was read on their faces.)

- Gülümsemesi yüzlerinde belirginleşti. (Her/Their smile became evident on their faces.)

Notes:

The phrase can be used both literally, to describe visible expressions, and figuratively, to evoke mood or attitude reflected in a group’s faces. It demonstrates how Turkish combines nouns with multiple suffixes to express possession and location in a compact form.

See also:

Turkish grammar and morphology, including the possessive and locative suffixes, and the role of vowel harmony in suffix placement.

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