You will build the forms of çocuk (child) and learn to tell apart çocuğu, çocukları and çocuklar in a sentence.
The idea
The noun çocuk ends in k and has two syllables, so the k becomes ğ before a vowel: çocuğa, çocuğu, çocuğum, çocuğumuz. Before a consonant it stays: çocuklar, çocukta, çocuktan. The last vowel is u, so the endings take back vowels: -a, -ta, -lar and -um.
| Ending | Form | Stem letter |
|---|---|---|
| - | çocuk | k |
| -lar | çocuklar | k |
| -ı | çocuğu | ğ |
| -a | çocuğa | ğ |
| -ta | çocukta | k |
| -tan | çocuktan | k |
| -ın | çocuğun | ğ |
| -um | çocuğum | ğ |
| -umuz | çocuğumuz | ğ |
| -ları | çocukları | k |
Examples
- Çocuğa elma verdim.I gave the child an apple.The dative -a starts with a vowel, so the final k of çocuk softens to ğ: çocuğa.
- Çocuğumu okuldan alıyorum.I am picking my child up from school.
- Çocuklar yarın bize geliyor.The children are coming to our place tomorrow.After a plural subject such as çocuklar the verb is usually singular: geliyor. The form geliyorlar is also possible.
- çocuğummy childçocuğum-im / -ım / -um / -üm / -m: my
- çocuklarımızato our childrençocuklar-ler / -lar: the plural suffixımız-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: oura-e / -a / -ye / -ya: to, towards
- çocuktanfrom the childçocuktan-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out ofThe ablative begins with a consonant, so the k stays: çocuktan, not çocuğtan.
- Üç çocuğum var.I have three children.After a number the noun stays singular, even with a possessive ending: üç çocuğum, not üç çocuklarım.
- Çocuğu çok seviyorum.I am very fond of the child.Here çocuğu is the object: the child. The same spelling can mean his or her child, as in Çocuğu geldi. The sentence decides.
- Komşunun çocukları evde.The neighbour’s children are at home.Çocukları is çocuk + the plural -lar + the possessive -ı: several children of one owner. Komşunun çocuğu would be one child.
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Watch out
The ending does not tell you who owns the child. Çocuğu is the child (as an object) or his or her child, and çocukları is the children (as an object), their child or their children. Let the sentence decide, and after a number keep çocuk singular: üç çocuk, not üç çocuklar.
Try it yourself
Add the dative to çocuk (child): to the child.
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çocuğa
çocuğa: the ending -a starts with a vowel, so the k of çocuk becomes ğ, and the back vowel u asks for -a.
Add the ending for “my” to çocuk (child): my child.
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çocuğum
çocuğum: -um starts with a vowel, so the k softens to ğ, and the last vowel u makes the ending -um, not -im.
Add the ablative to çocuk (child): from the child.
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çocuktan
çocuktan: -tan starts with a consonant, so the k stays; it is t because k is voiceless, and the back vowel gives -tan.
There are three children. Do not add the plural.
Show answer or example answer
çocuk
çocuk: after a number such as üç (three) the noun stays singular, so no -lar is added.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Add the dative to çocuk (child): to the child.
Add the ending for “my” to çocuk (child): my child.
Add the ablative to çocuk (child): from the child.
There are three children. Do not add the plural.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the parts in order to build this word: my child
Tap the parts in order to build this word: to our children
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Write three sentences about children you know: one with çocuğa, one with çocuğum or çocuklarım, and one with çocuktan or çocukta. Circle the first letter of each ending.