kitap (book): kitabım, kitaba, kitapta

The idea

When an ending that begins with a vowel follows kitap, the final p becomes b: kitabım, kitabı, kitaba, kitabın. Before a consonant it stays: kitaplar, kitapta, kitaptan.

Examples

• Ben kitabı okuyorum.I am reading the book.The object is a particular book, so it takes -ı, and the final p of kitap becomes b before that vowel. The pronoun ben may be dropped: Kitabı okuyorum.
• Senin kitabın nerede?Where is your book?
• Annem kitaba bakıyor.My mother is looking at the book.
• Ali'nin kitabı çok eski.Ali's book is very old.
• Kitapçıda güzel kitaplar var.There are nice books in the bookshop.In kitapçı (bookshop, bookseller) the ending -çı begins with a consonant, so the p of kitap stays: kitapçıda, not kitabçıda. The plural kitaplar keeps it too.
• kitabımızdain our bookkitab·ımız-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: our·da-de / -da / -te / -ta: in, at, on
• kitaplarımızdanfrom our bookskitap·lar-ler / -lar: the plural suffix·ımız-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: our·dan-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out of
• kitabımdanfrom my bookkitab·ım-im / -ım / -um / -üm / -m: my·dan-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out of

Watch out

Both kitapım and kitapa are wrong (the p had to change), and so are kitabta and kitablar (the b only appears before a vowel). Note also that kitabı can mean 'the book' as an object or 'his/her book'; the sentence decides.

Try it yourself

1. Add -ım (my) to kitap: my book is in the bag.

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   kitabım

   kitabım: -ım begins with a vowel, so the final p becomes b; the vowel ı matches the back vowel a.

2. Add the accusative to kitap: I am reading the book.

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   kitabı

   kitabı: the accusative -ı begins with a vowel, so p → b. The same form also means 'his/her book'; the sentence shows which is meant.

3. Add the locative to kitap: there are beautiful pictures in the book.

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   kitapta

   kitapta: the locative -ta begins with a consonant, so the p stays.

4. Add -ları (their) to kitap: their book is on the table.

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   kitapları

   kitapları: the p is followed by the l of -lar, a consonant, so it does not change; the ı comes only after lar.

Use it today

Write the forms of kitap for 'my', 'in' and 'from' and underline the letter that changes. Then do the same with dolap (cupboard).