Use toplum when discussing society in a novel, a study or a debate. Decide whether you mean one society or several, and whether the noun names society itself or someone’s society.
The idea
Toplum names a society as a whole; having many members does not make the noun plural. Toplumlar refers to distinct societies. The stem keeps its final m: toplumu, topluma, toplumumuz. Compare toplumumuz (our society) with toplumlarımız (our societies): after -lar, the possessive is -ımız, with dotless ı, rather than -umuz.
| Use | Singular noun | Plural noun |
|---|---|---|
| Bare form | *toplum* | *toplumlar* |
| Accusative: specific object | *toplumu* | *toplumları* |
| Dative: to | *topluma* | *toplumlara* |
| Locative: in | *toplumda* | *toplumlarda* |
| Ablative: from | *toplumdan* | *toplumlardan* |
| Genitive: of | *toplumun* | *toplumların* |
| My | *toplumum* | *toplumlarım* |
| Your (one person) | *toplumun* | *toplumların* |
| His/her | *toplumu* | *toplumları* |
| Our | *toplumumuz* | *toplumlarımız* |
| Your (plural or polite) | *toplumunuz* | *toplumlarınız* |
| Their (same form; context gives noun number) | *onların toplumları* | *onların toplumları* |
Examples
- Bu roman toplumu anlatıyor.This novel portrays society.
- Toplumda güven zamanla oluşur.Trust develops over time in society.
- Bu proje topluma katkı sağlıyor.This project contributes to society.
- Araştırmacı iki toplumu karşılaştırıyor.The researcher is comparing two societies.
- Toplumun ihtiyaçlarını birlikte tartıştık.We discussed the needs of society together.
- Kendi toplumundan uzaklaşmak istemiyor.They do not want to become distant from their own society.
- Onun toplumunda farklı diller konuşuluyor.Different languages are spoken in their society.
- toplumlarımızdain our societiestoplumlar-ler / -lar: the plural suffixımız-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: ourda-de / -da / -te / -ta: in, at, on
- toplumumuzdanfrom our societytoplumumuz-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: ourdan-den / -dan / -ten / -tan: from, out of
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Watch out
A crowd waiting at a bus stop is normally a kalabalık, not a toplum. Use toplum for the wider social community, not merely for people gathered in one place. Nor does toplumlar mean the individual members of one society.
Try it yourself
Complete with the correct form of toplum: this study compares two societies.
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toplumu
toplumu: iki already supplies the number, so the noun has no plural ending. The two societies being compared form a specific object, which takes the accusative -u.
Complete with the correct form of toplum: the needs of society may change over time.
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toplumun
toplumun: the needs belong to society, so the genitive connects this noun to ihtiyaçları. Here the form means “of society”, not “your society”.
We come from different countries. Complete with “in our societies”: we see similar problems in our own societies.
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toplumlarımızda
toplumlarımızda: the speakers refer to several societies. Build toplum + -lar + -ımız + -da; the last part locates the problems within those societies.
Complete with the correct form of toplum: three languages are spoken in his or her society.
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toplumunda
toplumunda: onun identifies a third-person possessor. Add possessive -u, then linking n and locative -da. Plain toplumda would leave out the relationship to that person.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete with the correct form of toplum: this study compares two societies.
Complete with the correct form of toplum: the needs of society may change over time.
We come from different countries. Complete with “in our societies”: we see similar problems in our own societies.
Complete with the correct form of toplum: three languages are spoken in his or her society.
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: in our societies
Tap the parts in order to build this word: from our society
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Write three sentences: one about a society’s needs, one comparing two societies, and one saying what happens in our society. Check number, possession and case separately.