-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object

The idea

The accusative marks a definite object, one you can point to, have named or have already mentioned: kitabı okuyorum, Ahmet'i görüyorum. The vowel follows the last vowel of the word: -ı after a ı, -i after e i, -u after o u, -ü after ö ü. After a vowel a y comes in between (kapıyı, kediyi). In words of two or more syllables a final p, ç, t or k usually softens before the ending (kitabı, ağacı, çocuğu), but a name keeps it (Ahmet'i) and so do short words such as top (topu).

Examples

• Ben kitabı okuyorum.I am reading the book.The final p of kitap softens to b before a vowel, and the specific book takes -ı: kitabı.
• Annem kapıyı açıyor.My mother is opening the door.Kapı already ends in a vowel, so a linking y comes before the ending: kapıyı.
• Ahmet'i okulda görüyorum.I see Ahmet at school.A named person is always definite, so the ending is needed. The apostrophe separates the name: Ahmet'i.
• Her akşam gazete okuyorum.Every evening I read a newspaper.Gazete is not a particular newspaper, only the kind of thing you read, so it takes no ending. Gazeteyi would mean one specific paper.
• Çocuğu parktan alıyorum.I am picking the child up from the park.In çocuk the final k becomes ğ before a vowel: çocuğu.
• evlerimiziour houses (object)ev·ler-ler / -lar: the plural suffix·imiz-imiz / -ımız / -umuz / -ümüz: our·i-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object
• annemimy mother (object)anne·m-im / -ım / -um / -üm / -m: my·i-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object
• arkadaşlarımımy friends (object)arkadaş·lar-ler / -lar: the plural suffix·ım-im / -ım / -um / -üm / -m: my·ı-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object
• çantasınıhis or her bag (object)çanta·sı-i / -si: his, her, its·nBuffer -n-: evinde, evinden, evine·ı-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object

Watch out

The ending is not a general object marker. An indefinite object stays bare: gazete okuyorum (I read a paper) but gazeteyi okuyorum (I read the paper). So Su içiyorum says that you drink water, and Suyu içiyorum says that you drink that water. Do not hang -i on every noun that follows the verb.

Try it yourself

1. Add the accusative to araba (car): the car as an object.

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   arabayı

   arabayı: araba ends in a vowel, so the linking y comes first, and the last vowel a gives -ı.

2. Add the accusative to kitap (book): the book as an object.

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   kitabı

   kitabı: the final p softens to b before the vowel, and the last vowel a gives -ı.

3. Add the accusative to çocuk (child): the child as an object.

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   çocuğu

   çocuğu: the final k softens to ğ before the vowel, and the last vowel u gives -u.

4. Add the accusative to the name Ali: I see Ali.

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   Ali'yi

   Ali'yi: the name ends in the vowel i, so y links it; the apostrophe follows the name, and i gives -i.

Use it today

Write four sentences about things you do every day. For each object decide: a particular thing (add the ending) or just a kind of thing (leave it bare)?