You will add -e/-a or -i to words that end in a vowel, put the linking y in the right place, and leave it out after consonants.
The idea
Turkish does not let two vowels meet where a word and a suffix join. When a word ends in a vowel and the suffix begins with one, a y goes between them: araba + a = arabaya, kapı + ı = kapıyı, Ayşe + e = Ayşe'ye. The y belongs to no suffix and does not change the harmony: the vowel after it still follows the last vowel of the word. After a consonant there is no y: okula, okulu. It also appears in hastayım and arabayla.
| Last sound | Word | Dative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | masa | masaya | masayı |
| ı | kapı | kapıya | kapıyı |
| o | radyo | radyoya | radyoyu |
| u | su | suya | suyu |
| e | kale | kaleye | kaleyi |
| i | kedi | kediye | kediyi |
| ü | ütü | ütüye | ütüyü |
| l | okul | okula | okulu |
Examples
- Ben Ayşe'ye kitap veriyorum.I am giving Ayşe a book.The name ends in the vowel e, so the dative takes a buffer y after the apostrophe: Ayşe'ye. The pronoun ben may be dropped.
- Babam arabayı yıkıyor.My father is washing the car.
- Ben odaya giriyorum.I am going into the room.
- arabayato the cararabayBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelsa-e / -a / -ye / -ya: to, towards
- kapıyıthe door (direct object)kapıyBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelsı-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object
- Ayşe'yeto AyşeAyşe'yBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelse-e / -a / -ye / -ya: to, towards
- hastayımI am illhastayBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelsım-im / -sin / -iz / -siniz: I am, you are, we are
- suyuthe water (direct object)suyBuffer -y-: the y that joins vowelsu-i / -ı / -u / -ü: marking the definite object
- okulato schoolOkul ends in a consonant, so there is no y: okula, not okulya. Compare arabaya.
- Ona bakıyorum.I am looking at him/her.The pronoun o ends in a vowel but takes n, not y: ona, never oya. The n belongs to the buffer -n- lesson.
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Watch out
Not every word that ends in a vowel takes y. The pronoun o takes n: ona, onu, never oya. A word with a possessive ending takes n too: arabası becomes arabasına. And the y cannot be dropped after a vowel: arabaa and kapıı do not exist.
Try it yourself
Add the accusative: I am opening the door.
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kapıyı
kapıyı: kapı ends in the vowel ı, so the accusative needs a y between the two vowels, and the back vowel gives -ı.
Add the dative to kedi (cat): to the cat.
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kediye
kediye: kedi ends in i, so a y separates it from the dative, and the front vowel i gives -e.
Add the dative to okul (school): to school.
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okula
okula: okul ends in the consonant l, so there is nothing to separate: no y, and the back vowel u gives -a.
Add the dative to the name Ayşe: to Ayşe.
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Ayşe'ye
Ayşe'ye: Ayşe ends in the vowel e, so the y comes after the apostrophe, and the front vowel e gives -e.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Add the accusative: I am opening the door.
Add the dative to kedi (cat): to the cat.
Add the dative to okul (school): to school.
Add the dative to the name Ayşe: to Ayşe.
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: to the car
Tap the parts in order to build this word: the door (direct object)
Keep your progress
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Write three sentences about things you give, open or look at. Use one vowel-ending word with -e/-a, one with -i and one consonant-ending word, and mark each y.