Turkish Case Suffix Chart

The 'Modern' LPT Case Name

What does it refer to?

How is it recognized in English?

How is it recognized in Turkish?

Special Notes

'Medieval' Grammatical Case Name

The Dictionary Form

The noun in its pure form. It's the 'no case' case.

Example --
1) harpsichord
2) muscle
3) weep(ing), cry(ing) [verbal noun]

Example --
1) klavsen
2) adale
3) ağlama [verbal noun]

The Absolute Form or Case

The Direct Object Case

The direct object of a verb or the object of certain prepositions.

Example --
1) I played the harpsichord.
2) She pulled the muscle.
3) He likes repairing antiques.
4) He loves Turkish bread.

By the presence of one of the following suffixes:
-i/ü/ı/u [or by -yi/yü/yı/yu after a vowel].

Example --
1) Klavseni çaldım.
2) Adaleyi incitti.
3) Antika onarmayı sever.
4) Türk ekmeği sever.

Before adding this suffix to nouns ending in k change the k to ğ (yumuşak-g).

Accusative or Definite Object or Direct Object Case

The Possessive Case

Denotes possession, measurement, or source.

A. Expressed in English by a prepositional phrase beginning with 'of'.

Examples A --
1) ...of the harpsichord.
2) ...of the muscle
3) ...of the repairing
4) ...of the bread

B. Expressed in English by apostophe-s.

Examples B --
1) Perihan's car
2) the man's coat

By the presence of one of the following suffixes:
-in/ün/ın/un
[or by
-nin/nün/nın/nun after a vowel].

Examples A --
1) ...klavsenin
2) ...adalenin
3) ...onarmanın
4) ...ekmeğin





Examples B --
1) Perihan'ın arabası
2) erkeğin paltosu

Before adding this suffix to nouns ending in k change the k to ğ (yumuşak-g)





For 'Proper Names', add an apostophe in Turkish, before adding the possesive suffix, as in Perihan'ın arabası.

Genitive case

The To/For Case

Denotes the indirect object of a verb and the object of any of certain verbs and prepositions.

Example --
1) ...for the harpsichord
2) ...to the muscle
3) ...for the repairing
4) ...for the bread

By the presence of one of the following suffixes:
-e/a [or by -ye/ya after a vowel].

Example --
1) ...klavsene
2) ...adaleye
3) ...onarmaya
4) ...ekmeğe

Before adding this suffix to nouns ending in k change the k to ğ (yumuşak-g)

Dative case

The Place Case

Denotes the case 'where something is/has been/will be' or 'where something occurs/has occurred/will occur'.

Example --
1) ...on the harpsichord.
2) ...on the car.
3) ...in the book
4) ...in the jeep

By the presence of one of the following suffixes:
-de/da [or by -te/ta after ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, or t].

Example --
1) ...klavsende
2) ...arabada
3) ...kitapta
4) ...cipte

Locative Case

The From/Than Case

Denotes separation, direction away from, and sometimes manner or agency.

Example --
1) ...from the harpsichord.
2) ...out of the car
3) ...than the book
4) ...from the jeep

By the presence of one of the following suffixes:
-den/dan [or by -ten/tan after ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, or t].

Example --
1) ...klavsenden
2) ...arabadan
3) ...kitaptan
4) ...cipten

Ablative Case