Turkish grammar

Every grammar guide of Lingora’s Turkish A1 course, with examples you can listen to.

01Vowel HarmonyVowel harmony is a fundamental principle that governs how suffixes are formed. It dictates that the vowels within a word, including its suffixes, must…
02Buffer ConsonantsIn Turkish, two vowels cannot appear next to each other when a suffix is added to a word. To prevent this, one of three "buffer consonants" - y, n, or s…
03Consonant LenitionWhen a suffix beginning with a vowel is added to a word ending in one of the hard consonants p, ç, t, or k, the final consonant of the word softens. This…
04Nouns: Possessive SuffixTo indicate possession (words like my, your, his, our), a suffix is added to the end of a noun. The specific suffix depends on the owner and is governed…
05Personal ParticiplesPersonal participles are verb forms that function like adjectives or nouns. They are used to create relative clauses, which in English often use words…
06Nouns: Dative CaseThe dative case primarily indicates direction towards a person, place, or thing. It often translates to the English prepositions 'to' or 'for'. The…
07Verbs: Present ProgressiveThe present progressive tense, known as şimdiki zaman, primarily describes actions that are happening at the moment of speaking. It is equivalent to the…
08Nouns: Accusative CaseThe accusative case marks the definite direct object of a verb. This is the specific person or thing that directly receives the action. The accusative…
09Verbs: Imperative MoodThe imperative mood is used to give direct commands, make requests, give instructions, or make suggestions. The form of the verb changes depending on who…
10Compound Verbs with 'etmek'The verb etmek is an auxiliary or "helper" verb, most commonly translated as to do, to make, or to perform. Its primary function is to combine with…
11Nouns: PluralTo make a noun plural, the suffix -lar or -ler is added to the end of the word. The choice between the two depends on the last vowel in the noun, a rule…
12Indefinite Article 'bir'The word bir serves a dual purpose: it is both the indefinite article (equivalent to a or an) and the number one. The context of the sentence typically…
13Hidden PluralsIn the 3rd person plural, the verb does not always need to take the plural suffix -lar/-ler. If the subject of the sentence is explicitly plural, either…
14Question Particle 'mı, mi, mü, mu'The question particle is used to turn a statement into a yes/no question. It is a separate word that follows the word it is questioning. Its vowel…
153rd-Person Stem before Question ParticleTo form yes/no questions with verbs, the question particle mı/mi/mu/mü is used. The particle itself is a separate word and its vowel changes to match the…
16Verbs: Negative ConjugationTo make a verb negative, the suffix -me or -ma is added directly to the verb stem. The choice between -me and -ma is determined by 2-way vowel harmony.…
17Existance with 'var' and 'yok'The words var and yok are fundamental for expressing existence, location, and possession. Var corresponds to "there is" or "there are," while yok is its…
18Nouns: Locative CaseThe locative case indicates the location of something or someone. It answers the question Nerede? (Where?) and generally corresponds to the English…
19Nouns: Instrumental CaseThe instrumental case primarily indicates the means or instrument used to perform an action. It answers the questions neyle? (with what?) and kiminle?…
20Personal PronounsThe personal pronouns are used to refer to the subject or object of a sentence. The basic subject pronouns are: ben - I sen - you (singular, informal) o…
21Expressing Politeness with 'siz'The pronoun siz serves two distinct purposes. It is the standard way to address more than one person (the plural "you"), and it is also used to address a…
22Compound NounsWhen two nouns are combined to form a single new idea, this is called a compound noun. In this structure, the first noun describes or specifies the…
23Nouns: Ablative CaseThe ablative case suffix indicates a point of departure, a cause, or a point of comparison. Its most common English equivalents are from, out of, because…
24Verbs: Past TenseThe definite past tense, known as the -di'li geçmiş zaman, is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. It implies…
25Verbs: Past ProgressiveThe past progressive tense is used to describe an action or state that was in progress at a specific time in the past. It is equivalent to the English…
26Verbs: Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action or specific time in the past. It is the equivalent of the…
27Expressing Needs with 'ihtiyaç'To express a need for something, the noun ihtiyaç (need) is used in a common structure with the words var (there is/exists) and yok (there isn't/doesn't…
28Demonstrative Pronouns with 'sı, si, sü, su'The pronouns bura (this place), şura (that place, nearby), ora (that place, far), and the question word nere (which place) are used to refer to…
29Verbs: 'to be' as a SuffixIn place of a standalone verb for 'to be' (like am, is, are), suffixes are attached directly to nouns and adjectives to state what someone or something…
30Negation with 'değil'The word değil is used to negate nouns and adjectives. It functions like the "not" in sentences such as "I am not a student" or "The weather is not…
31Expressing Opinion with '-ce'The suffix -ce is a versatile addition to words that changes their function or meaning. Its form changes to -ca, -çe, or -ça based on vowel and consonant…
32Expressing AbilityThe suffixes -abil/-ebil are attached to a verb stem to express ability, permission, or possibility, similar to the English word can. The negative form,…
33Verbal NounsA verbal noun, also known as a gerund, is a form of a verb that functions as a noun in a sentence. It refers to the action or state of the verb as a…
34Expressing Necessity with 'gerek'The word gerek is used to express necessity, similar to "need to," "have to," or "it is necessary" in English. It can be used with both nouns and verbs.
35Nouns: Genitive CaseThe genitive case is used to form a possessive relationship between two nouns, similar to using 's in English. It always involves two parts: a suffix on…
36Verbs: Future TenseThe future tense is used to talk about actions, events, or states that will happen or will be true in the future. It is formed by adding the suffix -ecek…
37Expressing SuggestionsThe optative mood is used to make suggestions, proposals, or to offer to do something. It corresponds to the English "let's..." or "shall we...?" for…
38Verbs: Third Person ImperativeThe third-person imperative is used to express a command, wish, or strong suggestion directed at a third person (he, she, it) or a group of third persons…
39Suggestions with 'sana / sene'The suffixes -sana and -sene are attached to a verb root to make a suggestion or a gentle, persuasive command. This form is directed at "you" (singular)…
40Personal Participles: FutureThis participle turns a future action into a descriptive quality of a noun. It is equivalent to English relative clauses like "the person who will come"…
41Connective Suffix 'ip, ıp, up, üp'The suffix '-ip/ıp/up/üp' is a connective particle that links two or more verbs performed by the same subject. It creates a more fluid connection than…
42Verbs: Conditional MoodThe conditional mood is used to form "if" clauses, expressing hypothetical situations, conditions, or wishes. It is built around the suffix -se or -sa,…
43Expressing 'have to'To express "have to" or "must," you can use the word zorunda. It follows a verb in its infinitive form (ending in -mak or -mek) and requires a personal…
44Impersonal ParticiplesThe impersonal participle, formed with the suffix -an or -en, is a versatile tool that transforms a verb into an adjective. This new adjective describes…
45Expressing Manner with 'erek / arak'The suffix `-erek / -arak` is attached to a verb stem to form an adverb. It primarily describes the manner in which the main action of a sentence is…
46Impersonal Participles: Perfect TenseThe perfect tense impersonal participle transforms a verb into an adjective. It describes a noun that has completed the action of the verb. This is…
47Emphasized Copula 'tır, tir, tür, tur'In simple statements, the third-person form of 'to be' (is) is often omitted. However, a suffix can be added to nouns and adjectives to express this…
48Subjunctive MoodThis verb form, often called the "aorist past" or "hypothetical past," is used to talk about unreal situations, past habits, and polite requests. It…
49Consonant AssimilationIn Turkish, the sounds in a word often harmonize with each other. Consonant assimilation, also known as consonant hardening (ünsüz sertleşmesi), is a key…
50The Particle 'de / da'de and da are one small word meaning "too, also, as well". It is written on its own, and it adds the word immediately in front of it to whatever is being…
51Pronouns: Declined FormsTurkish personal pronouns take case suffixes just like nouns. Their genitive forms (benim, senin, etc.) are especially common because they express…
52Possessive Pronoun + Suffix PatternIn Turkish, possession is marked twice: the pronoun takes the genitive form, and the noun takes a possessive suffix. This double marking is required…