Nouns: Instrumental Case — Turkish Grammar

The instrumental case primarily indicates the means or instrument used to perform an action. It answers the questions (with what?) and (with whom?). Its meaning often translates to "with," "by," or "and."

Formation Rules

The case is formed by adding a suffix to the noun, which follows the rules of vowel harmony and may require a buffer letter.

Vowel Harmony

The form of the suffix depends on the last vowel in the noun. This is known as 2-way vowel harmony.

If the last vowel is one of e, i, ö, ü, the suffix is .
If the last vowel is one of a, ı, o, u, the suffix is .

Buffer 'y'

If the noun ends in a vowel, a buffer letter y is inserted between the noun and the suffix. The suffix then becomes or .

köpek + le → köpekle
with the dog
kedi + yle → kediyle
with the cat
okul + la → okulla
with the school
araba + yla → arabayla
by car

Usage: 'With' or 'By Means Of'

This is the most direct meaning of the case, indicating the tool, instrument, or method used to do something. It is also standard for all modes of transportation.

Çorbayı kaşıkla içiyorum.
I am eating the soup with a spoon.
İşe otobüsle gidiyorum.
I go to work by bus.
İstanbul'a uçakla geldik.
We came to Istanbul by plane.

Usage: 'And' (Joining Nouns)

The instrumental case is frequently used to connect two nouns, functioning like "and" in English. This is especially common when talking about people being together.

Annemle babam sinemaya gitti.
My mother and my father went to the cinema.
Ali'yle konuştum.
I spoke with Ali.

When connecting more than two items, only the final noun in the series takes the instrumental suffix. The others are separated by commas or (and).

Usage with Pronouns

When used with personal pronouns, the forms are irregular and must be learned separately.

→ (with me)
→ (with you)
o → (with him/her/it)
→ (with us)
→ (with you [plural/formal])
→ (with them)

Benimle gelir misin?
Will you come with me?
Onunla alışverişe gideceğiz.
We will go shopping with him/her.

Forming Adverbs

The instrumental suffix can be added to some abstract nouns to create adverbs that describe how an action is performed.

Lütfen dikkatle dinleyin.
Please listen carefully (literally: with attention).
Araba hızla yaklaşıyordu.
The car was approaching quickly (literally: with speed).

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