The dative case (“Yönelme Durumu”) in Turkish is used primarily to indicate direction or the target of an action, comparable to the English prepositions “to” or “towards.” Mastering this case is crucial for clearly expressing movement, purpose, or recipient in Turkish.
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How to Form the Dative Case
Forming the dative case in Turkish depends on vowel harmony. Here’s the simple rule:
| Last Vowel in the Word | Dative Suffix |
|---|---|
| a, ı, o, u | -(y)a |
| e, i, ö, ü | -(y)e |
Remember: The buffer letter “y” is added if the noun ends in a vowel.
Examples:
- Ev (house) → Ev-e (to the house)
- Otobüs (bus) → Otobüs-e (to/on the bus)
- Araba (car) → Araba-y-a (to the car)
- Merve → Merve’ye (to Merve)
Personal pronouns are irregular with dative
Some personal pronouns take an irregular form when combined with the dative case:
| Pronoun | Dative Form |
| Ben | Bana (to me) |
| Sen | Sana (to you) |
| O | Ona (to him/her/it) |
Examples:
- Bana yardım eder misin? (Can you help me?)
- Sana bir şey söylemem gerekiyor. (I need to tell you something.)
- Ona güzel bir hediye aldık. (We bought a nice gift for him/her.)
When to Use the Dative Case
The dative case is commonly used in the following scenarios:
Indicating Direction or Destination
Use the dative to indicate the target of movement or action:
- Ben eve gidiyorum. (I am going home.)
- O otobüse biniyor. (He/She is getting on the bus.)
Indicating the Recipient of an Action
When expressing to whom or for whom an action is performed:
- Elif, Merve’ye hediye veriyor. (Elif is giving a gift to Merve.)
- Babam arabaya bakıyor. (My father is looking at the car.)
Expressing Abstract Targets (feelings, beliefs)
The dative can indicate the recipient or object of emotions, beliefs, or thoughts:
- Sen bana yalan söylüyorsun. (You are lying to me.)
- Sana inanmıyorum. (I don’t believe you.)
Examples of the Dative Case in Real-Life Sentences
- Öğrenciler sınıfa giriyorlar. (The students are entering the classroom.)
- Bugün işe gidiyorum. (I am going to work today.)
- Kardeşime kitap aldım. (I bought a book for my sibling.)
- Annem bana yemek yapıyor. (My mother is cooking for me.)
- Arkadaşım bana mesaj gönderdi. (My friend sent me a message.)
- Ahmet markete koşuyor. (Ahmet is running to the market.)
- O, müdüre rapor verdi. (He/She gave the report to the manager.)
- Sana güzel bir sürprizim var. (I have a nice surprise for you.)
- Onlar hastaneye gittiler. (They went to the hospital.)
- Babam bize hikaye anlatıyor. (My father is telling us a story.)
Try to practice using the dative case in your everyday conversations to remember it. To continue improving your Turkish, learn the ablative case in Turkish.