The Accusative Case in Turkish

The accusative case, or belirtme durumu in Turkish, is an essential part of Turkish grammar that helps clarify which noun is directly affected by an action. When you want to specify a direct object—a person, place, or thing that is definite or specific—the accusative case comes into play.

In this post, we’ll cover when and how to use the accusative case. We also provide examples to make sure you understand this case. Hadi okuyalım!

What is the Accusative Case?

In Turkish, the accusative case is used when the direct object of a verb is specific and identifiable. Compare the following examples:

• Specific Object (Accusative Case):
  • Filmi izledim. (I watched the movie. – a specific, identified movie)
• Indefinite Object (Nominative Case):
  • Film izledim. (I watched a movie. – any movie, not a specific one)

The first sentence implies a particular movie (you use the accusative case), whereas the second suggests any movie.

How to Form The Accusative Case?

Accusative Case with Nouns

Noun + (y) ı/i/u/ü + verb

The accusative case endings in Turkish are -(y)ı, -(y)i, -(y)u and -(y)ü. They follow vowel harmony, meaning they adapt based on the final vowel of the noun they modify. Here is a simple breakdown:

Note: The consonant y is used as a buffer between vowels to maintain smooth pronunciation, as in arabayı (the car) or masayı (the table). Also, the accusative follows the consonant mutation rule — or “ketçap” rule — the consonants “k, t, ç, p” turn into “ğ, d, c, b”, as in çiçeği (the flower) or kitabı (the book).

Examples:

Below are examples of nouns in the accusative case, demonstrating the vowel harmony rules in action:

Accusative Case with Pronouns

Pronoun + ı/i/u + verb

In Turkish, personal pronouns always take the accusative case when they function as direct objects. The construction is the same as for nouns. Here are some examples: