yönelme hali grammar in Turkish

Language: Turkish
Level: B1
Unit: Hâl Ekleri
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

The 'yönelme hali' in Turkish is called the dative case. It is used to show direction, movement towards a place, or the target of an action.

When to use it

Use the yönelme hali when you want to indicate movement toward someone or something, or to show the recipient of an action (like giving or sending something).

Key forms

Add -a or -e to the end of the noun, depending on vowel harmony.
If the noun ends with a vowel, add -ya or -ye.
Example: ev → eve, okul → okula, anne → anneye

Examples

Okula gidiyorum.

English: I am going to school.

Ali'ye mektup yazdım.

English: I wrote a letter to Ali.

Kitabı masaya koy.

English: Put the book on the table.

Öğretmene soru sordum.

English: I asked the teacher a question.

Tips

Pay attention to vowel harmony when adding -a or -e.
If the noun ends with a vowel, use -ya or -ye.
Don't forget to use the correct suffix even with proper names.

Exceptions and edge cases

For some proper names, an apostrophe is used before the suffix: Ahmet'e, Paris'e.
If the word ends in a consonant, just add the suffix. If it ends in a vowel, insert 'y' before the suffix.