Ali öğretmene bir soru sordu.
English: Ali asked a question to the teacher.
- Language
- Turkish
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Zamirler, nesneler ve uyum
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Turkish, 'dolaylı tümleç' is the indirect object of a sentence, usually marked by the dative case (-e, -a). At an advanced level, you use dolaylı tümleç with different verbs, prepositions, and to express more complex relationships or meanings.
When to use it
Use dolaylı tümleç to show the direction, recipient, or goal of an action. It often answers the question 'to whom?' or 'to where?'. At a higher level, it is used with certain verbs, expressions, and to clarify meaning in complex sentences.
Key forms
- Noun + -e/-a (dative case)
- Examples: okula, doktora, arkadaşına, eve
Examples
Kitabı arkadaşına verdi.
English: He/she gave the book to his/her friend.
Yeni projeye katıldım.
English: I joined the new project.
Çocuğa masal anlattı.
English: He/she told a story to the child.
Ankara'ya taşınmayı düşünüyorum.
English: I am thinking about moving to Ankara.
Tips
- Always use the correct dative suffix (-e or -a) depending on vowel harmony.
- Some verbs in Turkish require a dolaylı tümleç even if they do not in your native language.
- Do not confuse the dative case (-e, -a) with the accusative case (-i, -ı, -u, -ü).
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some place names or foreign words might not follow standard vowel harmony.
- With some verbs, the meaning can change depending on whether you use a dolaylı tümleç.