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Breakdown of Kedi masanın altından çıktı.
kedi
the cat
masa
the table
çıkmak
to come out
-ın
of
altından
from under
Questions & Answers about Kedi masanın altından çıktı.
What does each part of the sentence do morphologically?
- Kedi = cat (subject)
- masa + -(n)ın → masanın = of the table (genitive; buffer n because masa ends in a vowel)
- alt + -ı → altı = its underside/under-part (3rd person possessive)
- altı + -n- + -dan → altından = from its underside (buffer n + ablative “from”)
- çık- + -DI → çıktı = came/went out (past; D becomes T after a voiceless consonant)
Why is it masanın, not just masa?
Turkish uses a relational noun for spatial relations. To say “under the table,” you literally say “the table’s under-part”: masanın altı. That’s why the “owner” (masa) takes genitive (-ın), and the location noun (alt) takes a possessive (-ı).
What is the purpose of the -n- in altından?
It’s a buffer consonant used when a case suffix follows a 3rd‑person possessive:
- altı + n + dan → altından (from its underside)
- evi + n + den → evinden (from his/her house)
Why is it çıktı and not çıkdı?
The simple past suffix is -DI, which voices/devoices to match the preceding consonant. After voiceless k, it surfaces as -tı: çık- + -dı → çıktı. Third-person singular has no extra ending.
Does kedi mean “the cat” or “a cat”?
Bare nouns can be definite or generic; for a clearly indefinite subject, use bir:
- Definite/generic: Kedi masanın altından çıktı.
- Indefinite/new: Bir kedi masanın altından çıktı.
- Very natural for introducing a new actor: Masanın altından bir kedi çıktı.
Can I change the word order?
Yes; Turkish is flexible, and word order changes focus/emphasis:
- Neutral/balanced: Kedi masanın altından çıktı.
- Focus on the new subject: Masanın altından kedi çıktı.
- Emphasis on location: Kedi çıktı masanın altından.
- Presentational end-focus on subject: Masanın altından çıktı kedi.
What’s the difference between altında, altından, and altına?
- altında (locative -da): “under” (static) – Kedi masanın altında.
- altına (directional -a): “to under” – Kedi masanın altına girdi.
- altından (ablative -dan): “from under” – Kedi masanın altından çıktı.
Why not say masadan çıktı?
Masadan çıktı means “(it) came off/out of the table,” i.e., from the table’s surface or interior. Masanın altından çıktı specifically means “from under the table,” which is a different location.
How do I pronounce the dotted and dotless i here?
- ı (dotless) in masanın, altından, çıktı is a central, unrounded vowel (like the second vowel in “roses” for many speakers). It is not the English “i.”
- i (dotted) in kedi is like the “ee” in “see.”
- ç is like “ch” in “church.” So roughly: ke-DEE | ma-sa-NIN | al-tın-DAN | çık-TI.
Is altı here the same as the number “six”?
No. They’re homographs:
- Number: altı = six (e.g., altı kedi = six cats)
- Location noun: altı = underside/under-part (e.g., masanın altı = the space under the table). Context and suffixes disambiguate.
Is çıkmak transitive? How would I say “I took the cat out from under the table”?
Çıkmak is intransitive (“to go/come out”). The causative çıkarmak is transitive:
- Intransitive: Kedi masanın altından çıktı.
- Transitive: Kediyi masanın altından çıkardım. (I took the cat out from under the table.)
How do I say “from under the tables” (plural)?
- Common/general: Masaların altından çıktı. (from under the tables)
- Emphasizing multiple distinct “undersides”: Masaların altlarından çıktı. Both are used; the second highlights plurality of the under-spaces.
Can I drop the possessor and say Kedi altından çıktı?
Only if the “owner” of the “under” is already clear in context. Altı carries a 3rd‑person possessive (“its under-side”), so altından without an explicit noun means “from under it.” Without a clear antecedent, it sounds odd.
What other relational location nouns work like alt?
Common ones (each takes a possessor + possessive, and then case):
- üst(ü) (on/top of), iç(i) (inside), dış(ı) (outside), ön(ü) (in front of), arka(sı) (behind), yan(ı) (beside), arası (between), üzer(i) (on/over). Example: Kapının önünden (from in front of the door).
How is vowel harmony reflected in masanın and altından?
Suffix vowels match the last vowel of the stem:
- masa (last vowel a, back/unrounded) → genitive -ın: masanın
- altı (last vowel ı, back) → ablative -dan: altından Consonants in suffixes also harmonize for voicing (e.g., -DI → -tı after voiceless k in çıktı).
Can I add dışarı for clarity?
Yes. Kedi masanın altından dışarı çıktı explicitly adds the “to outside” idea. It’s common and natural, especially if you want to contrast with staying inside: “It came out (to outside) from under the table.”
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