The locative suffix (-da / -de) changes to -ta or -te when attaching to a word that ends in a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t). This is known as consonant assimilation.
Hint: Turkish students remember these letters using the nonsense name *Fıstıkçı Şahap (Peanut-seller Şahap).*
The -ta Suffix
Use -ta if the word ends in a voiceless consonant and its final vowel is a back vowel (a, ı, o, u).
| There is hot water in the kitchen. | Mutfakta sıcak su var. |
| There is a teacher in the classroom. | Sınıfta bir öğretmen var. |
| The eggs are in the cupboard. | Yumurtalar dolapta. |
The -te Suffix
Use -te if the word ends in a voiceless consonant and its final vowel is a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü).
| There are cheap apples at the supermarket. | Markette ucuz elmalar var. |
| The young man is on the bus. | Genç adam otobüste. |
| The flowers are in the basket. | Çiçekler sepette. |
Adding Personal Suffixes
You can attach "to be" personal endings directly to -ta and -te to state exactly where someone is. If the personal suffix starts with a vowel (like the "I" or "we" endings), insert a buffer y between the locative suffix and the personal ending (e.g., -te + y + im).
| I am in the office. | Ben ofisteyim. |
| We are at work now. | Biz şimdi işteyiz. |
| You are in the park. | Sen parktasın. |