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In Turkish, pronunciation is designed to flow smoothly. When a word ends in a hard consonant and you add a suffix starting with a vowel (like the dative **-a** or **-e**), that hard consonant usually "softens".

This is known as consonant mutation. The hard consonants **k**, **t**, **p**, and **ç** change to **ğ**, **d**, **b**, and **c**. A helpful way to remember these four letters is the word "ketçap" (ketchup).

- **k** becomes **ğ**
- **t** becomes **d**
- **p** becomes **b**
- **ç** becomes **c**

### The "k" to "ğ" Mutation

When adding the dative suffix to words ending in **k**, the **k** turns into a soft **ğ**. For example, **sözlük** (dictionary) becomes **sözlüğe**, and **durak** (bus stop) becomes **durağa**.

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### The "t" to "d" Mutation

Words ending in **t** change to **d** before a vowel. Watch how **kağıt** (paper) becomes **kağıda**, and **yurt** (dormitory) becomes **yurda**.

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### The "ç" and "p" Mutations

Similarly, **ç** softens to **c**, and **p** softens to **b**. See how **ilaç** (medicine) takes the dative suffix to become **ilaca**, and **hesap** (account) becomes **hesaba**.

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### More Verbs That Take the Dative Case

In the previous lesson, you saw that physical destinations and verbs like **bakmak** (to look) take the dative case. Turkish also uses the dative case for certain abstract verbs.

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In English, you believe or trust someone directly. In Turkish, you believe *to* someone and trust *to* someone. Let's see these in action, applying the consonant mutation rules to the words **çocuk** (child) and **köpek** (dog).

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Consonant mutation (k, t, p, ç to ğ, d, b, c)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

postposition

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstrative pronouns (bu, şu, o)

Basic question words (kim, ne)

Plural nouns (-lar, -ler)

I am and you are (-(y)ım, -sın)

We, you, and they are (-(y)ız, -sınız)

Negative statements (değil)

Yes and no questions (mı, mi, mu, mü)

Questions with 'to be' (mısın, mıyım)

Numbers 1 to 10 (bir, iki, üç)

Numbers 11 to 20 (on bir, on iki)

Numbers by tens to 100 (otuz, kırk...)

Counting objects (tane)

The locative case (-da, -de)

Consonant assimilation (-ta, -te)

Asking where (nerede)

There is / there are (var)

There is not / there are not (yok)

Asking how many (kaç)

Infinitive verbs (-mak, -mek)

Informal commands (git, gel)

Negative commands (-ma, -me)

Polite and plural commands (-In, -InIz)

Basic word order

Present continuous for consonant roots (-iyor)

Present continuous for vowel roots (-iyor)

Present continuous personal suffixes (-iyorum)

Negative present continuous (-miyor)

Present continuous questions (-iyor mu)

Future plans with present continuous

The dative case (-(y)a, -(y)e)

From or out of (-dan / -den)

Directional question words (nereye, nereden)

First and second person possessives (-(i)m, -(i)n)

Third person possessive (-(s)i)

Plural possessives (-imiz, -iniz, -leri)

The genitive case (-(n)in)

Definite noun compounds (-nin ... -si)

Indefinite noun compounds (bare noun + -(s)i)

Possessive buffer letter (n)

Spatial postpositions (içinde, üstünde)

The definite direct object (-(y)ı, -(y)i)

Object question words (kimi, neyi)

Adjectives modifying nouns

Manner and choice questions (nasıl, hangi)

Basic degree modifiers (çok, biraz)

Comparisons (daha, en)

Days of the week

Months of the year

The time question word (ne zaman)

Telling time (saat, buçuk)

Asking the time (saat kaç, saat kaçta)

Basic conjunctions (ve, ama, veya)

Causality conjunction (çünkü)

Means and accompaniment (ile, -(y)lA)

Purpose and beneficiaries (için)

Expressing desire (-mak istemek)

The past copula (-(y)DI)

The direct past tense (-DI)

Past tense personal suffixes (-DIm, -DIn)

Past tense negative (-mAdI)

Past tense questions (-DI mI)

Ordinal numbers (-(I)ncI)

Greetings and politeness

Saying 'too' (de, da)

Conversation fillers (şey, yani, hadi)

Conversational essentials

Reflexive pronouns (kendim, kendin)

Reciprocal pronouns (birbiri)

Indefinite pronouns for people (herkes, kimse)

Indefinite pronouns for things and places (her şey, hiçbir şey)

Conjunctions of consequence (bu yüzden, bu nedenle)

Correlative conjunctions (hem... hem, ne... ne)

Verbs taking the dative case (-e / -a)

Verbs taking the ablative case (-den / -dan)

Time origin (beri)

Time duration (-DIr)

Comparisons of similarity (gibi)

Comparisons of equality (kadar)

Perspectives (göre)

Verbal nouns (-mA / -mE)

Verbal nouns as objects (-mAyI / -mEyI)

Verbal nouns with the dative (-mAyA / -mEyA)

General necessity (lazım / gerek)

Personal necessity (-mAm lazım)

Third-person commands (-sIn / -sInlAr)

First person singular optative (-(y)AyIm)

First person plural optative (-(y)AlIm)

Question	Answer
dictionary	sözlük
I am looking at the dictionary now.	Şimdi sözlüğe bakıyorum.
Please look at this dictionary.	Lütfen bu sözlüğe bak.
bus stop	durak
Three passengers are walking to the bus stop.	Üç yolcu durağa yürüyor.
The bus is coming to the bus stop.	Otobüs durağa geliyor.
paper	kâğıt
I am writing an answer on the paper.	Kağıda bir cevap yazıyorum.
Do not write on the paper!	Kağıda yazma!
dormitory	yurt
We are returning to the dormitory tomorrow.	Yarın yurda dönüyoruz.
The young student is returning to the dormitory early.	Genç öğrenci yurda erken dönüyor.
medicine	ilaç
The sick man is starting the medicine today.	Hasta adam ilaca bugün başlıyor.
We are starting the medicine tomorrow.	Yarın ilaca başlıyoruz.
account / bill / check	hesap
I am sending money to the account today.	Bugün hesaba para gönderiyorum.
How much money are you sending to the account?	Hesaba kaç para gönderiyorsun?
butcher	kasap
We are walking to the butcher now.	Biz şimdi kasaba yürüyoruz.
The old woman is walking to the butcher.	Yaşlı kadın kasaba yürüyor.
shirt	gömlek
I am looking at that new shirt.	Şu yeni gömleğe bakıyorum.
Look at the shirt!	Gömleğe bak!
to believe	inanmak
We believe the child.	Biz çocuğa inanıyoruz.
I believe this butcher.	Bu kasaba inanıyorum.
to trust	güvenmek
I trust the dog.	Köpeğe güveniyorum.
Do not trust the old tree!	Yaşlı ağaca güvenme!
pharmacist	eczacı
The pharmacist is giving medicine.	Eczacı ilaç veriyor.
The pharmacist is a very careful person.	Eczacı çok dikkatli bir insan.
to do (one) good	iyi gelmek
This medicine does me good.	Bu ilaç bana iyi geliyor.
Soup does the sick person good.	Çorba hastaya iyi geliyor.