Spontaneous and Independent Actions: "Kendi Kendine"
To describe an event that happens completely on its own, or an action someone does entirely by themselves without outside help or prompting, Turkish doubles the reflexive pronoun kendi (self).
In this structure, the first word remains unchanged, while the second takes the dative case, forming the adverbial phrase kendi kendine ("by itself", "on its own", or "to oneself").
| This automatic door opens by itself. | Bu otomatik kapı kendi kendine açılıyor. |
| There was no spark around, but the fire flared up by itself. | Ortada kıvılcım yoktu ama ateş kendi kendine alevlendi. |
It is also used to describe things people do internally or in isolation, such as talking, smiling, or consoling themselves.
| The man smiled to himself. | Adam kendi kendine gülümsedi. |
| Is a person who talks to himself crazy? | Kendi kendine konuşan insan deli midir? |
Adjusting for the Subject
While kendi kendine works for third-person subjects (he/she/it) and general statements, you must adjust the endings to match other subjects. The first word remains kendi, but the second word takes the corresponding possessive suffix followed by the dative case (-e).
| Subject | Reflexive Adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ben | kendi kendime | by myself / to myself |
| Sen | kendi kendine | by yourself / to yourself |
| O | kendi kendine | by himself / on its own |
| Biz | kendi kendimize | by ourselves / to ourselves |
| Siz | kendi kendinize | by yourselves / to yourselves |
| Onlar | kendi kendilerine | by themselves / on their own |
This tailored reduplication is very common when talking about self-sufficiency or handling challenges independently.
| In life, one needs to be self-sufficient. | Hayatta kendi kendine yetmek gerek. |
| We will overcome this problem; we are self-sufficient. | Bu problemin üstesinden geliriz, biz kendi kendimize yeteriz. |