To express movement toward a destination, Turkish uses the dative case. Instead of directional words like "to" or "into", Turkish attaches a suffix to the destination noun.
The dative suffix is -a or -e, following 2-way vowel harmony:
- Back vowels (a, ı, o, u) take -a.
- Front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) take -e.
| We are returning to the village in the evening. | Biz akşam köye dönüyoruz. |
| The teacher is entering the classroom now. | Öğretmen şimdi sınıfa giriyor. |
| The taxi is going to the center. | Taksi merkeze gidiyor. |
Verbs That Take the Dative Case
The dative case isn't just for physical travel. Some verbs logically require a direction and pair with a dative noun. For example, you look to something, send to a person, and put something onto a place.
If the destination noun ends in a vowel, add the buffer letter -y- (-ya or -ye) to prevent two vowels from touching. Notice how this applies to kedi (cat) and masa (table) below.
| Please look at that cat. | Lütfen şu kediye bak. |
| I am sending a letter to the manager. | Müdüre bir mektup gönderiyorum. |
You will also use the dative case with placement verbs like koymak (to put) and bırakmak (to leave, to drop off).
| Put two apples on the table. | Masaya iki elma koy. |
| I am leaving a bag at the hotel. | Otele bir çanta bırakıyorum. |
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