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### Verbal Nouns in the Dative Case

Many verbs and adjectives in Turkish require their target or goal to be in the dative case (meaning "to" or "towards"). When this goal is an action rather than a physical place, we use a verbal noun combined with the dative case.

To form this, take the verbal noun suffix (*-ma* or *-me*), add the buffer letter *y*, and attach the dative case suffix (*-a* or *-e*). Depending on 2-way vowel harmony, this results in two forms:

- *-maya* (for verbs with a, ı, o, u)
- *-meye* (for verbs with e, i, ö, ü)

### Intentions and Efforts

When you express an intention to do something (*niyet*) or strive toward a goal (*çabalamak*), the action you are aiming for takes the dative verbal noun ending.

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### Attitudes Towards Actions

Your attitude towards performing a specific action also uses this structure. Whether you are too lazy (*üşenmek*), eager (*hevesli*), or willing (*gönüllü*) to do a task, the task itself must be in the dative case.

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### Obligation, Permission, and Force

Words related to external pressures or rules also direct their focus toward an action using the dative. This applies when someone is obliged (*mecbur*), given permission (*izin vermek*), or forced (*zorlamak*) to do something.

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### Influencing Others

Finally, when you influence someone else's actions—such as convincing (*ikna etmek*) or encouraging (*teşvik etmek*) them—the action you are leading them toward takes *-maya* or *-meye*.

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

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)

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

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)

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
intention	niyet
Do you intend to learn Turkish?	Türkçe öğrenmeye niyetin var mı?
We have no intention of returning to the village.	Köye dönmeye hiç niyetimiz yok.
to strive	çabalamak
The students are striving to understand the new project.	Öğrenciler yeni projeyi anlamaya çabalıyor.
Did you try hard to solve this problem?	Bu problemi çözmeye çabaladın mı?
to be too lazy	üşenmek
Are you too lazy to clean the room?	Odayı temizlemeye üşeniyor musun?
My sibling is too lazy to read a book.	Kardeşim kitap okumaya üşeniyor.
eager	hevesli
The young team is eager to win the match.	Genç takım maçı kazanmaya hevesli.
Are they eager to work here?	Burada çalışmaya hevesliler mi?
willing	gönüllü
Who is willing to help the poor people?	Fakir insanlara yardım etmeye kim gönüllü?
We are willing to prepare the presentation.	Sunumu hazırlamaya gönüllüyüz.
obliged	mecbur
Are we obliged to accept this offer?	Bu teklifi kabul etmeye mecbur muyuz?
He is obliged to prepare for the meeting.	Toplantı için hazırlanmaya mecbur.
to allow	izin vermek
The boss gave permission to leave early.	Patron erken çıkmaya izin verdi.
The manager gave permission to enter the office.	Müdür ofise girmeye izin verdi.
to force	zorlamak
My father forced me to work for money.	Babam beni para için çalışmaya zorladı.
The teacher is forcing the students to read books.	Öğretmen öğrencileri kitap okumaya zorluyor.
to convince	ikna etmek
I convinced my friend to go to the theater.	Arkadaşımı tiyatroya gitmeye ikna ettim.
Did you convince him to move to the city?	Onu şehre taşınmaya ikna ettin mi?
to encourage	teşvik etmek
This book encourages starting a new life.	Bu kitap yeni bir hayata başlamaya teşvik ediyor.
We encouraged the young students to paint.	Genç öğrencileri resim yapmaya teşvik ettik.