Verbs and the Ablative Case
Just as some verbs in Turkish direct action toward a target using the dative case, another group of verbs describes actions that pull away from or originate from a source. These verbs require their objects to take the ablative case (-den / -dan or -ten / -tan).
Hating
While "to hate" takes a direct object in English, Turkish treats strong negative emotions as pushing you away from their source. The thing you hate takes the ablative case.
| The man hated the big spider. | Adam büyük örümcekten nefret etti. |
Talking and Complaining
When you talk or complain "about" something in English, Turkish treats the topic as the source of your words. Verbs like bahsetmek (to talk about / to mention) and şikayet etmek (to complain) always govern the ablative case.
| The manager talked about the new project. | Müdür yeni projeden bahsetti. |
| The customer complained about the cold soup. | Müşteri soğuk çorbadan şikâyet etti. |
Giving Up and Getting Rid Of
The ablative case naturally expresses separation. If you are abandoning a habit or ditching an object, you use the ablative case to show your movement away from those things.
| I gave up this bad habit. | Bu kötü alışkanlıktan vazgeçtim. |
| He got rid of that old car. | O eski arabadan kurtuldu. |
Suspecting
When you suspect someone or something, Turkish treats them as the origin of your suspicion. The verb şüphelenmek (to suspect) takes the ablative case.
| The police suspected the driver. | Polis şoförden şüphelendi. |
Avoiding and Fearing
Finally, if you are actively keeping your distance from a threat or feeling fear, you are physically or emotionally withdrawing from a source. Verbs like kaçınmak (to avoid) and korkmak (to fear) therefore require the ablative case.
| The children avoided this big danger. | Çocuklar bu büyük tehlikeden kaçındı. |
| The little girl did not fear the dog. | Küçük kız köpekten korkmadı. |