Locative Suffix in Turkish: -da, -de, -ta, -te
In Turkish, the locative suffix is used to express the meaning of "in," "on," or "at" a place. It answers the question:"Nerede?" – Where?
BASIC FORM
The locative suffix has four forms:
-da
-de
-ta
-te
Which one you choose depends on:
Vowel Harmony
Consonant Assimilation (also called Consonant Harmony)
1. VOWEL HARMONY RULE
Turkish vowels are divided into two major groups:
Back vowels: a, ı, o, u
Front vowels: e, i, ö, ü
The locative suffix must harmonize with the last vowel in the word:
Last vowel | Use this suffix |
a, ı | -da or -ta |
e, i | -de or -te |
o, u | -da or -ta |
ö, ü | -de or -te |
So, the d/t part is decided separately by consonant assimilation.
2. CONSONANT ASSIMILATION (HARD vs SOFT CONSONANTS)
If the last consonant of the word is a voiceless consonant (also called hard consonant), the d in the suffix becomes t for easier pronunciation.
Voiceless (hard) consonants in Turkish: k, p t, f, s, h, ç, ş
You may also remember it from the phrase "KePT FiSH + Ç, Ş"
Last sound in word | Use this suffix |
Vowel or voiced consonant (e.g. r, l, m, a, e, n, z) | -da / -de |
Voiceless consonants: k, p t, f, s, h, ç, ş | -ta / -te |
EXAMPLES BY RULE
With soft consonants:
Ev → Evde (at home)
Okul → Okulda (at school)
Resimde → Resimde (in the picture)
Kedi → Kedide (on the cat, or with the cat – context matters)
With hard consonants:
Park → Parkta (in the park)
Çanta → Çantada (in the bag)
Raf → Rafta (on the shelf)
Ceket → Cekette (in the jacket)
Notice that even though "çanta" has "t" as the last consonant, the suffix is still -da, not -ta, because assimilation applies only when the last consonant is voiceless.
You may also combine personal suffixes with locative suffix.
Neredesin?
Evdeyim.
Çocuklar nerede?
Çocuklar parkta.
The locative case is always used to talk about where the action takes place. It may also appear without an action.
Ahmet kafede çay içiyor. - Ahmet drinks coffee in the cafe.
Ahmet kafede. - Ahmet is in the cafe.