Understanding the Nominative and Accusative Cases in Turkish
What is the Nominative Case in Turkish?
The nominative case in Turkish identifies the subject of a sentence-the person, animal, or thing that performs the action of the verb. It is the default case for naming and addressing things. Typically, nouns in this case are not marked with any endings.
Examples of the Nominative Case
Bu kedi.
This is the cat.
Ali öğrenci.
Ali is a student.
Understanding the Accusative Case in Turkish
The accusative case is mainly used for direct objects, which are the recipients of the action in a sentence. In Turkish, it often requires the suffix -i/-ı/-u/-ü or their variants, based on vowel harmony, to be attached to the noun.
How to Use the Accusative Case
Elmayı yiyorum.
I am eating the apple.
Kitabı okur.
She reads the book.
- Find the direct object of the sentence.
- Determine the appropriate suffix using vowel harmony.
- Attach the suffix to the noun.
Comparing Nominative and Accusative Cases
The primary distinction is their function in a sentence: while the nominative case highlights who or what is performing the action, the accusative pinpoints the receiver of said action. Recognizing when to use each case is crucial in forming coherent and correct Turkish sentences.
Further Reading
- Turkish Case System
An overview of the Turkish case system including nominative and accusative.
- The Accusative Case in Turkish
Detailed explanations and examples of the accusative case in Turkish.
- The Nominative Case in Turkish
Focusing on the nominative case and its uses in Turkish sentences.