HafizaLearn Turkish
Grammar guide

Locative Case -de/-da

Express location (at, in, on) using the locative case

A2 15 min

The Locative Case

The locative case indicates location (at, in, on). It's formed by adding -de/-da following e-type vowel harmony.


Front vowels → -de

Back vowels → -da

ev-de
at home

ev + de

okul-da
at school

okul + da

İstanbul'da
in Istanbul

Istanbul + da

Suffix Consonant Alternation

When a word ends in a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t), the suffix changes from -de/-da to -te/-ta. The stem consonant does NOT change!


Voiceless final → suffix becomes -te/-ta

Voiced final → suffix stays -de/-da

sokak → sokakta
on the street

sokak (stem unchanged) + ta (suffix adapts)

kitap → kitapta
in the book

kitap (stem unchanged) + ta (suffix adapts)

ağaç → ağaçta
on the tree

ağaç (stem unchanged) + ta (suffix adapts)

ev → evde
at home

ev (voiced final) + de (suffix unchanged)

Exercises

case

Add locative: masa (table)

Answer: masada

masa has 'a' (back) → masada (on the table)

case

Add locative: park (park)

Answer: parkta

park ends in 'k' → k→ğ, then +ta = parkta

translation

Translate: in the city

Answer: şehirde

şehir + de = şehirde