Grammar

8 Important Rules in the Turkish Grammar That You Must Learn

There are some basic grammar rules that will make your life easier when learning Turkish.

1. Two vowels or two consonants rarely follow each other.
2. Vowels from a specific type need to proceed the same type of vowels.
3. Consonants from a specific type need to proceed the same type of consonants.
4. If you are attaching a suffix to a proper noun, you’ll need to use an apostrophe to separate the suffix from the word.
5. Word order in English is subject + verb + object whereas in Turkish subject + object + verb
6. Non-continuant voiceless consonants (p,ç,t,k) tend to go voiced because it’s easier to say!
7. There are three different buffer letters: ‘y’,’n’ and ‘s’. They prevent two vowels to come after each other.

New techniques focus on different methods without grammar teaching. However, grammar always helps you tremendously. We are grown ups and we have a higher mental capacity than babies. Also, we do not learn the same way that babies do. Using grammar knowledge effectively make a great amount of progression.

Turkish Grammar Exercises:

These questions are prepared to decide which level of Turkish you have. Please choose ‘I don’t know‘ if you do not know the answer of the question.

15 Most Common Turkish Suffixes

Mastering Turkish grammar is only possible if you know the Turkish suffixes, and how to attach them to each other. Turkish suffixes can be learned by hard studying but attaching them, finding the correct vowel/consonant is something else. Vowel and consonant harmonies decide which vowel or consonant need to be attached. Thinking fast while attaching the suffixes (doing it automatically) is a must to speak Turkish fluently.

Here’s a list of suffixes in the Turkish grammar. (If you click them, you’ll go to the video)

• Plural suffix: -lAr
• Location suffix (locative case suffix):  -DA
• Present Continuous Tense suffix: -(I)yor
• “Togetherness” suffix: -lI
• Dative case suffix: -A
• Ablative case suffix: -DAn
• Genitive case suffix: -In
• Instrumental case suffix: -l(A)
• Past tense suffix: DI
• Accusative case suffix: (y)I
• Ability suffix: -Abil
• Future tense suffix: -AcAk
• Aorist suffix: -Ar/Ir
• Past habit suffix (used to do): Ar/Ir+dI
• Reported past tense suffix: -mIş

Check level 3 for more suffixes.

Turkish Grammar Books

Turkish Grammar: Geoffrey Lewis (Amazon)

This authoritative work investigates Turkish grammar in every aspect. Studying Turkish grammar with it can be challenging in the elementary stages but this is a book that you must have in your studying repertoire.

The Delights of Learning Turkish: Yaşar Esendal Kuzucu (Amazon)

This is a self-study course book that introduces Turkish grammar with examples, dialogues and exercises. It takes the learners from the beginner level to the intermediate level. At the end of the book, you can also find a glossary section.

Turkish Phrasebook & Dictionary: Collins (Amazon)

“You will never be lost for words in your travels around Turkey again” can describe this book very clearly. You can find important tips for your travels and 3000 words that you may use during your trips to Turkey.

Elementary Turkish: Lewis V. Thomas (Amazon)

This book enables learners to gain basic abilities and understanding of Turkish grammar. It is written by Lewis V. Thomas who is a professor at Princeton University and revised by Norman Itzkowitz to update for the modern Turkish.

For the learners willing to know more about Istanbul:

Inside Out in Istanbul: Lisa Morrow (Amazon) (Website)

For most people, Istanbul is synonymous with its world-famous sights, the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Dolmabahçe Palace. Few tourists manage to go beyond the beauty of the historical district of Sultanahmet to visit the other face of Istanbul. Yet a short ferry ride from the Bosphorus to the Sea of Marmara brings you to the shores of Asia, to the everyday extraordinary. The stories in the 2nd edition of Inside Out In Istanbul take the reader beyond the tourist façades into a suburban world