Language/Turkish/Grammar/Plurals

Turkish Grammar - Plurals

Hi Turkish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will talk about plurals in Turkish grammar. Plurals are an essential part of any language and allow us to communicate more effectively with others. By the end of this lesson, you will know how to form plurals in Turkish and use them correctly in sentences. So, let's dive in!

What Are Plurals?

Before we jump into forming plurals in Turkish, let's start with the basics. A plural is a form of a word used to denote more than one person, animal, place, thing, or concept. For example, in English, the plural of "cat" is "cats," and the plural of "dog" is "dogs." In Turkish, plurals are formed in a different way than in English.

Plurals in Turkish

In Turkish grammar, plurals are formed by adding suffixes to nouns. The plural markers in Turkish vary depending on the last vowel of the noun stem. Here are the three broad categories of noun stems in Turkish:

• Nouns that end in any vowel other than “a” or “ı”
• Nouns that end in “a” or “ı”
• Nouns that end in any consonant

Let's look at each category with some examples:

Nouns that end in any vowel other than “a” or “ı”

When the noun stem ends with any vowel other than "a" or "ı," the plural suffix is "-lar." Here are some examples:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
Kitap	kee-tap	Book
Kitaplar	kee-tap-lar	Books
Gözlük	göz-lük	Glasses
Gözlükler	göz-lük-ler	Pairs of glasses

As you can see, when the noun stem is "kitap" (book), we add "-lar" at the end to form the plural "kitaplar" (books). Similarly, when the noun stem is "gözlük" (glasses), we add "-ler" at the end to make it "gözlükler" (pairs of glasses).

Nouns that end in “a” or “ı”

When the noun stem ends with "a" or "ı," the plural suffix is "-lar" or "-ler," depending on vowel harmony. Here are some examples:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
Ev	ev	House
Evler	ev-ler	Houses
Kedi	keh-dee	Cat
Kediler	keh-dee-ler	Cats

As you can see, the noun stem "ev" (house) ends with "e", but we still use "-ler" at the end to form the plural "evler" (houses). Similarly, when the noun stem is "kedi" (cat), we add "-ler" at the end to make it "kediler" (cats).

Nouns that end in any consonant

When the noun stem ends in any consonant other than "a" or "ı," the plural suffix is "-lar" or "-ler," depending on vowel harmony. Here are some examples:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
Araba	a-ra-ba	Car
Arabalar	a-ra-ba-lar	Cars
Kitapçı	kee-tap-chuh	Bookstore
Kitapçılar	kee-tap-chuh-lar	Bookstores

As you can see, when the noun stem is "araba" (car), we add "-lar" at the end to form the plural "arabalar" (cars). Similarly, when the noun stem is "kitapçı" (bookstore), we add "-lar" at the end to form the plural "kitapçılar" (bookstores).

Exceptions

As with any language, Turkish has exceptions to the plural rules. Here are some common irregular nouns that don't follow the typical plural rules:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
Adam	a-dam	Man
Adamlar	a-dam-lar	Group of men
El	el	Hand
Eller	el-ler	Hands (pair)

As you can see, the plural of "adam" (man) is "adamlar" (group of men), and the plural of "el" (hand) is "eller" (hands, pair).

Dialogue

Here's a dialogue to help you understand how to use plurals in Turkish:

• Person 1: Bugün markete gittim. (Today, I went to the market.)
• Person 2: Ne aldın? (What did you buy?)
• Person 1: Süt, ekmek, ve meyve aldım. (I bought milk, bread, and fruit.)
• Person 2: Hangi meyveleri? (Which fruits?)
• Person 1: Elma, portakal, ve muz. (Apples, oranges, and bananas.)

In this example, Person 1 uses plurals to describe the things she bought at the market.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've now learned how to form plurals in Turkish grammar. Remember, plurals are essential to describe multiple items or individuals in any language, and Turkish is no exception. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to find native speakers and ask them any questions. You can also check out more Turkish language resources on Polyglot Club to improve your skills. 😎

Sources

• Turkish Grammar
• Turkish Language