Language/Tatar/Grammar/Noun-Cases
Introduction
In this lesson, we will be discussing noun cases in the Tatar language. Nouns are words that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. In Tatar, nouns change their endings depending on their function in a sentence, and this is called noun case. Tatar uses six cases, which are used to indicate the noun's role in a sentence. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use the six noun cases in Tatar.
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: How to Use Be & Conjunctions.
Noun Cases
There are six noun cases in the Tatar language, and each case serves a different function. The cases are as follows:
Nominative Case
The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. The subject is the person, place, or thing that does the action or is being described by the sentence. In Tatar, the nominative case is the default form of a noun, and it does not have any special endings.
Here are some examples of nouns in the nominative case:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
| мектеп | mektep | school |
| даңһур | danguhr | student |
| китап | kitap | book |
| ява | yava | work |
Genitive Case
The genitive case is used to show possession or to indicate an absence or lack of something. In Tatar, the genitive case is formed by adding "-ның", "-нің", "-дың", "-дің", "-тың", or "-тің" to the end of a noun, depending on the last letter in the noun.
Here are some examples of nouns in the genitive case:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
| рәсәйә | räsäyä | Russia |
| рәсәйәның | räsäyänyñ | Russia's |
| мал | mal | wealth |
| малдың | maldıñ | of wealth |
| киңәй | kiñäy | girl |
| киңәйтің | kiñäytıñ | your girl's |
Dative Case
The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence or to show the person or thing receiving the action. In Tatar, the dative case is formed by adding "-га" or "-гә" to the end of a noun, depending on the last letter in the noun.
Here are some examples of nouns in the dative case:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
| баш | baş | head |
| башкача | başqaça | another head |
| башкачага | başqaçaga | to another head |
| мәдәнийәт | mädäniyet | culture |
| мәдәнийәтке | mädäniyetke | to culture |
| китап | kitap | book |
| китапка | kitapka | to a book |
Accusative Case
The accusative case is used for the direct object of a sentence, which is the person, place, or thing that is receiving the action of the verb. In Tatar, the accusative case is formed by adding "-ны", "-ні", "-ды", "-ді", "-ты", or "-ті" to the end of a noun, depending on the last letter in the noun.
Here are some examples of nouns in the accusative case:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
| әлеумет | äl'eumet | society |
| әлеуметте | äl'eumette | in society |
| җыр | çır | song |
| җыры | çıry | the song |
| ява | yava | work |
| яваны | yavana | the work |
Locative Case
The locative case is used to indicate location or to show the place where an action is taking place. In Tatar, the locative case is formed by adding "-да", "-де", "-та", "-те", "-на", or "-не" to the end of a noun, depending on the last letter in the noun.
Here are some examples of nouns in the locative case:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
| җурам | çuram | street |
| җурмада | çurmada | on the street |
| җир | çir | village |
| җирде | çirde | in the village |
| ел | yel | country |
| елне | yelne | to the country |
Ablative Case
The ablative case is used to show movement away from something or to indicate the source of something. In Tatar, the ablative case is formed by adding "-дан", "-дән", "-тан", "-тән", "-нан", or "-нән" to the end of a noun, depending on the last letter in the noun.
Here are some examples of nouns in the ablative case:
| Tatar | Pronunciation | English |
| зур | zur | wine |
| зурдан | zurdan | from the wine |
| ярмак | yarmak | market |
| ярмактан | yarmaktan | from the market |
| түгел | tügel | wheat |
| түгелдән | tügeldän | from the wheat |
Practice
Now that you have learned the different noun cases in Tatar, it is important to practice using them in sentences. Here are some examples to get you started:
- Башкачага карап беләнә төшәнип бөтә және түгелдән бәшәне алып кирә.
- Başqaçaga karap belänä töşänip bötä jäne tügeldän bäşänä alıp kireä.
- I looked at another head, picked my hat and took some wheat.
- Киңәйтің хат-хабарлары аз мәдәнийәтке эшкеү мәғлүмәтле бик йахшы бәйләнеш.
- Kiñäytıñ xät-habarları az mädäniyetke eshkü mäğlümätle bïk yaxşı bäyläneş.
- Your letters are the best way to learn some culture with happiness.
- Мәдәнийәтке киреп җитек талайдан соң җырын да ача бар.
- Mädäniyetke kirep çitek talaıdan soñ çırın da aça bar.
- After arriving in the cultural center, we also sang a song.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have learned about the six noun cases in Tatar and how to use them in sentences. Remember that noun endings change depending on their function in a sentence, and by using the correct case, you can convey important nuances in meaning. Keep practicing and incorporating noun cases into your sentences, and you will continue to improve your Tatar language skills.
Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Personal Pronouns & Present Tense.