Abla Declension: Turkish Cases of 'older sister'
abla means “older sister”. Its last vowel is a, so 2-way suffixes use a (ablalar) and 4-way suffixes use ı (ablanın). Because it ends in a vowel, vowel-initial suffixes need a buffer letter: ablayı, ablanın, ablası.
Quick facts
- Plural
- ablalar
- older sisters
- Harmony
- Back unrounded
- suffix vowels a / ı
- Ends in
- a vowel
- buffer letters y / n / s
- Object form
- ablayı
- accusative, “the older sister”
Rules this noun follows
- Buffer letter y — y separates two vowels (kapı-y-ı).ablayı, ablaya, ablayla
- Buffer letter n — n separates two vowels in the genitive (kapı-n-ın).ablanın
- Buffer letter s — s separates two vowels in the 3rd-person possessive (kapı-s-ı).ablası
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).ablasını, ablasında
Abla in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -lar before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | ablaolder sister | ablalarolder sisters |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | ablayıthe older sister (object) | ablalarıthe older sisters (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | ablayato the older sister | ablalarato the older sisters |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | abladain / at the older sister | ablalardain / at the older sisters |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | abladanfrom the older sister | ablalardanfrom the older sisters |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | ablanınthe older sister's / of the older sister | ablalarınthe older sisters's / of the older sisters |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | ablaylawith the older sister | ablalarlawith the older sisters |
Possessive forms: “my older sister”, “your older sister”…
The possessive suffix comes first, then the case. After the 3rd-person forms a case ending takes an extra n (ablasında). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | ablammy older sister | ablamımy older sister (object) | ablamato my older sister | ablamdain / at my older sister | ablamdanfrom my older sister |
| seninyour | ablanyour older sister | ablanıyour older sister (object) | ablanato your older sister | ablandain / at your older sister | ablandanfrom your older sister |
| onunhis/her/its | ablasıhis/her older sister | ablasınıhis/her older sister (object) | ablasınato his/her older sister | ablasındain / at his/her older sister | ablasındanfrom his/her older sister |
| bizimour | ablamızour older sister | ablamızıour older sister (object) | ablamızato our older sister | ablamızdain / at our older sister | ablamızdanfrom our older sister |
| sizinyour (pl.) | ablanızyour (pl.) older sister | ablanızıyour (pl.) older sister (object) | ablanızato your (pl.) older sister | ablanızdain / at your (pl.) older sister | ablanızdanfrom your (pl.) older sister |
| onlarıntheir | ablalarıtheir older sisters | ablalarınıtheir older sisters (object) | ablalarınato their older sisters | ablalarındain / at their older sisters | ablalarındanfrom their older sisters |
Plural + possessive: ablalarım (my older sisters) · ablaların (your older sisters) · ablaları (his/her older sisters) · ablalarımız (our older sisters) · ablalarınız (your (pl.) older sisters) · ablaları (their older sisters)
Abla in example sentences
Watch out with abla
- Buffer letters after the final vowel. Vowel suffixes need a buffer: ablayı (y), ablanın (n), ablası (s). After ablası a case suffix adds n: ablasında, not
*ablasıda. Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: family & people
- adam man
- ağabey older brother
- aile family
- amca uncle
- anne mother
- arkadaş friend
- baba father
- bebek baby
- çocuk child
- dede grandfather
Other A1 nouns ending in a vowel
Questions about abla
What is the plural of abla?
The plural of abla ("older sister") is ablalar. The plural suffix follows 2-way vowel harmony: the last vowel of abla is a, a back vowel, so it takes -lar. The plural then takes case endings: ablaları, ablalarda, ablalardan.
How do you say "to the older sister" in Turkish?
"To the older sister" is ablaya, the dative case (-ya). Similarly, "in / at the older sister" is ablada (locative) and "from the older sister" is abladan (ablative).
How do you say "my older sister" in Turkish?
"My older sister" is ablam (often with the pronoun: benim ablam). "Your older sister" is ablan, "his/her older sister" is ablası and "my older sisters" is ablalarım.
Drill Turkish noun cases in the TurkLogic app
Turn forms like ablayı, ablaya and ablam into quick quizzes with audio and spaced repetition.
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