Cep Declension: Turkish Cases of 'pocket'
cep means “pocket”. Its last vowel is e, so 2-way suffixes use e (cepler) and 4-way suffixes use i (cebin). Its final p softens to b before a vowel (cebi, cebe) but stays hard before a consonant (cepte).
Quick facts
- Plural
- cepler
- pockets
- Harmony
- Front unrounded
- suffix vowels e / i
- Ends in
- a consonant
- suffixes attach directly
- Object form
- cebi
- accusative, “the pocket”
Rules this noun follows
- Consonant softening — A final p, ç, t, k softens to b, c, d, ğ before a vowel.cebi, cebe, cebim
- Consonant hardening — After f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p a suffix-initial d becomes t (and c becomes ç).cepte, cepten
- Linking vowel — A harmonised vowel is inserted after a consonant (kitab-ı-m).cebim, cebin
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).cebini, cebinde
Cep in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -ler before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | ceppocket | ceplerpockets |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | cebithe pocket (object) | ceplerithe pockets (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | cebeto the pocket | ceplereto the pockets |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | ceptein / at the pocket | ceplerdein / at the pockets |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | ceptenfrom the pocket | ceplerdenfrom the pockets |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | cebinthe pocket's / of the pocket | ceplerinthe pockets's / of the pockets |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | ceplewith the pocket | ceplerlewith the pockets |
Possessive forms: “my pocket”, “your pocket”…
The possessive suffix comes first, then the case. After the 3rd-person forms a case ending takes an extra n (cebinde). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | cebimmy pocket | cebimimy pocket (object) | cebimeto my pocket | cebimdein / at my pocket | cebimdenfrom my pocket |
| seninyour | cebinyour pocket | cebiniyour pocket (object) | cebineto your pocket | cebindein / at your pocket | cebindenfrom your pocket |
| onunhis/her/its | cebihis/her pocket | cebinihis/her pocket (object) | cebineto his/her pocket | cebindein / at his/her pocket | cebindenfrom his/her pocket |
| bizimour | cebimizour pocket | cebimiziour pocket (object) | cebimizeto our pocket | cebimizdein / at our pocket | cebimizdenfrom our pocket |
| sizinyour (pl.) | cebinizyour (pl.) pocket | cebiniziyour (pl.) pocket (object) | cebinizeto your (pl.) pocket | cebinizdein / at your (pl.) pocket | cebinizdenfrom your (pl.) pocket |
| onlarıntheir | cepleritheir pockets | ceplerinitheir pockets (object) | ceplerineto their pockets | ceplerindein / at their pockets | ceplerindenfrom their pockets |
Plural + possessive: ceplerim (my pockets) · ceplerin (your pockets) · cepleri (his/her pockets) · ceplerimiz (our pockets) · cepleriniz (your (pl.) pockets) · cepleri (their pockets)
Cep in example sentences
Watch out with cep
- A one-syllable word that softens. Final p softens before a vowel: cebi, cebe, cebim (not
*cepi). Before a consonant it stays hard: cepte, cepler. Most one-syllable words never soften (top → topu), so this one is worth memorising. Rule → - Locative with t, not d. After a voiceless consonant the locative and ablative start with t: cepte, cepten (not
*cepde). Rule → - Two meanings of cebin. cebin is both "of the pocket" (genitive) and "your pocket" (possessive). cebi is likewise both the object form and "his/her pocket". Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: everyday objects
- cüzdan wallet
- dergi magazine
- gözlük glasses
- havlu towel
- ilaç medicine
- kutu box
- mektup letter
- oyuncak toy
- sabun soap
- şemsiye umbrella
Other nouns that soften
Questions about cep
What is the plural of cep?
The plural of cep ("pocket") is cepler. The plural suffix follows 2-way vowel harmony: the last vowel of cep is e, a front vowel, so it takes -ler. The plural then takes case endings: cepleri, ceplerde, ceplerden.
How do you say "to the pocket" in Turkish?
"To the pocket" is cebe, the dative case (-e). Similarly, "in / at the pocket" is cepte (locative) and "from the pocket" is cepten (ablative).
Why does cep become cebi?
Final p, ç, t and k soften to b, c, d and ğ (g after n) when a vowel follows. Cep follows this rule, so the accusative is cebi and "my pocket" is cebim. Before a consonant the hard letter stays: cepte, cepler.
Drill Turkish noun cases in the TurkLogic app
Turn forms like cebi, cebe and cebim into quick quizzes with audio and spaced repetition.
Free Download • In-App Purchases