Devlet Declension: Turkish Cases of 'state'
devlet means “state, government”. Its last vowel is e, so 2-way suffixes use e (devletler) and 4-way suffixes use i (devletin). It is a regular noun: suffixes attach directly to devlet, as in devleti and devlette.
Quick facts
- Plural
- devletler
- states
- Harmony
- Front unrounded
- suffix vowels e / i
- Ends in
- a consonant
- suffixes attach directly
- Object form
- devleti
- accusative, “the state”
Rules this noun follows
- Consonant hardening — After f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p a suffix-initial d becomes t (and c becomes ç).devlette, devletten
- Linking vowel — A harmonised vowel is inserted after a consonant (kitab-ı-m).devletim, devletin
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).devletini, devletinde
Devlet in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -ler before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | devletstate | devletlerstates |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | devletithe state (object) | devletlerithe states (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | devleteto the state | devletlereto the states |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | devlettein / at the state | devletlerdein / at the states |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | devlettenfrom the state | devletlerdenfrom the states |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | devletinthe state's / of the state | devletlerinthe states's / of the states |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | devletlewith the state | devletlerlewith the states |
Possessive forms: “my state”, “your state”…
The possessive suffix comes first, then the case. After the 3rd-person forms a case ending takes an extra n (devletinde). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | devletimmy state | devletimimy state (object) | devletimeto my state | devletimdein / at my state | devletimdenfrom my state |
| seninyour | devletinyour state | devletiniyour state (object) | devletineto your state | devletindein / at your state | devletindenfrom your state |
| onunhis/her/its | devletihis/her state | devletinihis/her state (object) | devletineto his/her state | devletindein / at his/her state | devletindenfrom his/her state |
| bizimour | devletimizour state | devletimiziour state (object) | devletimizeto our state | devletimizdein / at our state | devletimizdenfrom our state |
| sizinyour (pl.) | devletinizyour (pl.) state | devletiniziyour (pl.) state (object) | devletinizeto your (pl.) state | devletinizdein / at your (pl.) state | devletinizdenfrom your (pl.) state |
| onlarıntheir | devletleritheir states | devletlerinitheir states (object) | devletlerineto their states | devletlerindein / at their states | devletlerindenfrom their states |
Plural + possessive: devletlerim (my states) · devletlerin (your states) · devletleri (his/her states) · devletlerimiz (our states) · devletleriniz (your (pl.) states) · devletleri (their states)
Devlet in example sentences
Watch out with devlet
- This t does not soften. Unlike kitap → kitabı, devlet keeps its t: devleti, devlete (not
*devledi). Loanwords and some native words are exceptions to the softening rule, so learn them as you meet them. Rule → - Locative with t, not d. After a voiceless consonant the locative and ablative start with t: devlette, devletten (not
*devletde). Rule → - Two meanings of devletin. devletin is both "of the state" (genitive) and "your state" (possessive). devleti is likewise both the object form and "his/her state". Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: society & health
- barış peace
- hak right
- hastalık illness
- kayıp loss
- millet nation
- özgürlük freedom
- suç fault
- hukuk law
- sağlık health
Other front-vowel B1 nouns
Questions about devlet
What is the plural of devlet?
The plural of devlet ("state") is devletler. The plural suffix follows 2-way vowel harmony: the last vowel of devlet is e, a front vowel, so it takes -ler. The plural then takes case endings: devletleri, devletlerde, devletlerden.
How do you say "to the state" in Turkish?
"To the state" is devlete, the dative case (-e). Similarly, "in / at the state" is devlette (locative) and "from the state" is devletten (ablative).
How do you say "my state" in Turkish?
"My state" is devletim (often with the pronoun: benim devletim). "Your state" is devletin, "his/her state" is devleti and "my states" is devletlerim.
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