Hal Declension: Turkish Cases of 'state'
hal means “state, condition”. Although its last vowel is a, it is a loanword that takes front-vowel suffixes (e/i/ü), so the plural is haller. It is a regular noun: suffixes attach directly to hal, as in hali and halde.
Quick facts
- Plural
- haller
- states
- Harmony
- Front unrounded
- suffix vowels e / i (loanword)
- Ends in
- a consonant
- suffixes attach directly
- Object form
- hali
- accusative, “the state”
Rules this noun follows
- Loanword exception — This loanword takes front (e/i/ü) suffixes even though its last vowel is back.haller, hali, hale
- Linking vowel — A harmonised vowel is inserted after a consonant (kitab-ı-m).halim, halin
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).halini, halinde
Hal in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -ler before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | halstate | hallerstates |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | halithe state (object) | hallerithe states (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | haleto the state | hallereto the states |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | haldein / at the state | hallerdein / at the states |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | haldenfrom the state | hallerdenfrom the states |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | halinthe state's / of the state | hallerinthe states's / of the states |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | hallewith the state | hallerlewith 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 (halinde). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | halimmy state | halimimy state (object) | halimeto my state | halimdein / at my state | halimdenfrom my state |
| seninyour | halinyour state | haliniyour state (object) | halineto your state | halindein / at your state | halindenfrom your state |
| onunhis/her/its | halihis/her state | halinihis/her state (object) | halineto his/her state | halindein / at his/her state | halindenfrom his/her state |
| bizimour | halimizour state | halimiziour state (object) | halimizeto our state | halimizdein / at our state | halimizdenfrom our state |
| sizinyour (pl.) | halinizyour (pl.) state | haliniziyour (pl.) state (object) | halinizeto your (pl.) state | halinizdein / at your (pl.) state | halinizdenfrom your (pl.) state |
| onlarıntheir | halleritheir states | hallerinitheir states (object) | hallerineto their states | hallerindein / at their states | hallerindenfrom their states |
Plural + possessive: hallerim (my states) · hallerin (your states) · halleri (his/her states) · hallerimiz (our states) · halleriniz (your (pl.) states) · halleri (their states)
Hal in example sentences
Watch out with hal
- Front suffixes after a back vowel. This loanword takes front-vowel suffixes: haller, hali, halde — not
*hallar,*halı. Rule → - Spelling with â. Dictionaries also write hâl. It appears in many set phrases: bu halde "in this state", her halde "in any case".
- Two meanings of halin. halin is both "of the state" (genitive) and "your state" (possessive). hali is likewise both the object form and "his/her state". Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: shapes, parts & position
Other loanwords with front harmony
Questions about hal
What is the plural of hal?
The plural of hal ("state") is haller. Hal is a loanword that takes front-vowel suffixes despite its last vowel a, so it is haller, not hallar. The plural then takes case endings: halleri, hallerde, hallerden.
How do you say "to the state" in Turkish?
"To the state" is hale, the dative case (-e). Similarly, "in / at the state" is halde (locative) and "from the state" is halden (ablative).
Why is it haller and not hallar?
Hal is a loanword whose final consonant was originally "soft" (palatal), so it takes front-vowel suffixes even though its last vowel is a: haller, hali, halde. Other examples are saat, kalp, rol and hal.
Drill Turkish noun cases in the TurkLogic app
Turn forms like hali, hale and halim into quick quizzes with audio and spaced repetition.
Free Download • In-App Purchases