Kelime Declension: Turkish Cases of 'word'
kelime means “word”. Its last vowel is e, so 2-way suffixes use e (kelimeler) and 4-way suffixes use i (kelimenin). Because it ends in a vowel, vowel-initial suffixes need a buffer letter: kelimeyi, kelimenin, kelimesi.
Quick facts
- Plural
- kelimeler
- words
- Harmony
- Front unrounded
- suffix vowels e / i
- Ends in
- a vowel
- buffer letters y / n / s
- Object form
- kelimeyi
- accusative, “the word”
Rules this noun follows
- Buffer letter y — y separates two vowels (kapı-y-ı).kelimeyi, kelimeye, kelimeyle
- Buffer letter n — n separates two vowels in the genitive (kapı-n-ın).kelimenin
- Buffer letter s — s separates two vowels in the 3rd-person possessive (kapı-s-ı).kelimesi
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).kelimesini, kelimesinde
Kelime in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -ler before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | kelimeword | kelimelerwords |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | kelimeyithe word (object) | kelimelerithe words (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | kelimeyeto the word | kelimelereto the words |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | kelimedein / at the word | kelimelerdein / at the words |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | kelimedenfrom the word | kelimelerdenfrom the words |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | kelimeninthe word's / of the word | kelimelerinthe words's / of the words |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | kelimeylewith the word | kelimelerlewith the words |
Possessive forms: “my word”, “your word”…
The possessive suffix comes first, then the case. After the 3rd-person forms a case ending takes an extra n (kelimesinde). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | kelimemmy word | kelimemimy word (object) | kelimemeto my word | kelimemdein / at my word | kelimemdenfrom my word |
| seninyour | kelimenyour word | kelimeniyour word (object) | kelimeneto your word | kelimendein / at your word | kelimendenfrom your word |
| onunhis/her/its | kelimesihis/her word | kelimesinihis/her word (object) | kelimesineto his/her word | kelimesindein / at his/her word | kelimesindenfrom his/her word |
| bizimour | kelimemizour word | kelimemiziour word (object) | kelimemizeto our word | kelimemizdein / at our word | kelimemizdenfrom our word |
| sizinyour (pl.) | kelimenizyour (pl.) word | kelimeniziyour (pl.) word (object) | kelimenizeto your (pl.) word | kelimenizdein / at your (pl.) word | kelimenizdenfrom your (pl.) word |
| onlarıntheir | kelimeleritheir words | kelimelerinitheir words (object) | kelimelerineto their words | kelimelerindein / at their words | kelimelerindenfrom their words |
Plural + possessive: kelimelerim (my words) · kelimelerin (your words) · kelimeleri (his/her words) · kelimelerimiz (our words) · kelimeleriniz (your (pl.) words) · kelimeleri (their words)
Kelime in example sentences
Watch out with kelime
- Buffer letters after the final vowel. Vowel suffixes need a buffer: kelimeyi (y), kelimenin (n), kelimesi (s). After kelimesi a case suffix adds n: kelimesinde, not
*kelimeside. Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: language & study
- cevap answer
- cümle sentence
- ders lesson
- harf letter
- numara number
- ödev homework
- sayı number
- sınav exam
- soru question
- bilgi information
Other A1 nouns ending in a vowel
Questions about kelime
What is the plural of kelime?
The plural of kelime ("word") is kelimeler. The plural suffix follows 2-way vowel harmony: the last vowel of kelime is e, a front vowel, so it takes -ler. The plural then takes case endings: kelimeleri, kelimelerde, kelimelerden.
How do you say "to the word" in Turkish?
"To the word" is kelimeye, the dative case (-ye). Similarly, "in / at the word" is kelimede (locative) and "from the word" is kelimeden (ablative).
How do you say "my word" in Turkish?
"My word" is kelimem (often with the pronoun: benim kelimem). "Your word" is kelimen, "his/her word" is kelimesi and "my words" is kelimelerim.
Drill Turkish noun cases in the TurkLogic app
Turn forms like kelimeyi, kelimeye and kelimem into quick quizzes with audio and spaced repetition.
Free Download • In-App Purchases