Kutu Declension: Turkish Cases of 'box'
kutu means “box”. Its last vowel is u, so 2-way suffixes use a (kutular) and 4-way suffixes use u (kutunun). Because it ends in a vowel, vowel-initial suffixes need a buffer letter: kutuyu, kutunun, kutusu.
Quick facts
- Plural
- kutular
- boxes
- Harmony
- Back rounded
- suffix vowels a / u
- Ends in
- a vowel
- buffer letters y / n / s
- Object form
- kutuyu
- accusative, “the box”
Rules this noun follows
- Buffer letter y — y separates two vowels (kapı-y-ı).kutuyu, kutuya, kutuyla
- Buffer letter n — n separates two vowels in the genitive (kapı-n-ın).kutunun
- Buffer letter s — s separates two vowels in the 3rd-person possessive (kapı-s-ı).kutusu
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).kutusunu, kutusunda
Kutu in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -lar before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | kutubox | kutularboxes |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | kutuyuthe box (object) | kutularıthe boxes (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | kutuyato the box | kutularato the boxes |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | kutudain / at the box | kutulardain / at the boxes |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | kutudanfrom the box | kutulardanfrom the boxes |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | kutununthe box's / of the box | kutularınthe boxes's / of the boxes |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | kutuylawith the box | kutularlawith the boxes |
Possessive forms: “my box”, “your box”…
The possessive suffix comes first, then the case. After the 3rd-person forms a case ending takes an extra n (kutusunda). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | kutummy box | kutumumy box (object) | kutumato my box | kutumdain / at my box | kutumdanfrom my box |
| seninyour | kutunyour box | kutunuyour box (object) | kutunato your box | kutundain / at your box | kutundanfrom your box |
| onunhis/her/its | kutusuhis/her box | kutusunuhis/her box (object) | kutusunato his/her box | kutusundain / at his/her box | kutusundanfrom his/her box |
| bizimour | kutumuzour box | kutumuzuour box (object) | kutumuzato our box | kutumuzdain / at our box | kutumuzdanfrom our box |
| sizinyour (pl.) | kutunuzyour (pl.) box | kutunuzuyour (pl.) box (object) | kutunuzato your (pl.) box | kutunuzdain / at your (pl.) box | kutunuzdanfrom your (pl.) box |
| onlarıntheir | kutularıtheir boxes | kutularınıtheir boxes (object) | kutularınato their boxes | kutularındain / at their boxes | kutularındanfrom their boxes |
Plural + possessive: kutularım (my boxes) · kutuların (your boxes) · kutuları (his/her boxes) · kutularımız (our boxes) · kutularınız (your (pl.) boxes) · kutuları (their boxes)
Kutu in example sentences
Watch out with kutu
- Buffer letters after the final vowel. Vowel suffixes need a buffer: kutuyu (y), kutunun (n), kutusu (s). After kutusu a case suffix adds n: kutusunda, not
*kutusuda. Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: everyday objects
- cep pocket
- cüzdan wallet
- dergi magazine
- gözlük glasses
- havlu towel
- ilaç medicine
- mektup letter
- oyuncak toy
- sabun soap
- şemsiye umbrella
Other A2 nouns ending in a vowel
Questions about kutu
What is the plural of kutu?
The plural of kutu ("box") is kutular. The plural suffix follows 2-way vowel harmony: the last vowel of kutu is u, a back vowel, so it takes -lar. The plural then takes case endings: kutuları, kutularda, kutulardan.
How do you say "to the box" in Turkish?
"To the box" is kutuya, the dative case (-ya). Similarly, "in / at the box" is kutuda (locative) and "from the box" is kutudan (ablative).
How do you say "my box" in Turkish?
"My box" is kutum (often with the pronoun: benim kutum). "Your box" is kutun, "his/her box" is kutusu and "my boxes" is kutularım.
Drill Turkish noun cases in the TurkLogic app
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