Sabır Declension: Turkish Cases of 'patience'
sabır means “patience”. Its last vowel is ı, so 2-way suffixes use a (sabırlar) and 4-way suffixes use ı (sabrın). Its last vowel drops before a vowel suffix (sabrı, sabra) but stays before a consonant (sabırda).
Quick facts
- Plural
- sabırlar
- patience
- Harmony
- Back unrounded
- suffix vowels a / ı
- Ends in
- a consonant
- suffixes attach directly
- Object form
- sabrı
- accusative, “the patience”
Rules this noun follows
- Vowel drop — The last vowel of the root drops before a vowel-initial suffix.sabrı, sabra, sabrım
- Linking vowel — A harmonised vowel is inserted after a consonant (kitab-ı-m).sabrım, sabrın
- Pronominal n — After a 3rd-person possessive, case suffixes take n (arabası-n-ı, evi-n-de).sabrını, sabrında
Sabır in all seven cases
The added suffix is highlighted. Plural forms put -lar before the case ending.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NominativeYalın hâl · no ending | sabırpatience | sabırlarpatience |
| AccusativeBelirtme hâli · -(y)I | sabrıthe patience (object) | sabırlarıthe patience (object) |
| DativeYönelme hâli · -(y)A | sabrato the patience | sabırlarato the patience |
| LocativeBulunma hâli · -DA | sabırdain / at the patience | sabırlardain / at the patience |
| AblativeAyrılma hâli · -DAn | sabırdanfrom the patience | sabırlardanfrom the patience |
| Genitiveİlgi hâli · -(n)In | sabrınthe patience's / of the patience | sabırlarınthe patience's / of the patience |
| InstrumentalVasıta hâli · -(y)lA | sabırlawith the patience | sabırlarlawith the patience |
Possessive forms: “my patience”, “your patience”…
The possessive suffix comes first, then the case. After the 3rd-person forms a case ending takes an extra n (sabrında). See possessive suffixes.
| Owner | Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Locative | Ablative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| benimmy | sabrımmy patience | sabrımımy patience (object) | sabrımato my patience | sabrımdain / at my patience | sabrımdanfrom my patience |
| seninyour | sabrınyour patience | sabrınıyour patience (object) | sabrınato your patience | sabrındain / at your patience | sabrındanfrom your patience |
| onunhis/her/its | sabrıhis/her patience | sabrınıhis/her patience (object) | sabrınato his/her patience | sabrındain / at his/her patience | sabrındanfrom his/her patience |
| bizimour | sabrımızour patience | sabrımızıour patience (object) | sabrımızato our patience | sabrımızdain / at our patience | sabrımızdanfrom our patience |
| sizinyour (pl.) | sabrınızyour (pl.) patience | sabrınızıyour (pl.) patience (object) | sabrınızato your (pl.) patience | sabrınızdain / at your (pl.) patience | sabrınızdanfrom your (pl.) patience |
| onlarıntheir | sabırlarıtheir patience | sabırlarınıtheir patience (object) | sabırlarınato their patience | sabırlarındain / at their patience | sabırlarındanfrom their patience |
Plural + possessive: sabırlarım (my patience) · sabırların (your patience) · sabırları (his/her patience) · sabırlarımız (our patience) · sabırlarınız (your (pl.) patience) · sabırları (their patience)
Sabır in example sentences
Öğretmen konuyu bize sabırla anlattı.
The teacher patiently explained the topic to us.
Instrumental case
Watch out with sabır
- The last vowel drops. Before a vowel suffix the second vowel disappears: sabrı, sabra, sabrım (not
*sabırı,*sabıra). Consonant suffixes keep it: sabırda, sabırlar. Rule → - Two meanings of sabrın. sabrın is both "of the patience" (genitive) and "your patience" (possessive). sabrı is likewise both the object form and "his/her patience". Rule →
Related nouns and resources
Related nouns: feelings & the mind
- akıl mind
- dert trouble
- dikkat attention
- düşünce thought
- hayal dream
- his feeling
- keyif pleasure
- merak curiosity
- mutluluk happiness
- sevgi love
Other nouns that drop a vowel
Questions about sabır
What is the plural of sabır?
The plural of sabır ("patience") is sabırlar. The plural suffix follows 2-way vowel harmony: the last vowel of sabır is ı, a back vowel, so it takes -lar. The plural then takes case endings: sabırları, sabırlarda, sabırlardan.
How do you say "to the patience" in Turkish?
"To the patience" is sabra, the dative case (-a). Similarly, "in / at the patience" is sabırda (locative) and "from the patience" is sabırdan (ablative).
Why is it sabrı and not sabırı?
Sabır belongs to a group of two-syllable nouns (mostly Arabic loans and body parts) whose second vowel drops when a vowel-initial suffix follows: sabrı, sabra, sabrım. With consonant-initial suffixes the vowel stays: sabırda, sabırlar.
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