In Turkish, the preposition "To" (indicating direction or approaching) is a suffix attached to the end of a word. It follows the rules of 2-way vowel harmony.
The Basic Rule:
The suffix is chosen based on the last vowel of the word:
If the last vowel is Heavy (a, ı, o, u) → Add -a.
If the last vowel is Light (e, i, ö, ü) → Add -e.
The Buffer Letter (Y):
Since two vowels cannot be placed together in Turkish, if a word ends in a vowel, you must insert the buffer letter (y) before adding the suffix.
Example: Tiyatro (Theater) + a → Tiyatroya (To the theater).
Personal Pronouns with "To":
Note that singular pronouns undergo a vowel change, while plural pronouns follow the standard rule:
Pronoun + Suffix | Result | Meaning |
Ben + e | Bana | To me |
Sen + e | Sana | To you |
O + a | Ona | To him / her / it |
Biz + e | Bize | To us |
Siz + e | Size | To you (plural/formal) |
Onlar + a | Onlara | To them |
Questions and Answers:
If a question uses the following words, the answer must also take the (a/e) suffix:
Nereye? (To where?) → Eve (To the house).
Kime? (To whom?) → Ali'ye (To Ali).
Practical Examples:
Ali İstanbul’a gidiyor: Ali is going to Istanbul.
Her sabah işe gidiyorum: I go to work every morning.
Kedi ağaca tırmanıyor: The cat is climbing (to) the tree.
Öğrenciler kitaba bakıyor: The students are looking at the book.
Eve dön: Return home.
We hope this explanation helped you master the dative case. Remember, practice is the key to fluency!