Lesson 1

In this lesson we will learn about the plural form in Turkish

Luca Tekkora

Lesson: Plural Form in Turkish

In Turkish, forming the plural form of nouns is relatively straightforward compared to some other languages. Here are some guidelines and examples to help you understand how to create plural forms in Turkish:

1. Adding "-ler" or "-lar"

• The most common way to form the plural in Turkish is by adding "-ler" or "-lar" to the singular noun, depending on the last vowel of the word.

Examples:

• Araba (car) → Arabalar (cars)

• Kitap (book) → Kitaplar (books)

• Ev (house) → Evler (houses)

2. Vowel Harmony

• When adding the plural suffix, you need to consider vowel harmony:

  • If the last vowel in the singular noun is a back vowel (a, ı, o, u), you use "-lar".

  • If the last vowel in the singular noun is a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü), you use "-ler".

Examples:

• Bardak (glass) → Bardaklar (glasses)

• Kalem (pen) → Kalemler (pens)

• Ayakkabı (shoe) → Ayakkabılar (shoes)

3. Exceptions

• Like in many languages, there are exceptions to the rule. Some words have irregular plural forms, which you need to memorize.

4. Compound Nouns

• When dealing with compound nouns, the plural suffix is added to the main noun in the compound.

Example:

• Oda Anahtarı (room key) → Oda Anahtarları (room keys)