what is it?
The instrumental/comitative in Turkish expresses the meanings with (accompanying someone or something) and by (using a means of transport or tool). It has two forms: the free-standing postposition ile, which follows the noun unchanged, and the attached suffix -(y)lA, which harmonises with the last vowel of the stem. Both forms carry the same meaning and are interchangeable in everyday speech.
when to use it
Accompaniment — to say you are doing something together with a person or animal: arkadaşımla geldim (I came with my friend).
Means or instrument — to say you are doing something using a tool or object: kalemle yazıyorum (I am writing with a pen).
Mode of transport — to say how you travel: otobüsle gidiyoruz (we are going by bus).
formation
The suffix form -lA follows two-way vowel harmony: it is -la after back vowels (a, ı, o, u) and -le after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü). When the stem ends in a vowel, a buffer consonant -y- is inserted between the stem and the suffix.
| stem | ends in | suffix used | output form | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| arkadaş | consonant — back vowel (a) | -la | arkadaşla | with a friend |
| kalem | consonant — front vowel (e) | -le | kalemle | with a pen |
| otobüs | consonant — front vowel (ü) | -le | otobüsle | by bus |
| araba | vowel — back vowel (a) | -yla | arabayla | by car |
| bisiklet | consonant — front vowel (e) | -le | bisikletle | by bicycle |
Personal pronouns do not take -(y)lA directly. They first take the genitive suffix, and -le is then attached to that genitive form.
| pronoun | genitive form | with -(y)lA | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ben | benim | benimle | with me |
| sen | senin | seninle | with you |
| o | onun | onunla | with him / her / it |
| biz | bizim | bizimle | with us |
| siz | sizin | sizinle | with you (plural/formal) |
| kim | kimin | kiminle | with whom |
The postposition ile can always replace the suffix: kalem ile = kalemle. The suffix form is more common in everyday speech; ile is more common in writing or when emphasis is needed.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Missing the -y- buffer on vowel-final stems. When a stem ends in a vowel, you must insert -y- before the suffix. Write arabayla, not *arabala. The same rule applies to any vowel-final noun: masayla (with the table), köprüyle (with the bridge).
Choosing the wrong harmony form. The suffix must match the last vowel of the stem. arkadaş contains back vowels, so it takes -la → arkadaşla, not *arkadaşle. Check the last vowel of the stem, not the first.
Attaching the suffix directly to a bare pronoun. Personal pronouns require the genitive form first. *benle, *senle, and *onla are all incorrect. The correct forms are benimle, seninle, onunla. The question word kim follows the same pattern: kiminle (with whom).
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Çocuklar bahçede ___ oynuyor. (su bombası)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in parentheses.