what is it?
The locative case suffix -DA attaches to a noun to express that something is located in, at, or on that noun. It is a single suffix with four surface forms — -da, -de, -ta, -te — determined by two rules: vowel harmony and consonant assimilation.
when to use it
Static location. Use -DA when a person or thing is situated somewhere: evde (at home), okulda (at school).
Location of an event. Use -DA to say where an action takes place: parkta (in the park).
Surface contact. Use -DA for objects resting on a surface: masada (on the table).
-DA marks a static position. For movement toward a place, use the dative -A; for movement away from a place, use the ablative -DAn.
formation
Two rules govern which form to use.
Vowel harmony. If the last vowel of the stem is a back vowel (a, ı, o, u), use -da / -ta. If it is a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü), use -de / -te.
Consonant assimilation. If the stem ends in a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t), the initial d of the suffix becomes t. All other endings (vowels and voiced consonants) keep d.
| stem | ends in | suffix | result | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ev | voiced (v) | -de | evde | at home |
| okul | voiced (l) | -da | okulda | at school |
| masa | vowel (a) | -da | masada | on the table |
| sokak | voiceless (k) | -ta | sokakta | on the street |
| park | voiceless (k) | -ta | parkta | in the park |
| iş | voiceless (ş) | -te | işte | at work |
examples in context
common pitfalls
Forgetting consonant assimilation after voiceless stems. Learners often write *sokakda instead of the correct sokakta. Whenever a stem ends in ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, or t, the suffix must begin with t, not d. Check the final consonant of the stem before adding the suffix.
Confusing locative -DA with ablative -DAn. Both suffixes share the same harmony and assimilation rules, so they look similar. The locative -da/-de/-ta/-te means in/at/on (static position); the ablative -dan/-den/-tan/-ten means from (movement away). Compare: evde (at home) vs. evden (from home).
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Bavulum ___ . (otel)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in parentheses.