Noun Plurals in Turkish
Çoğul Eki
In Turkish, forming the plural of a noun is straightforward and relies on vowel harmony, adding a specific suffix to the end of the word.
Basic Rules
Turkish is an agglutinative language. To make a noun plural, simply attach the suffix according to the rules of Major Vowel Harmony.
| Word (Singular) | Plural Suffix | Word (Plural) |
|---|---|---|
| kitap (book) | -lar | kitaplar |
| kalem (pen) | -ler | kalemler |
| kedi (cat) | -ler | kediler |
| masa (table) | -lar | masalar |
The Plural Suffixes
There are two main suffixes used to make nouns plural in Turkish. The choice depends on the last vowel of the word.
| Suffix | Condition (Last Vowel) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -lar | a, ı, o, u | araba → arabalar |
| -ler | e, i, ö, ü | ev → evler |
sayı (number)Used with numbers: 5 elma (not 5 elmalar). · plural: sayılar
insan (human)Standard pluralization. · plural: insanlar
her (every)Words following 'her' remain singular. · plural: N/A
Special Cases & Notes
While the rule is consistent, keep these usage patterns in mind:
Example Sentences
Masada kitaplar var.There are books on the table.
Kediler süt içiyor.The cats are drinking milk.
Bugün çok arabalar gördüm.I saw many cars today.
Evler çok eski.The houses are very old.
Suffix Application
The suffix attaches to the very end of the noun.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| okul | okullar | schools |
| göz | gözler | eyes |
| balık | balıklar | fish |
| köpek | köpekler | dogs |
Understanding Vowel Harmony
Turkish vowels are categorized by backness. This governs which suffix you choose.
| Category | Vowels |
|---|---|
| Back Vowels (choose -lar) | a, ı, o, u |
| Front Vowels (choose -ler) | e, i, ö, ü |