Ablative Case -den/-dan

The Ablative Case

The ablative case means 'from'. It's formed by adding -den/-dan following e-type vowel harmony.

Front vowels → -den

Back vowels → -dan

ev-den

from home

ev + den

okul-dan

from school

okul + dan

İstanbul'dan geliyorum

I'm coming from Istanbul

Istanbul + dan + coming

Suffix Consonant Alternation

Like the locative case, when a word ends in a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t), the suffix changes from -den/-dan to -ten/-tan. The stem consonant does NOT change!

Voiceless final → suffix becomes -ten/-tan

Voiced final → suffix stays -den/-dan

sokak → sokaktan

from the street

sokak (stem unchanged) + tan (suffix adapts)

kitap → kitaptan

from the book

kitap (stem unchanged) + tan (suffix adapts)

ev → evden

from home

ev (voiced final) + den (suffix unchanged)

Common Uses

The ablative is used for:

1. Physical origin/source (from a place)

2. Material composition (made from)

3. Cause/reason (because of)

4. Comparison (than)

Ankara'dan geldim

I came from Ankara

Physical origin

Senden daha uzunum

I am taller than you

Comparison

Exercises

case

Add ablative: şehir (city)

Answer: şehirden

şehir has 'i' (front) → şehirden (from the city)

translation

Translate: from the house

Answer: evden

ev + den = evden

fill in-blank

Complete: Okul__ geliyorum (I'm coming from school)

Answer: dan

okul has 'u' (back) → okuldan