Lesson1-Section4 (Turkish Vowel Harmony)
What is vocal harmony in Turkish?
📊 Usage Table with Examples
Comparison Table: Major vs Minor Vowel Harmony
| Feature | Major Vowel Harmony (Büyük Ünlü Uyumu) | Minor Vowel Harmony (Küçük Ünlü Uyumu) |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Name | Büyük Ünlü Uyumu | Küçük Ünlü Uyumu |
| Main Rule | All vowels in a word must be either front or back vowels | Vowels must follow specific rounded/unrounded sequences |
| Vowel Groups | Back: a, ı, o, u Front: e, i, ö, ü |
Rounded: o, ö, u, ü Unrounded: a, e, ı, i |
| Function | Determines whether suffixes use front or back vowels | Determines whether suffixes use rounded or unrounded vowels |
| Example | kapı → kapılar (all back vowels) ev → evler (all front vowels) |
okul → okula (u → a: rounded → unrounded) göz → göze (ö → e: rounded → unrounded) |
| Suffix Application | -lar/ler: arka → arkadaşlar ev → evler |
-da/de: okul → okulda ev → evde |
| Key Principle | Front/Back harmony | Rounded/Unrounded harmony |
| Memory Tip | “A I O U” = Back “E İ Ö Ü” = Front |
If first vowel is rounded, next can be rounded; if unrounded, next must be unrounded |
| Last Vowel in Word | Question Particle | English Meaning | Turkish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a, ı | mı | is/are/does? | Kapı kapalı mı? | Is the door closed? |
| e, i | mi | is/are/does? | Ev güzel mi? | Is the house beautiful? |
| o, u | mu | is/are/does? | Şişe dolu mu? | Is the bottle full? |
| ö, ü | mü | is/are/does? | Göl güzel mü? | Is the lake beautiful? |
🎯 Why This Choice? The Rule Explained:
Major Vowel Harmony (Büyük Ünlü Uyumu)
-
Back Vowels (a, ı, o, u) → Use mı/mu
-
Front Vowels (e, i, ö, ü) → Use mi/mü
Specific Selection:
-
After “a, ı” → mı (unrounded back vowels)
-
After “e, i” → mi (unrounded front vowels)
araba = Car ,Auto
kedi = Cat ,Katze
bayrak = Flag,Flagge
Table of Suffix Changes Based on Vowel Harmony
| Word (Last Vowel) | Suffix (Plural) | Suffix (Question) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ev (e) | Evler | Ev mi? | “Ev” ends with the front vowel “e”, so we use “-ler” for plural and “mi” for questions. |
| Kapı (ı) | Kapılar | Kapı mı? | “Kapı” ends with the back vowel “ı”, so we use “-lar” for plural and “mı” for questions. |
| Çanta (a) | Çantalar | Çanta mı? | “Çanta” ends with the back vowel “a”, so we use “-lar” for plural and “mı” for questions. |
| Şişe (e) | Şişeler | Şişe mi? | “Şişe” ends with the front vowel “e”, so we use “-ler” for plural and “mi” for questions. |
| Araba (a) | Arabalar | Araba mı? | “Araba” ends with the back vowel “a”, so we use “-lar” for plural and “mı” for questions. |
| Kedi (i) | Kediler | Kedi mi? | “Kedi” ends with the front vowel “i”, so we use “-ler” for plural and “mi” for questions. |
| Kalem (e) | Kalemler | Kalem mi? | “Kalem” ends with the front vowel “e”, so we use “-ler” for plural and “mi” for questions. |
| Masa (a) | Masalar | Masa mı? | “Masa” ends with the back vowel “a”, so we use “-lar” for plural and “mı” for questions. |