tarafından

Naming the Doer with Tarafından

Level 4

In Turkish, the passive voice usually hides the doer. However, in formal writing (like news or law), tarafından is used to say 'by someone.' It follows a noun or a genitive pronoun.

How It Works

The word tarafından is a postpositional phrase derived from taraf (side). It is the standard way to name the agent in a passive sentence, similar to the English 'by.'

1. Usage and Register
Turkish naturally prefers the active voice or an agentless passive. Using tarafından makes a sentence sound very formal, academic, or journalistic. In daily conversation, it is rarely used; instead, speakers simply use the active voice. Crucially, when using tarafından, the main verb must always carry a passive suffix.

2. Morphological Rules
Literally, the word is broken down as taraf-ı-n-dan (side-its-buffer-from), meaning 'from the side of.' Because it contains a possessive suffix, the preceding word follows specific rules:

  • Nouns: Use the plain form. Example: Polis tarafından (By the police).
  • Pronouns: Use the genitive case to match the possessive structure:
    • Benim tarafımdan (By me)
    • Senin tarafından (By you)
    • Onun tarafından (By him/her/it)
    • Bizim tarafımızdan (By us)
    • Sizin tarafınızdan (By you all)
    • Onların tarafından (By them)

3. Distinction from -ce/-ca
While the suffix -ce/-ca can also mean 'by,' it is usually restricted to single nouns, institutions, or collective groups (e.g., Meclisçe - by the Parliament). tarafından is required for specific individuals and complex phrases (e.g., Kırmızı şapkalı adam tarafından - By the man with the red hat).

4. Human vs. Non-human
tarafından is primarily for human agents or organizations. For natural forces or causes, Turkish typically uses the ablative case alone.

Examples (4)

  1. Bu karar yönetim kurulu tarafından alındı.

    This decision was taken by the board of directors.

    Word by Word: This decision management board by-side-from was-taken.

    A classic formal usage where the agent is a committee or board.

  2. Mektup, sekreter tarafından yazılmış.

    The letter was written by the secretary.

    Word by Word: Letter, secretary by-side-from written-was.

    Here, 'tarafından' identifies the specific person who performed the action in a passive sentence.

  3. Bu kitap kim tarafından yazıldı?

    By whom was this book written?

    Word by Word: This book who by-side-from was-written?

    Using 'tarafından' with the interrogative 'kim' (who) to ask about the author.

  4. Proje bizim tarafımızdan hazırlandı.

    The project was prepared by us.

    Word by Word: Project our side-our-from was-prepared.

    Note the use of the genitive 'bizim' and the matching possessive '-ımız' inside the postposition.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative pronoun instead of the genitive.

    Ben tarafından yapıldı.
    Benim tarafımdan yapıldı.

    Because 'tarafından' is built on a possessive structure, personal pronouns must be in the genitive case (benim, senin, etc.).

  • Using 'tarafından' for natural causes.

    Yollar kar tarafından kapandı.
    Yollar kardan kapandı.

    For non-human causes like weather, the ablative case (-dan) is used instead of 'tarafından'.

  • Overusing it in casual speech.

    Yemek annem tarafından pişirildi.
    Yemeği annem pişirdi.

    While grammatically correct, using 'tarafından' in daily life sounds like a stiff translation. Native speakers prefer the active voice.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

tarafındanLevel 4Naming the Doer with Tarafından

Learn This First

To use 'tarafından' correctly, you need to understand the passive voice, as this pattern is used to name the 'doer' (agent) in a passive sentence. Structurally, it functions like a compound noun ending in the ablative case, so familiarity with noun compounds and the -den suffix is required.

Words in This Pattern

tarafından