en ... biri
One of the Most
Use en ... biri to identify one member from a top-tier group (e.g., 'one of the best friends').
How It Works
The en ... biri construction is the standard way to express a superlative partitive in Turkish. Unlike a simple superlative that singles out one absolute winner, this pattern acknowledges a group of 'top' entities and selects one from among them.
1. The Formula:
The structure follows a strict sequence:
en + [Adjective] + [Noun] + -lAr (Plural) + [(Possessive)] + -DAn (Ablative) + biri
2. Key Components:
- Plural Requirement: The noun must be plural because you are selecting one from a group.
- Ablative Case: The suffix -den/-dan functions partitively here, meaning 'from among' or 'out of.'
- The Head (biri): The word biri (one of them) acts as the head. It can take further suffixes like the copula (biridir) or past tense (biriydi).
- Possessives: If the noun is possessed (e.g., 'my friends'), the possessive suffix comes before the ablative: en iyi arkadaş-lar-ım-dan biri.
3. Nuance and Register:
This pattern is neutral to formal and very common. Using biri is slightly more inclusive and subjective than saying something is 'the absolute most.' For example, saying a city is 'one of the most beautiful' is often more natural than claiming it is 'the most beautiful' city in the world.
Examples (4)
- İstanbul, dünyanın en kalabalık şehirlerinden biridir.
Istanbul is one of the world's most crowded cities.
Word by Word: Istanbul, world's most crowded cities-from one-is.
Here, 'şehirlerinden' includes the plural, possessive, and ablative suffixes to show selection from a group.
- Bu, hayatımda aldığım en zor kararlardan biriydi.
This was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life.
Word by Word: This, life-my-in taking-my most hard decisions-from one-was.
The past tense suffix -(y)di is attached to 'biri' to show the state existed in the past.
- En sevdiğim yazarlardan biri Orhan Pamuk'tur.
One of my favorite authors is Orhan Pamuk.
Word by Word: Most loved-my authors-from one Orhan Pamuk-is.
The pattern is used here with a participle (sevdiğim) acting as the adjective.
- O, tanıdığım en dürüst insanlardan biridir.
He/she is one of the most honest people I know.
Word by Word: He/she, knowing-my most honest people-from one-is.
Note that 'insanlar' (people) is pluralized before the ablative case is added.
Common Mistakes
Omitting the plural suffix on the noun.
En iyi arkadaşımdan biri.En iyi arkadaşlarımdan biri.You must select 'one' from a group, so the noun must be plural (-lar/-ler).
Using the wrong case (like Dative) instead of Ablative.
En güzel şehirlere biri.En güzel şehirlerden biri.Turkish uses the ablative case (-den/-dan) to express 'out of' or 'from among' in partitive structures.
Incorrect word order by placing 'biri' before the noun.
En biri güzel şehirler.En güzel şehirlerden biri.The pronoun 'biri' must come at the end of the noun phrase it is selecting from.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'en ... biri' (one of the most), you need to know how to form superlatives with 'en', how to use the pronoun 'biri' to mean 'one', and how the ablative case '-den' functions to select an item from a group.
Related Patterns
- -den/-dan (ayrılma hâli)Ablative Case
The ablative case is required in this pattern to show selection from a group.
Level 2 - -ler/-larPlural Suffix
The plural suffix is mandatory for the noun in this partitive construction.
Level 1 - dahaMore (Comparison)
Used for comparative 'more', whereas 'en' is used for superlative 'most'.
Level 2 - Saying Whose Something Is
This pattern often involves possessive relationships similar to definite noun compounds.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice en ... biri in Bubblegum
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