bana / sana / ona

Pronouns in the Dative

Level 1

In Turkish, the pronouns ben (I) and sen (you) change their vowels when they take the dative case (-e/-a), becoming bana and sana. The pronoun o (he/she/it) adds a buffer 'n' to become ona.

How It Works

The dative case usually adds -e or -a to a word. However, singular personal pronouns undergo unique changes:

  • ben (I) + -e → bana (to me): The front vowel 'e' shifts to the back vowel 'a'.
  • sen (you) + -e → sana (to you): Similarly, the vowel shifts to 'a'.
  • o (he/she/it/that) + -a → ona (to him/her/it/that): This uses the buffer consonant -n-. Note that ona is used for both people and objects ('to that').

Importantly, plural pronouns follow regular rules and do not shift their vowels: biz becomes bize (to us) and siz becomes size (to you).

These forms are essential because many common Turkish verbs require the dative case. For example, the verb bakmak (to look) always takes the dative: Bana bak (Look at me).

Examples (5)

  1. Bana bir bardak su verir misin?

    Could you give me a glass of water?

    Word by Word: To-me one glass water give-you [question]?

    'Bana' is the recipient of the water.

  2. Sana tamamen güveniyorum.

    I trust you completely.

    Word by Word: To-you completely I-am-trusting.

    In Turkish, the verb 'güvenmek' (to trust) requires the dative case.

  3. Annem ona çok güzel bir hediye aldı.

    My mother bought a very nice gift for him/her.

    Word by Word: My-mother to-him/her very beautiful one gift bought.

    'Ona' indicates the person receiving the gift.

  4. Bana bak!

    Look at me!

    Word by Word: To-me look!

    The verb 'bakmak' (to look) always takes the dative case in Turkish.

  5. Sana bir sır vereceğim.

    I will give you a secret.

    Word by Word: To-you one secret I-will-give.

    'Sana' is the irregular dative form of 'sen'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'bene' or 'sene' by following regular vowel harmony.

    Bene bak.
    Bana bak.

    Learners often try to apply standard rules to 'ben' and 'sen', but these two pronouns are strictly irregular in the dative case.

  • Forgetting the buffer 'n' for the pronoun 'o'.

    Oa hediye verdim.
    Ona hediye verdim.

    The pronoun 'o' always requires a pronominal 'n' before any case ending, including the dative.

  • Confusing the dative (bana) with the accusative (beni).

    Beni bak.
    Bana bak.

    The accusative (beni) is for direct objects, while the dative (bana) is for direction. Since 'bakmak' is a verb of direction, 'bana' must be used.

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bana / sana / onaLevel 1Pronouns in the Dative

Learn This First

To understand these specific pronoun forms, you must first be familiar with the basic singular personal pronouns and how the Dative Case suffix functions in Turkish, including the use of buffer consonants for pronouns ending in vowels.

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banasanaona