Using the de / da Conjunction in Turkish

In this post, we'll study the Turkish conjunction de. Even though it is not a suffix, it harmonizes with the last vowel of the preceding word and becomes de or da.

We use de or da in the sense of also, as well, and too.

Examples:

• A: Seni seviyorum. → I love you.

B: Ben de seni seviyorum. → I love you too.

• Ben çok yorgunum. Başım da ağrıyor.

→ I’m very tired. I have a headache as well.

In negative sentences, de / da means either:

• A: Benim üzerimde nakit yok. → I don't have cash on me.

B: Benim de yok. → I don't have either.

• Ben de o adamdan hoşlanmıyorum.

→ I don’t like that man either.

Key Points to Remember

1. The position of de / da changes the meaning.

Compare these examples:

• Ofiste, Sezen de Almanca biliyor.

→ In the office, Sezen knows German too. (= besides, for example, Hakan and Özge)

• Sezen Almanca da biliyor.

→ Sezen knows German too. (= besides, for example, English)

As can be seen, the meaning of de / da depends on its position. In English, however, the exact meaning is

usually expressed by stressing the word or phrase that also / as well /too refers to.

Compare also these examples:

• Ravza bugün de okula gelmedi.

→ Ravza hasn’t come to school today either. (= She was absent the previous day[s] too.)

• Ravza da bugün okula gelmedi. (= She is one of today’s absentees.)

2. The conjunction de / da is identical in form with the locative case suffix -de / -da, so don't confuse the two. The conjunction is always written separately.

In the following examples, the locative case suffix -de / -da and the conjunction de / da appear in the same sentences:

• Menüde vejetaryen yemekleri de var.

→ There are also vegetarian dishes on the menu.

• Mert evde de sessiz bir çocuk.

→ Mert is a quiet boy at home too.

Using the de … de Conjunction

Once you understand the de / da conjunction, you can use de … de to mean both … and …. 

Example:

• Mert evde de okulda da sessiz bir çocuk.

→ Mert is a quiet boy both at home and at school.

For more examples, exercises, and conjunctions like ya … ya da, ne … ne de, and hem … hem de, check out my book easy Turkish Grammar with answers 1 (A1–A2).