How many of them: -lar, -ler and the places they never appear
Two plural tails, and the last vowel picks. Back (a, ı, o, u) takes -lar; front (e, i, ö, ü) takes -ler. So bavul → bavullar, gömlek → gömlekler. For example: “İki bavul ve bir çanta” — Two suitcases and one bag. A rule from the Turkish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Two plural tails, and the last vowel picks. Back (a, ı, o, u) takes -lar; front (e, i, ö, ü) takes -ler. So bavul → bavullar, gömlek → gömlekler.
Now what English has no rule for. After a numeral there is no plural. üç bavul, iki bilet — the number has already said many, and a tail on top sounds wrong. The same after çok, birkaç and kaç: çok bavul.
A kind in general also stays singular: Balık severim is I like fish. With the tail it would mean that one particular fish.
The trap is order. -lar always goes first, ahead of every other tail: bavullarımda, in my suitcases.
Table
| the case | what to do | example |
|---|---|---|
| one thing | no tail | bavul — a suitcase |
| many things | -lar / -ler | bavullar — suitcases |
| after a number | no tail | üç bavul — three suitcases |
| after çok, birkaç, kaç | no tail | çok bavul — many suitcases |
| a kind in general | no tail | Kedi severim — I like cats |
By example
- İki bavul ve bir çantaTwo suitcases and one bag
- Bavullar nerede?Where are the suitcases?
- Balık severimI like fish
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How many of them: how does it work in Turkish?
Two plural tails, and the last vowel picks. Back (a, ı, o, u) takes -lar; front (e, i, ö, ü) takes -ler. So bavul → bavullar, gömlek → gömlekler.
What does it look like in an example sentence Turkish?
“İki bavul ve bir çanta” — Two suitcases and one bag. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.