Consonant softening: kitap → kitabı

When a suffix that starts with a vowel is added (accusative -ı, possessive -ı / -im, dative -a...), a final p, ç, t, k at the end of most longer nouns softens:

• p → b: kitap → kitabı, dolap → dolabı
• ç → c: ağaç → ağacı, ilaç → ilacı
• t → d: armut → armudu, kanat → kanadı
• k → ğ, and nk → ng: çocuk → çocuğu, renk → rengi

Most one-syllable words keep their consonant: top → topu, süt → sütü, et → eti, maç → maçı. A few common ones soften anyway: cep → cebi, tat → tadı, dert → derdi. Some longer words never soften and have to be learned: saat → saati, sepet → sepeti, bulut → bulutu. Before a suffix that starts with a consonant nothing changes: kitaplar, çocukta.