Turkish Postpositions Explained: İçin, Gibi, Kadar & More

Unlike English, Turkish often uses postpositions (placed "after" nouns) instead of prepositions. These small but powerful words change meaning based on context.

In this guide, we’ll break down the most essential Turkish postpositions—için, gibi, kadar, ile, göre, beri, sonra, önce—with clear examples.

TURKISH POSTPOSITIONS: İÇİN, KADAR, GİBİ, İLE, ETC.

1. İçin (For, Because of, In Order To)

Indicates purpose, reason, or benefit.

Usage:

• Benim için (for me)
• Sağlık için spor yapıyor. (He exercises for health.)
• Senin için geldim. (I came for you.)

How to Use Turkish Cases: Locative, Accusative, Dative & More

2. Gibi (Like, As if, Similar To)

Used for comparisons or similes.

Usage:

• Çocuk gibi gülüyor. (She laughs like a child.)
• Bir melek gibi. (Like an angel.)
• Hasta gibi görünüyor. (He looks as if he’s sick.)

Common Turkish Words That Are Similar to English (Loanwords You Already Know!)

3. Kadar (As much as, Until, Up to)

Expresses quantity, limit, or comparison.

Usage:

• Sabaha kadar çalıştı. (He worked until morning.)
• O kadar yorgunum ki… (I’m so tired that…)
• Senin kadar hızlı değilim. (I’m not as fast as you.)

How to Order Food in Turkish Like a Pro

4. İle (With, By, And)

Means "with," "by," or even replaces "and" in lists.

Usage:

• Arkadaşlarımla sinemaya gittim. (I went to the cinema with my friends.)
• Uçak ile seyahat ettik. (We traveled by plane.)
• Elma ile armut aldım. (I bought apples and pears.)

5. Göre (According to, Compared to)

Shows opinion, reference, or comparison.

Usage:

• Hocama göre bu doğru. (According to my teacher, this is correct.)
• Bana göre çok pahalı. (In my opinion, it’s too expensive.)

6. Beri (Since, For [time])

Indicates duration from a past point until now.

Usage:

• Üç yıldır İstanbul’da yaşıyorum. (I’ve been living in Istanbul for three years.)
• Sabah beri bekliyorum. (I’ve been waiting since morning.)

7. Sonra (After) & Önce (Before)

Indicates time sequence.

Usage:

• Yemekten sonra yürüdük. (We walked after the meal.)
• Toplantıdan önce hazırlanmalıyız. (We must prepare before the meeting.)

Tips for Mastering Turkish Postpositions

• Practice with sentences Try replacing prepositions in English with Turkish postpositions.
• Listen to native speakers Notice how they use *gibi, kadar, için* in daily speech.
• Use flashcards Memorize common phrases like "benim için, senin gibi".

By mastering these postpositions, you’ll sound more natural in Turkish!

Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comments!