Hastalarnda

Hastalarnda is a Turkish phrase that appears in some texts, but it is not considered standard Turkish. The standard locative forms are hastalarda and hastalarında, which mean “in the patients” and “in their patients,” respectively. The difference lies in the suffix order: hastalar means patients; adding the plural possessive suffix -ları yields hastaları (their patients); adding the locative suffix -nda (or -nde, depending on vowel harmony) yields hastalarında, meaning “in their patients.”

In Turkish medical and scientific writing, hastalarda is used to refer to observations, measurements, or events within patient groups. For example, Hastalarda ateş ve öksürük sık görülen belirtilerdir. (Fever and cough are common symptoms in patients.) Hastalarında bildirilen yan etkiler izlenmelidir. (The reported side effects in their patients should be monitored.) These constructions contrast with hastalarda, which generalizes to the patient population at large, rather than specifying ownership or relation.

Commonly observed forms related to this topic include hastalar, hastaların, hastalarda, and hastalarında, reflecting the base noun (hastalar, patients) and the combination of plural, possessive, and locative suffixes. Correct usage depends on whether the reference is simply “in the patients” or “in their patients.” Misuse such as hastalarnda typically arises from omitting the possessive suffix -ları before the locative, producing an ungrammatical form in standard Turkish.

See also Turkish grammar, locative case suffixes -da/-de, possessive suffixes -ın/-ın/-un/-ün, and Turkish medical terminology.