Kendime

Kendime is a Turkish reflexive pronoun form used to indicate that an action is directed at or for the speaker. It is the dative form of the speaker-centered reflexive pronoun kendim, and is commonly translated as “to myself” or “for myself” in English.

Formation and usage: In Turkish, pronouns shift case to reflect grammatical roles. Kendim combines the root kend- (self) with the first-person possessive suffix -im to form kendim, meaning myself. Attaching the dative suffix -e yields kendime, used when the action is aimed at the speaker or when the speaker is the beneficiary. It commonly appears with verbs that take a recipient or beneficiary in the dative.

Examples: Kendime bir hediye aldım. I bought a gift for myself. Kendime söz veriyorum ki daha dikkatli olacağım. I am promising myself that I will be more careful. Kendime zaman ayırıyorum. I am setting aside time for myself. Kendime güveniyorum. I trust myself.

Notes: Kendime is part of a system of reflexive pronouns in Turkish that includes kendin (yourself), kendisi (himself/herself), kendimize (ourselves), kendinize (yourselves), kendileri (themselves). The dative form is used similarly across these pronouns, with the appropriate person and number endings.

In usage, kendime often conveys self-directed action, self-care, or self-affirmation, and may appear in everyday speech, writing, and social media to emphasize the speaker’s relationship with themselves.