kendine

Kendine is a Turkish reflexive pronoun form used to indicate an action directed at the subject, roughly corresponding to “to yourself” or “for yourself” in English. It is the dative form of the reflexive pronoun set kendim, kendin, kendisi, kendimiz, kendiniz, kendileri and is most commonly used with the second person (sen/siz), for example in imperative phrases or self-directed statements.

Etymology and formation: The base is kendi meaning “self.” By adding the dative suffix -e (with appropriate vowel harmony), kendine is formed to express “to yourself/for yourself.” In Turkish, the same word shape appears with different persons when combined with the corresponding dative forms, such as kendime (to myself) or kendisine (to himself/herself/itself). Kendine often appears in everyday expressions that urge or describe self-directed action.

Usage and examples: Kendine iyi bak means “take good care of yourself.” Kendine güven means “trust yourself.” Kendine bakmak can also appear in imperative or descriptive contexts. The phrase kendine kendine functions adverbially as “by oneself” or “on one’s own,” used in statements like Kendine kendine konuşmak, meaning to talk to oneself. In combination with a verb, kendine emphasizes that the action concerns the subject personally.

Relation to related forms: Kendine is part of a family that includes kendim, kendin, kendisi, kendimiz, kendiniz, kendileri, reflecting person and case agreement. When used attributively before a noun, the determiner kendi expresses ownership, as in kendi arabası (one’s own car) or kendi evi (one’s own house).

Overall, kendine is a core element of Turkish reflexive constructions, enabling self-directed meaning across imperative, descriptive, and compound expressions.