Learn Hardcore Turkish: Evin arkasında küçük bir avlu var, orada çiçek yetiştiriyorum. - There is a small courtyard behind the house; I grow flowers there.

Evin is the genitive form of ev (house), indicating possession (i.e. "of the house"). Arkasında comes from arka (back) combined with the locative suffix -da, which means “at” or “in.” Together, Evin arkasında literally means “at the back of the house” and is used to express the idea of “behind the house.”

What does var mean in the sentence Evin arkasında küçük bir avlu var?

Var is an existential verb in Turkish used to state that something exists. In this sentence, it translates to “there is,” confirming the presence of the small courtyard mentioned right after it.

Why is the word bir used in the phrase küçük bir avlu, and how does it compare to English articles?

In Turkish, while there is no separate indefinite article like "a" or "an," the numeral bir fulfills a similar function by meaning "one." In the phrase küçük bir avlu, bir indicates that it is “a small courtyard” (i.e. one unspecified courtyard), much like the indefinite article in English.

How is the verb yetiştiriyorum formed and what tense does it represent?

Yetiştiriyorum derives from the root yetiştir- (to cultivate or to grow), with the suffix -iyorum attached. This suffix marks the first-person singular and is typically used for the present continuous tense. Thus, it conveys the meaning “I am growing” or “I grow” (as in a habitual action).

What role does orada play in the sentence, and how does it connect the two clauses?

Orada is an adverb of place meaning “there.” It refers back to the location defined in the first part of the sentence (the small courtyard behind the house) and tells us where the action of growing flowers (çiçek yetiştiriyorum) takes place. This connection helps tie the two ideas together by maintaining the spatial reference.