Mutfağın masasında cam bir kavanoz var.

There is a glass jar on the kitchen table.

Breakdown of Mutfağın masasında cam bir kavanoz var.

• olmak: to be
• bir: a
• mutfak: the kitchen
• masa: the table
• -da: on
• cam: glass
• kavanoz: the jar

Questions & Answers about Mutfağın masasında cam bir kavanoz var.

What does “mutfağın masasında” mean, and how do the suffixes function in this phrase?

“Mutfağın masasında” literally translates to “on the kitchen’s table.” In this phrase, “mutfağın” comes from “mutfak” (kitchen) with the genitive suffix “-ın,” meaning “of the kitchen.” “Masasında” comes from “masa” (table) combined with a possessive suffix “-sı” (signaling that it belongs to that kitchen) along with the locative case suffix “-nda,” which indicates the location (“on” or “in”). Together, these suffixes specify that the table in question is the one belonging to the kitchen.

What role does “cam” play in the sentence?

“Cam” means “glass” and is used here as an adjective describing the jar. In Turkish, adjectives typically precede the noun they modify and remain unchanged regardless of case or number. So “cam bir kavanoz” translates directly as “a glass jar.”

How is the existence of the jar expressed in this sentence?

The existence of the jar is conveyed by the word “var,” which is an existential verb meaning “there is” or “there are.” In Turkish, this word is placed at the end of the sentence to state that something exists in the previously mentioned location.

What does the word “bir” indicate in the phrase “cam bir kavanoz”?

“Bir” functions similarly to the English indefinite article “a” or the numeral “one.” It indicates that the jar is singular and is not specified as a particular jar. Unlike English, Turkish does not have separate articles, so “bir” serves to mark the noun as one instance of its kind.

How does the word order in this Turkish sentence differ from typical English sentence structure?

In Turkish, modifiers such as location or possessive phrases often come at the beginning of the sentence, while the main verb appears at the end. In this example, the location “mutfağın masasında” is placed first, followed by the description “cam bir kavanoz,” and finally the existential verb “var” completes the sentence. In English, by contrast, we usually start with “There is” and then mention the subject and location. Understanding this typical Turkish word order can help when constructing or interpreting similar sentences.