Kütüphanede binlerce kitap var.

to be

Breakdown of Kütüphanede binlerce kitap var.

• kitap: the book
• kütüphane: the library
• -de: in

Questions & Answers about Kütüphanede binlerce kitap var.

What does the suffix -de in Kütüphanede indicate?

The -de suffix here is the locative case, meaning “in” or “at.” So kütüphane (library) + -de = “in the library.”

Why is var used at the end of the sentence?

Var is the existential verb meaning “there is/are.” In Turkish, to express existence you use var (affirmative) or yok (negative) instead of a verb like “to be.” So …kitap var = “there are books.”

Why do we say binlerce kitap instead of kitaplar (books)?

Kitaplar is simply the plural of “book” (books). Binlerce means “thousands of” and already implies plurality, so you don’t pluralize kitap again. Hence binlerce kitap = “thousands of books.”

What is the function of -ler in binlerce?

The -ler in binlerce isn’t the regular plural suffix. It’s part of a numeral formation meaning “so many” or “thousands.” Numerals like iki (two), on (ten), yüz (hundred) become ikilerce, onlarca, yüzlerce to mean approximate quantities (“dozens,” “hundreds,” “thousands”).