Questions & Answers about Kaşe masada.
Why is there no verb to be in Kaşe masada?
In Turkish, simple present nominal sentences drop any form of to be—this is called the zero copula. Thus Kaşe masada literally reads stamp-on-the-table, with the sense The stamp is on the table implied.
What does the suffix -da in masada indicate? What case is it?
The suffix -da marks the locative case, indicating location. Because masa ends in the vowel a (a back vowel), the locative form is masada, meaning on or at the table.
Why doesn’t kaşe have an article like “the” or “a,” and no case suffix?
Turkish has no separate articles; definiteness (a vs. the) is understood from context. Also, kaşe is in the nominative case (the default form for subjects), so it doesn’t carry any additional case ending here.
How do I turn Kaşe masada into a question?
Add the question particle -mı/-mi/-mu/-mü after the last word, according to vowel harmony, and use rising intonation. Since masada ends in a, you attach mı:
Kaşe masada mı?
This means Is the stamp on the table?