Çocuk buzda kayıyor.

the child

Breakdown of Çocuk buzda kayıyor.

• -da: on
• kaymak: to slide
• buz: the ice

Questions & Answers about Çocuk buzda kayıyor.

What does the suffix -da in buzda do?

-da is the locative case marker in Turkish, indicating “in,” “on,” or “at” a place. So buzda literally means “on the ice.”

Why is it buzda and not buzde?

Turkish vowel harmony requires that the vowel in a suffix match the last vowel of the root. buz has a back rounded vowel u, so the locative suffix is -da (not -de).

What’s the difference between the locative suffix -da/-de and the dative suffix -a/-e?

Locative -da/-de means “on/in/at,” while dative -a/-e means “to.” For example:
• buzda = “on the ice”
• buza = “to the ice”

How is the present continuous tense formed in Turkish?