Tutanak masada.

The minutes are on the table.

Breakdown of Tutanak masada.

• olmak: to be
• tutanak: the minutes
• masada: on the table

Questions & Answers about Tutanak masada.

Why is there no copula is in Tutanak masada?

In Turkish simple present statements, the verb to be is normally omitted. You literally get “Tutanak masada” (Protocol on-the-table), but it’s understood as “Tutanak is on the table.”

What case is masada, and what does it express?

masada is the locative case of masa (table). The locative suffix -da (on/in/at) marks the location where something is happening or located—here, that the protocol is on the table.

Why is the locative suffix -da and not -de, -ta, or -te?

Turkish location suffixes follow two harmony rules:
• Consonant harmony: after a vowel you use d, after a voiceless consonant you use t.
• Vowel harmony: choose a, e, ı, or i to match the last vowel of the noun (back vs. front, rounded vs. unrounded).
Since masa ends in the vowel a, you attach d + a → -da.

How can I tell if tutanak is definite or indefinite?

Turkish has no articles like the or a. A bare noun can be definite or indefinite from context. In “Tutanak masada” it’s assumed you know which protocol you’re talking about (definite). If you meant “a protocol,” you’d say Bir tutanak masada.

How do I turn “Tutanak masada” into a yes/no question?

Add the question particle mı/mu/mü/mı after the locative phrase, matching vowel harmony. Here the last vowel is a, so you use mı:
Tutanak masada mı?
(“Is the protocol on the table?”)

How do I make it negative (“is not on the table”)?

Use değil after the locative:
Tutanak masada değil.
Literally “Protocol on-the-table not.”

Are there other ways to say “on the table” in Turkish?

Yes. A very common alternative is masanın üstünde:
• masanın = “of the table” (genitive)
• üstünde = “on top (locative)”
So Tutanak masanın üstünde also means “The protocol is on the table.”