Elektrik kesintisi var.

There is a power outage.

Breakdown of Elektrik kesintisi var.

• olmak: to be
• elektrik: the electricity
• kesinti: the outage

Questions & Answers about Elektrik kesintisi var.

What does var mean in this sentence?

var is an existential verb that expresses existence and translates as “there is” or “there are” in English. It follows a noun that carries a possessive suffix to complete the meaning.

Why does kesinti get the suffix -si to become kesintisi?

In Turkish existential (and possessive) constructions, the noun takes a 3rd person singular possessive suffix—in this case -si—to mark “its” existence. Literally, you’re saying “its outage exists,” which idiomatically means “there is an outage.” Without that suffix, you cannot use var directly after the bare noun.

Why is there no indefinite article like “a”? Could I say Bir elektrik kesintisi var?

Turkish doesn’t require an article for existential statements. Elektrik kesintisi var already implies “There is an electricity outage.” You may add bir (“one/a”) for emphasis or specification (Bir elektrik kesintisi var = “There’s one/a power outage”), but it isn’t necessary.

How would I ask “Is there an electricity outage?” in Turkish?

You insert the question particle mı after var, adjusting for vowel harmony:
Elektrik kesintisi var mı?

How do I express the negative, “There is no electricity outage”?

Swap var for its negative counterpart yok:
Elektrik kesintisi yok = “There is no electricity outage.”

How do I say “There are power outages” (plural)?

Make kesinti plural and keep the possessive suffix on the plural stem:
Elektrik kesintileri var = “There are electricity outages.”

Can I say Elektrikte kesinti var instead? What’s the difference?

Elektrikte kesinti var uses the locative case (elektrik + -te) to mean literally “In electricity there is an outage.” It’s understood but less idiomatic. The standard existential pattern is noun + possessive suffix + var, so Elektrik kesintisi var (“The power is out”) is more natural.