Arabada bir arıza var.

There is a malfunction in the car.

Breakdown of Arabada bir arıza var.

• olmak: to be
• bir: a
• araba: the car
• -da: in
• arıza: the malfunction

Questions & Answers about Arabada bir arıza var.

What does the suffix -da in arabada express?

The suffix -da is the locative case marker in Turkish. It corresponds to English “in,” “on,” or “at.” Due to vowel harmony, it can appear as -da or -de. So arabada literally means “in/on/at the car.”

Why is bir used before arıza, and is it the same as the English article “a”?

Yes, bir functions like the English indefinite article “a.” It makes arıza (“malfunction/breakdown”) indefinite: bir arıza = “a malfunction.” Without bir, arıza could sound generic or uncountable, though omitting bir is possible in casual speech.

Can you omit bir and just say Arabada arıza var?

Yes. Arabada arıza var is understood as “There’s a problem with the car,” and it’s slightly more colloquial. Adding bir (+1) can emphasize “one specific malfunction,” but in everyday talk both forms are common.

Why is the verb var used here instead of a form of olmak (“to be”)?

In Turkish, var is an existential verb meaning “there is” or “there exist(s).” It differs from olmak, which generally means “to become” or “to be” in identity statements. So you use var when stating that something exists or is present: “There is a malfunction in the car.”

What is the difference between Arabada bir arıza var (“There is a malfunction in the car”) and Araba bozuldu (“The car broke down”)?

• Arabada bir arıza var focuses on the existence of a malfunction in the car (you notice a specific fault).
• Araba bozuldu literally means “The car became broken,” i.e., it stopped working or broke down. It doesn’t specify the type of problem, just that the car is out of order.

Could you also say Arabanın içinde bir arıza var? If yes, what changes?

Yes. Arabanın içinde bir arıza var means “There’s a malfunction inside the car.” Here:

• arabanın is the genitive form “of the car.”
• içinde is “inside.”
  This version emphasizes the location inside the vehicle, whereas arabada simply conveys “at/in the car.”

Why isn’t it Arabanın bir arızası var (“The car has a malfunction”) instead?

You can say Arabanın bir arızası var, which literally means “The car has a malfunction” (using the genitive-possessive construction). It’s correct but slightly more formal/explicit. Arabada bir arıza var uses the locative-existential structure, which is very common in spoken Turkish to express that something exists in/on/at something else.

How do you pronounce arıza, and where is the stress?

arıza is pronounced [ah-ruh-ZAH]. Turkish stress usually falls on the last syllable of the root word, so you stress -za. The ı in the first syllable is the undotted vowel /ɯ/ sound, not /i/.

Is the word order in Arabada bir arıza var fixed?

Turkish word order is relatively flexible because of case marking, but the default for existential sentences is Locative – Indefinite Noun Phrase – var. You could say Bir arıza var arabada for emphasis on bir arıza, but the most neutral form is Arabada bir arıza var.