Camda çizik var.

to be

Breakdown of Camda çizik var.

• cam: the glass
• -da: on
• çizik: the scratch

Questions & Answers about Camda çizik var.

What is the suffix -da in camda, and how does it work?

The suffix -da is the locative case ending in Turkish, meaning “in” or “on.” You attach it to a noun according to vowel harmony and consonant rules. Here, cam (“glass”) takes -da → camda, so literally “in/on the glass.”

How do I know whether camda means “in the glass” or “on the glass”?

Turkish uses -da for both “in” and “on.” You decide from context and the noun’s nature. Since a scratch appears on the surface, camda is understood as “on the glass.”

What does var mean, and why is it used here?

var is the existential verb “there is”/“there are.” To form an existential sentence, you put the place in the locative case, then the thing, and end with var. So camda çizik var = “on the glass, a scratch exists.”

Why are there no articles (“a” or “the”) before “glass” or “scratch”?

Turkish has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns appear bare, and context tells you if they are specific or not. If you need to stress “a,” you can add bir: camda bir çizik var (“there is a scratch on the glass”).

Why is çizik singular? How would I say “there are scratches”?