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Questions & Answers about Kumanda masada.
Why is there no verb in the sentence Kumanda masada?
In Turkish the present‐tense form of olmak (“to be”) is omitted in simple statements. So Kumanda masada literally reads “Remote table‐on” but is understood as “The remote is on the table.”
Why are there no articles like “the” or “a” before kumanda or masada?
Turkish has no indefinite or definite articles. Whether you mean “a remote” or “the remote” is determined by context, word order, or additional words—there’s no separate word for “a” or “the.”
What does the suffix -da in masada indicate?
-da is the locative case marker, meaning “in/at/on.” It follows vowel harmony rules, so after the vowel a it appears as -da, turning masa (“table”) into masada (“on the table”).
Why is it -da and not -ta?
Turkish suffixes also obey consonant harmony. If a word ends in a voiceless consonant (like kitap), the suffix consonant becomes t (→ kitapta). Since masa ends in a vowel, the suffix stays voiced as d.
Why isn’t there a hyphen between masa and da in masada?
Hyphens are used only in textbooks or dictionaries to show affix boundaries. In everyday writing and speech you simply attach the suffix: masada.
Can I add var at the end, as in Kumanda masada var?
Yes. var means “there is/there are.” Saying Kumanda masada var emphasizes existence (“There is a remote on the table”). In straightforward location statements, the copula is usually dropped, but var is not wrong and is common in existential contexts.
How do I turn this into a yes/no question: “Is the remote on the table?”
Add the question particle mı (with vowel harmony) after the locative noun:
Kumanda masada mı?
This literally means “Remote table‐on Q-particle?” i.e. “Is the remote on the table?”
Can I switch the word order to Masada kumanda?
Yes. Thanks to case marking, Turkish word order is flexible. Masada kumanda also means “The remote is on the table,” and placing masada first can put extra emphasis on location.
What case is kumanda in?
It’s in the nominative case (unmarked), functioning as the subject. Since this sentence has no direct object, there’s no need for other case endings on kumanda.
Is there an alternative way to say “on the table” in Turkish?
Yes. A more explicit phrasing is Kumanda masanın üzerinde. Here:
- masanın is the genitive form of masa (“table’s”),
- üzerinde means “on top of.”
Together they mean “on top of the table.”