Learn Hardcore Turkish: Kargonun içindekiler arasında kitap ve kırtasiye malzemeleri vardı. - Among the shipment’s contents were books and stationery.

The suffix -un is the genitive case ending, turning kargo into kargonun (“of the cargo”). In Turkish, when you want to say “the X of Y,” the possessor (Y) takes the genitive. Here kargonun içindekiler literally means “the inside-things of the cargo.”

What does içindekiler mean, and how is it formed?

içindekiler means “those which are inside” or simply “the contents.” You can break it down as:
• içinde – “in it” (locative of iç “inside,” with an implied 3rd-person possessive)
• -ki – a relativizer meaning “which/that”
• -ler – plural suffix
Altogether: içinde + -ki + -ler → içindekiler, “the ones that are inside.”

What role does the -ki suffix have in this sentence?

The suffix -ki attaches to locative words (like içinde, “inside”) to create a relative clause meaning “that which is in…” or “those which are in….” It turns a location phrase into a noun phrase.

Why is the phrase içindekiler arasında used instead of simply kargoda?

kargoda would mean “in the cargo” (location only). içindekiler arasında means “among the items that are inside.” It not only locates but also sets up a group (“the contents”) from which specific items are then listed.

What does arasında mean, and how is it constructed?

arası means “its space/interval” (from ara, “space between”), and -nda is the locative case ending. So arasında = “in/among its (interval),” i.e. “among” or “between.”

Why is the verb vardı in the 3rd-person singular even though we list plural items?

The existential verb var/yok in Turkish is impersonal and does not agree with number or person. Both singular and plural subjects use var in the present (var) or past (vardı) 3rd-person singular form:
• Tekil: “Bir kitap vardı.” (“There was one book.”)
• Çoğul: “Kitaplar vardı.” (“There were books.”)

Why do kitap and kırtasiye malzemeleri appear without any case endings?

With the verb var (existence), the items that exist are in the nominative case. In Turkish, the nominative singular has no suffix, and the plural just takes -ler/-lar, but no further case marking is needed. Thus:
• kitap = nominative singular
• kırtasiye malzemeleri = nominative plural (“stationery supplies”)

What’s the deal with malzemeleri—why not just malzeme?

malzeme means “material” or “a piece of material.” To express “supplies” (multiple items), you add the plural suffix -ler, giving malzemeler. Written out with vowel harmony and no additional possessor, it appears as malzemeleri but here it’s simply the plural form “materials/supplies.”

Could you rewrite this in present tense, and would it change the meaning?

Yes. Present-tense existence uses var:
“Kargoda kitap ve kırtasiye malzemeleri var.”
This means “In the cargo there are books and stationery supplies” (i.e. right now). Using vardı places it in the past: “there were.”

What’s the difference between kargonun içindeki kitap and kargonun içindekiler arasında kitap?

• kargonun içindeki kitap = “the book inside the cargo” (focus on a specific book).
• kargonun içindekiler arasında kitap = “among the items inside the cargo, there were books” (focus on listing which items were part of the cargo’s contents).