Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sofrada taze ekmek ve peynir var. - There is fresh bread and cheese at the table.

Turkish uses the existential verb var to mean “there is/are.” It’s impersonal, so you don’t need a separate subject. Just give the location (in the locative case) and what exists there, and end with var.

What does var mean exactly, and is it a “normal” verb?

Var literally means “exists.” It’s not conjugated for person or number and has no tense endings in this usage. Think of it as a fixed word meaning “there is/are.” For negative you use yok (“there isn’t/aren’t”), and to ask a question you add -mı: var mı?

Why is sofra in the locative case (sofrada) instead of the nominative?

The locative suffix -da (with vowel harmony) marks “where” something exists. With var, you always mark the place with -da/-de/-ta/-te. So Sofrada = “at/on the table (where you eat).”

Does sofra just mean “table” like masa?

Not exactly. Sofra often refers to a low eating table or even the spread of food on a surface (like a floor or a tray). Masa is a generic “table.” When you talk about the dining setup or the actual mealtime surface, you usually say sofra.

Why are ekmek and peynir in the singular form?

In Turkish, uncountable or mass nouns (like “bread” and “cheese” in general) remain singular when you’re just saying “some bread” or “some cheese.” If you wanted to speak of individual items you’d pluralize: ekmekler (breads) or peynirler (cheeses).

Why isn’t there an article like “a” or “the” before ekmek or peynir?

Turkish has no grammatical articles. Indefiniteness (“a/any”) is implied by context or by plural/zero suffixes. Definiteness (“the”) can be shown by the accusative case (ekmeği), but here both nouns are indefinite.

Why does the adjective taze come before the noun?

Adjectives in Turkish always precede the noun they modify. So taze ekmek literally follows the pattern [Adjective] + [Noun], just like in English.

Can I change the word order? For example, say Taze ekmek ve peynir sofrada var?

Turkish is fairly flexible, but the most neutral, natural order in existential sentences is:

Place (locative)
Any adjectives + nouns (with conjunctions)
var/yok
You could swap the two nouns (peynir ve taze ekmek de sofrada var), but it sounds odd to move sofrada or var out of those slots.

How do I make this sentence negative or turn it into a question?

Negative: replace var with yok.

Sofrada taze ekmek ve peynir yok. (There isn’t any fresh bread or cheese on the table.)
Question: add -mı to var (with vowel harmony) and a question intonation:
Sofrada taze ekmek ve peynir var mı? (Is there fresh bread and cheese on the table?)