Kimlik masada duruyor.

The ID is on the table.

Breakdown of Kimlik masada duruyor.

• masa: the table
• -da: on
• durmak: to stand
• kimlik: the ID

Questions & Answers about Kimlik masada duruyor.

Do I need to say “the” or “a” before kimlik?

Turkish has no articles like “the” or “a.” Bare kimlik can mean either “the ID (card)” or “an ID,” depending on context. If you want to force “an,” use bir (e.g., Masada bir kimlik var.). To make it clearly “the/that ID,” use a demonstrative: o/şu/bu kimlik.

Does kimlik here mean “identity” or “ID card”?

In everyday Turkish, kimlik by itself almost always means an ID card. You can also hear kimlik kartı. The older term is nüfus cüzdanı. The abstract sense “identity” also exists, but context makes it clear.

Why is it masada and not masaya?

• -DA (locative) = “in/on/at”: masada = “on/at the table.”
• -A (dative) = “to/onto”: masaya = “to the table/onto the table.”
  So you’d say Masaya koydum (“I put it onto the table”) but Masada duruyor (“It is on the table”).

How do I know whether to use -da, -de, -ta, -te in masada?

The locative has four forms by vowel harmony and voicing:

• Back vowels (a, ı, o, u) → -da; front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) → -de.
• After a voiceless consonant (p, ç, t, k, f, s, ş, h) the “d” becomes t → -ta/-te. Because masa ends in a vowel (a), it takes -da → masada.
  Examples: evde, parkta, şehirde, okulda.

Is duruyor necessary? Can I just say Kimlik masada?

You can absolutely say Kimlik masada. That’s a perfectly normal nominal sentence meaning it’s at/on the table. Duruyor adds a nuance of “sitting/standing/staying there (right now),” a bit more dynamic or emphatic about its continued presence.

But doesn’t durmak mean “to stand”? Why use it for an object?

Yes, but Turkish uses durmak broadly for inanimate things to mean “to stay/be (placed)” as well as “to stand.” So Vazo masada duruyor means the vase is (sitting/standing) on the table. It doesn’t imply the ID card is literally upright; it’s just there.

When should I use var instead of duruyor?

Use var for existence: “There is/are.”

• “There’s an ID on the table” → Masada bir kimlik var.
• “The ID is on the table” → Kimlik masada (duruyor).
  Don’t say Kimlik masada var; var doesn’t pair naturally with a definite subject like that.

What’s the difference between masada and masanın üstünde/üzerinde?

• Masada can mean “on the table” or “at the table” depending on the noun; with objects it often reads as “on.”
• Masanın üstünde/üzerinde explicitly means “on top of the table,” removing ambiguity.
  Form: masa + nın (genitive) + üst(ü)/üzeri (its top) + nde (locative) → masanın üstünde/üzerinde.

How do I ask “Is the ID on the table?” or “Where is the ID?” with this sentence?

• Yes/no: Kimlik masada mı (duruyor)? The question particle mi/mı/mü/mu follows the element in focus and obeys vowel harmony.
• Wh-question: Kimlik nerede? or Kimlik nerede duruyor?

How do I negate it?

Two common ways:

• Verb negation: Kimlik masada durmuyor. (“The ID is not sitting/staying on the table.”)
• Nominal negation: Kimlik masada değil. (“The ID is not on the table.”)

Where’s the subject agreement in duruyor?

Third person singular has a zero ending in the present continuous: duruyor = “(he/she/it) is staying.”
Quick paradigm:

• Ben: duruyorum
• Sen: duruyorsun
• O: duruyor
• Biz: duruyoruz
• Siz: duruyorsunuz
• Onlar: duruyor(lar) (the plural ending -lar after verbs is optional, especially for inanimates).

How would I say “my/your/his-her ID is on the table”?

Use possessive endings on kimlik:

• My: Kimliğim masada (duruyor).
• Your (sg): Kimliğin masada (duruyor).
• His/Her: Onun kimliği masada (duruyor).
  Note: kimliği can be either “his/her ID” (3sg possessive) or “the ID” as a definite object (accusative). Adding onun clarifies possession.

Can I say Kimlik masadadır? What’s the nuance?

Yes. -DIr here adds a formal or inferential tone: “The ID is (surely/probably) on the table,” or a neutral, matter-of-fact assertion in formal writing. In everyday speech, Kimlik masada or Kimlik masada duruyor is more common.

Is there any word order flexibility?

Yes, Turkish is flexible and uses word order for focus:

• Kimlik masada duruyor. (Neutral: topic “ID,” new info “on the table.”)
• Masada kimlik var. (“There is an ID on the table.”)
• Masada o kimlik duruyor. (Focus on place: it’s that ID that’s there.)
  For indefinite existence, prefer var over duruyor: Masada bir kimlik var is more natural than Masada bir kimlik duruyor.

What if I want to describe how the card lies on the table?

You can add posture verbs/adverbs:

• Flat: Kimlik masanın üstünde yatıyor.
• Upright: Kimlik masada dik duruyor.
• Askew: Kimlik masada eğri duruyor.
  Neutral/default remains duruyor.

How do I make it plural?

Make the noun plural: Kimlikler masada (duruyor/ duruyorlar).
For existence: Masada kimlikler var or more naturally Masada birkaç kimlik var / Masada bazı kimlikler var if you mean “some IDs.”