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Questions & Answers about Saç tokası masada duruyor.
What does the ending on tokası mean?
It’s the third-person possessive ending -(s)I, used here to build a fixed noun–noun compound: saç tokası = “hair clip” (literally “hair’s clip”). In Turkish, many compound nouns use this pattern (e.g., elma ağacı “apple tree,” literally “apple’s tree”).
Why is there an s in toka-sı?
Because the noun toka ends in a vowel. The possessive ending is -(s)I; the s is a buffer consonant inserted between two vowels: toka + sı → tokası.
Why is it -ı (dotless) in tokası, not -i?
Vowel harmony. The last vowel of toka is the back vowel a, so the harmonizing 4-way possessive vowel is the back unrounded ı: -sı (not -si/-su/-sü).
What does the -da in masada do?
It’s the locative case, meaning “in/at/on.” With things like tables, -da/-de usually corresponds to English “on.” So masada ≈ “on the table.”
Why -da and not -de (or -ta/-te)?
- Front/back harmony: after back vowels (a, ı, o, u) use -da; after front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) use -de. Masa has back a, so masada.
- Devoicing to t happens after a voiceless consonant: e.g., kitapta (not kitapda), şehirde, parkta. Here, masa ends with a vowel, so it stays -da.
Can I say masanın üstünde/üzerinde instead of masada?
Yes. Masanın üstünde/üzerinde is more explicit “on top of the table.” Masada often implies “on the table” from context, but it can also mean “at the table” with people.
Do I have to use duruyor, or can I just say Saç tokası masada?
You can drop the verb and say Saç tokası masada; Turkish allows verbless “X is Y” sentences. Using duruyor adds a sense of “is sitting/remaining there (right now)” and can sound a bit more dynamic or situational.
Why not use var here?
Var is for “there is/are.” If you want an existential sentence, say Masada bir saç tokası var (“There’s a hair clip on the table”). Starting with the location is typical. Saç tokası masada var is odd; use Masada … var.
What exactly is duruyor?
It’s the present continuous of durmak (“to stand/stay/remain”):
- Stem: dur-
- Continuous: -yor, with a harmonizing buffer vowel → -uyor
- 3rd person singular has no extra ending. So duruyor = “(it) is staying/standing.” With inanimate objects, it often just means “is (sitting) there.”
What’s the default word order, and can I start with Masada?
Turkish is typically Subject–Object–Verb, with the verb last. Adjuncts (like locations) also go before the verb:
- Neutral: Saç tokası masada duruyor.
- To topicalize the place: Masada saç tokası duruyor. If you mean existential “there’s a…”, prefer: Masada bir saç tokası var. Focus tends to appear right before the verb.
How do I make it plural?
- Noun: saç tokası → saç tokaları (“hair clips”)
- Sentence: Saç tokaları masada duruyor. Verb agreement with inanimate plurals is optional: duruyor (default) or duruyorlar (also acceptable).
How do I ask “Where is the hair clip?”
- Simple: Saç tokası nerede?
- With the verb for emphasis on “staying”: Saç tokası nerede duruyor?
How would I say “I saw the hair clip on the table”?
Saç tokasını masada gördüm.
- Saç tokası + nı = accusative of a vowel-final noun (buffer -n-
- -ı).
- Masada = locative “on the table.”
- Gördüm = “I saw.”
Is masada “on the table” or “on a table”? There’s no article—how do I know?
Turkish has no articles; definiteness comes from context and word order.
- In your sentence, it most naturally reads as “on the table” (a contextually known table).
- For an indefinite reading, you’d restructure: Masada bir saç tokası var (“There is a hair clip on a/the table”).
Why not say saç toka without the ending?
In standard Turkish, these lexicalized noun–noun compounds usually take the possessive on the second noun: saç tokası, kitap kapağı, el feneri. Dropping it (saç toka) sounds nonstandard or incomplete.
Any pronunciation tips for tricky letters?
- ç = “ch” in “chop.”
- ı (dotless) = a central “uh” sound; don’t pronounce it like English “i.”
- duruyor ≈ “doo-ROO-yor” (the -yor is one syllable).
- Word stress is typically on the last syllable: sa-ÇA to-KA-sı ma-SA-DA du-RU-yor.