Çatal masada.

to be

Breakdown of Çatal masada.

• masa: the table
• -da: on
• çatal: the fork

Questions & Answers about Çatal masada.

Where is the verb “is”? There’s no verb in Çatal masada.

Turkish often omits “to be” in the present. Nominal sentences use a “zero copula,” so Çatal masada literally means “Fork on-the-table,” i.e., “The fork is on the table.” You can optionally add the copular suffix for formality or emphasis: Çatal masadadır. For past, you show it with a suffix: Çatal masadaydı (was on the table).

Why is masada one word and not masa da?

Because -da here is the locative case suffix meaning “at/in/on,” and all case suffixes are attached to the noun: masa + -DA → masada.
Written separately, da/de means “too/also”: masa da = “the table too/as well.” Note: the “too/also” particle is always spelled separately and appears only as da/de (never ta/te).

Why is it -da and not -de/-ta/-te?

The locative is the suffix -DA, which changes by:

• Vowel harmony (a/e): last vowel a, ı, o, u → -da; last vowel e, i, ö, ü → -de.
• Consonant voicing (d/t): after a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t) → -ta/te; otherwise -da/de.

Examples:

• masa → masada (ends in a vowel, last vowel a → -da)
• şehir → şehirde
• park → parkta