Breakdown of Kırtasiyede filtre kahve de satılıyormuş; damacananın yanında küçük bir raf varmış.
bir
a
küçük
small
de
also
kahve
the coffee
yanında
next to
var
to exist
-de
in
-nın
of
raf
the shelf
satılmak
to be sold
filtre
filter
kırtasiye
the stationery shop
damacana
the water bottle
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Questions & Answers about Kırtasiyede filtre kahve de satılıyormuş; damacananın yanında küçük bir raf varmış.
What does the ending in Kırtasiyede mean, and how do I choose between -de/-da/-te/-ta?
It’s the locative suffix meaning “in/at/on.” Choice follows vowel harmony and consonant devoicing:
- After back vowels a, ı, o, u → -da (e.g., okulda “at school”).
- After front vowels e, i, ö, ü → -de (e.g., evde “at home”).
- If the last sound before the suffix is voiceless (f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p), the initial d of the suffix devoices to t → -ta/-te (e.g., parkta, sınıfta).
- Kırtasiye ends with the front vowel e, so it takes -de → Kırtasiyede “at the stationery store.”
Why is there another de after filtre kahve, and how is it different from the locative -de?
The de after filtre kahve is the additive particle meaning “also/too/even.” Key points:
- It’s a separate word: filtre kahve de.
- It does not follow vowel harmony and never becomes te/ta.
- It attaches to the word or phrase it adds to: “X de” = “X too.”
- Contrast: locative -de/-da/-te/-ta is a suffix attached to the noun (no space): kırtasiyede.
Where can I place the additive de, and what changes in meaning if I move it?
You place de right after the element you want to mark as “also.” Different placements shift the focus:
- Kırtasiyede filtre kahve de satılıyormuş. → “They sell filter coffee too (in addition to other products).”
- Kırtasiyede de filtre kahve satılıyormuş. → “At the stationery store too they sell filter coffee (in addition to other places).”
- Filtre kahve de kırtasiyede satılıyormuş. → Emphasizes “filter coffee” and contrasts the location.
How is satılıyormuş built morphologically?
- sat- = “sell”
- -ıl- = passive (“be sold”)
- -ıyor = present continuous/progressive
- -muş = evidential/reportative (indirect knowledge, inference) Altogether: sat-ıl-ıyor-muş = “(apparently/they say) it is being sold.”
What does the -mış evidential add here?
It signals that the information is not from direct, witnessed knowledge. It can indicate:
- Hearsay: “I heard that…”
- Inference: “Apparently/it seems that…” In the sentence, both satılıyormuş and varmış convey reported/inferred information.
If I saw this myself and want to state it directly, what would I say?
Drop the evidential:
- Kırtasiyede filtre kahve de satılıyor.
- Damacananın yanında küçük bir raf var.
Why is the passive used in satılıyor instead of an active form?
Turkish commonly uses the passive to express general availability or services where the agent is not important:
- Burada kahve satılıyor. = “Coffee is sold (here).” You could say satıyorlar (“they sell”), but the passive is more neutral and idiomatic for “is sold/they sell [here].”
What’s going on in damacananın yanında grammatically?
It’s a genitive–possessive construction with a locative:
- damacana-nın = “of the water jug/dispenser” (genitive)
- yan-ı-nda = “at its side” (noun yan “side” + 3sg possessive -ı
- locative -nda) Together: “at the side of the water jug” → “next to the water jug.”
Can I say damacana yanında without the genitive?
No. With yan(ı), Turkish requires the genitive–possessive pair: X-in yan-ı. So use damacananın yanında. Similarly: arabanın yanında, okulun yanında. With pronouns: onun yanında (“next to him/her/it”).
What exactly is a damacana?
In Turkey, damacana usually refers to a large water jug used in dispensers (commonly ~19 liters). So damacananın yanında likely means “beside the big water dispenser/jug.”
Why is it küçük bir raf and not bir küçük raf?
- küçük bir raf = “a small shelf” (normal indefinite description; the usual word order is adjective + bir
- noun).
- bir küçük raf emphasizes the numeral “one” (“one small shelf” as opposed to multiple) or has a stylistic/emphatic flavor. If you just mean “a small shelf,” use küçük bir raf.
Why is filtre kahve singular—shouldn’t it be plural if more than one is sold?
Turkish often uses singular for categories/commodities and for indefinite plurals in general statements:
- Filtre kahve satılıyor. = “Filter coffee is sold.” Plural is used when the plurality itself is emphasized: filtre kahveler “filter coffees (varieties).”
Does the additive de ever turn into te/ta?
No. The additive particle is always de/da (separate word), regardless of voicing:
- çay da, ekmek de, süt de. Never çay ta, etc. Only the locative suffix changes to -te/-ta after voiceless consonants.
Is the semicolon necessary here?
It’s stylistic. The semicolon links two closely related reported facts. You could also write two sentences or use ve:
- Kırtasiyede filtre kahve de satılıyormuş. Damacananın yanında küçük bir raf varmış.
- Kırtasiyede filtre kahve de satılıyormuş ve damacananın yanında küçük bir raf varmış.
How would I negate these forms with the same evidential tone?
- satılmıyormuş = “apparently it’s not being sold”
- yokmuş = “apparently there isn’t” Full sentence examples:
- Kırtasiyede filtre kahve satılmıyormuş; damacananın yanında küçük bir raf yokmuş.