Mutfakta koku var.

There is a smell in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Mutfakta koku var.

• olmak: to be
• mutfak: the kitchen
• -ta: in
• koku: the smell

Questions & Answers about Mutfakta koku var.

What does var mean here? Is it a verb like “to be”?

var means “there is/are; exists.” It functions as an existential predicate, not a regular verb, and it does not conjugate for person or number. You use var for both singular and plural. Its negative is yok (“there isn’t/aren’t”).

Why is there no word for “a” before koku? When do I use bir?

Turkish often leaves singular indefinites bare in existence statements. So Mutfakta koku var naturally means “There is a smell in the kitchen.” You add bir to single out or emphasize one specific/noticeable instance: Mutfakta bir koku var (“There’s a certain smell…”). With adjectives, bir is normally used: garip/güzel/kötü bir koku var.

Does koku imply a bad smell?

koku is neutral (“smell/odor/scent”). To specify:

• bad: kötü/pis koku
• pleasant: hoş/güzel koku
• strong: ağır/yoğun/keskin koku
• faint: hafif koku

How do I say “There is no smell in the kitchen”?

Use yok, not değil:

• Mutfakta koku yok. For “none at all,” add hiç:
• Mutfakta hiç koku yok.

How do I ask “Is there a smell in the kitchen?”

Attach the yes/no particle to var:

• Mutfakta koku var mı? The particle harmonizes with the preceding vowel: var mı?, yok mu?

Why is it mutfakta with -ta, not -da or -de?

The locative is written as -DA, where:

• D becomes t after a voiceless final consonant.
• A becomes a/e by vowel harmony. Since mutfak ends in voiceless k and has a back vowel (a), you get -ta: mutfakta (“in the kitchen”). Compare: evde (“in the house”), parkta (“in the park”).

Can I change the word order?

Default and most natural is place + thing + var: Mutfakta koku var. You can front for emphasis:

• Koku mutfakta (var). (focusing “the smell”) Keeping var at the end sounds most neutral; highly marked orders like Var mutfakta koku are uncommon.

How would I say “The kitchen smells (stinks)”?

Use the verb kokmak:

• Mutfak kokuyor. Often this implies an unpleasant smell unless you say otherwise:
• Mutfak kötü kokuyor / Mutfak güzel kokuyor.

What’s the difference between Mutfakta koku var and Mutfak kokuyor?

• Mutfakta koku var: states the existence of a smell in the kitchen (neutral).
• Mutfak kokuyor: says the kitchen is giving off a smell; often perceived as noticeable/strong, sometimes unpleasant unless qualified.

How do I say what the smell is, like “There’s a smell of fish in the kitchen”?

Use a noun + -sU (“its smell”):

• Mutfakta balık kokusu var. Also:
• Mutfak balık gibi kokuyor. (“The kitchen smells like fish.”)
• Mutfakta yemek kokusu var. (“There’s a smell of food in the kitchen.”)

Can I make it plural: “There are smells in the kitchen”?

Yes: Mutfakta kokular var. Use the plural for multiple distinct smells. For a general strong presence, Turkish more often uses degree/adjectives:

• Mutfakta koku çok yoğun/ağır.
• Mutfakta çok kötü bir koku var. Rather than the bare çok koku var.

How do I add intensity or quantity, like “a strong smell” or “a little smell”?

• Adjectives (usually with bir): yoğun/ağır/keskin/berbat/güzel bir koku var.
• Degree words: biraz koku var (“there’s a bit of a smell”), çok kötü bir koku var.
• Negative with “at all”: hiç koku yok.

How do I talk about past, future, or reported information?

• Past: vardı / yoktu — Dün mutfakta koku vardı/yoktu.
• Past yes/no: var mıydı? — Dün mutfakta koku var mıydı?
• Reported: varmış / yokmuş — Mutfakta koku varmış.
• Inference/certainty (general truth): vardır — Buzdolabı bozulduysa mutfakta koku vardır.
• Future: use olmak — Yarın mutfakta koku olacak/olmayacak.

What’s the difference between koku and kokusu?

• koku = “smell” (bare noun).
• kokusu = “its/the smell of …” with 3rd-person possessive -su. You normally name the possessor: yemeğin kokusu (“the smell of the food”), balık kokusu (“fish smell”). Hence: Mutfakta balık kokusu var, not standalone Mutfakta kokusu var without context.

Does var change for plural, like varlar?

No. var doesn’t take person/number endings here. Say Kokular var, not Kokular varlar. Plurality is shown on the noun.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• mutfakta: mut-fak-ta; the t is voiceless.
• koku: ko-ku; both vowels are back; u is a short rounded [u].
• var: pronounce the final r clearly (Turkish doesn’t drop final r’s).

How do I express “have” in Turkish? Is it also with var?

Yes. Possession uses var:

• Benim kedim var. (“I have a cat.”)
• Bende anahtar var. (“I have the key on me.”) Your sentence is the same existential structure with a place as the “possessor”: Mutfakta koku var literally “In the kitchen, there is smell.”