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Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var.

Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var.
There is a small leak in the sink.
FromLesson 86inHardcore Turkish

Breakdown of Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var.

bir
a
küçük
small
-da
in
var
to be
lavabo
the sink
sızıntı
the leak

Questions & Answers about Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var.

What does the -da at the end of Lavaboda mean?
It’s the locative suffix, meaning “in/on/at.” So lavabo + -da = “at/in the sink.” Turkish uses case endings instead of separate prepositions like in, on, at.
Why is it -da and not -de, -ta, or -te?

The locative suffix follows vowel harmony and voicing:

  • The last vowel of lavabo is back (o), so use -a rather than -e.
  • The preceding sound is a vowel (voiced), so use -d- rather than -t-. Hence: lavabo + da → lavaboda. Examples: evde (at home), parkta (in the park), işte (at work).
Should there be an apostrophe (like Lavabo’da)?
No. Apostrophes are only used when attaching suffixes to proper nouns (e.g., İzmir’de). Lavabo is a common noun, so it’s lavaboda without an apostrophe.
Does lavabo mean “sink” or “bathroom”?

Primarily “sink/washbasin.” In everyday speech, lavabo can also mean “restroom” (especially in public places: Lavabo nerede?). For clarity:

  • Bathroom: banyo
  • Toilet/restroom: tuvalet Context usually makes it clear; here it most likely refers to the sink.
Why is there no “the” before “sink,” and what is bir doing in küçük bir sızıntı?

Turkish has no articles like “the.” Definiteness is understood from context, so lavaboda can mean “in the sink (we know about).”
Bir is the indefinite article (“a/an”) before a countable singular noun: küçük bir sızıntı = “a small leak.” Without bir, küçük sızıntı sounds generic (like “small leakage”) rather than “a small leak.”

Can I say bir küçük sızıntı instead of küçük bir sızıntı?

The neutral pattern is adjective + bir + noun: küçük bir sızıntı.
Placing bir first (bir küçük sızıntı) is less common and tends to be emphatic or stylistically marked (“such a small leak,” “one particular small leak”). Use the standard order for neutral style.

What does var do here, and why isn’t there a regular “to be” verb?
Var means “there is/are” (existence). Turkish doesn’t use a separate “to be” in the present; var serves as the predicate. It also expresses possession: Benim param var (I have money). The negative counterpart is yok.
Why is var at the end? Could I put it earlier?
Turkish typically places the main predicate at the end, so … var is the normal order. You can front elements for emphasis, but Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var is the default, most natural word order.
How do I negate the sentence?

Use yok (not “var değil”):

  • Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı yok.
How do I turn it into a yes–no question?

Add the question particle after var, with vowel harmony:

  • Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var mı?
    Answers: Evet, var. / Hayır, yok.
How do I say it in the past or future (or with reported speech)?
  • Past: Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı vardı. (There was…)
  • Past negative: … yoktu.
  • Reported/hearsay: … varmış / yokmuş.
  • Future: Usually use olacak with the noun phrase: Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı olacak. (“There will be…”)
    (“Var olacak” is not the usual way to say the future.)
How would I say “The small leak is in the sink” (definite) instead of “There is a small leak in the sink”?

Use a bare locative sentence (no var) for definite subjects:

  • Küçük sızıntı lavaboda. (The small leak is in the sink.) Question form:
  • Küçük sızıntı lavaboda mı?
    This contrasts with the existential, indefinite:
  • Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı var.
How do I say “under the sink,” “behind,” or “next to”?

Use possessed spatial nouns with the genitive:

  • Lavabonun altında küçük bir sızıntı var. (under)
  • Lavabonun arkasında küçük bir sızıntı var. (behind)
  • Lavabonun yanında küçük bir sızıntı var. (next to)
    Pattern: [Thing] + -un/-ın
    • [place-noun + 3sg poss] + locative (e.g., altında, arkasında, yanında).
How do I talk about more than one leak?
  • Plural: sızıntılar → Lavaboda küçük sızıntılar var.
  • “A few”: birkaç takes a singular noun: Lavaboda birkaç küçük sızıntı var.
  • “Many”: Lavaboda birçok sızıntı var.
Any pronunciation tips for sızıntı and küçük?
  • ı (dotless i) = a high, unrounded sound (close to the vowel in “roses/sofa,” but tighter): sı-zın-tı.
  • ü = front rounded vowel (like German ü/French u): kü-çük.
  • ç = “ch” in “church.”
    Stress in Turkish usually falls near the end: kü-ÇÜK, sızın-TI.
Are there more formal or alternative ways to phrase it?
  • Formal/neutral: Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı mevcut. (more formal than var)
  • Neutral/locative-verb: Lavaboda küçük bir sızıntı bulunuyor.
  • Possessive structure: Lavabonun küçük bir sızıntısı var. (literally “The sink has a small leak.”)
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