Learn Hardcore Turkish: Çorbada fazla tuz var. - There is too much salt in the soup.

It’s the locative case, meaning in/on/at. So çorba + -da = in the soup. Turkish uses the locative -DA with four forms: -da, -de, -ta, -te.

Why is it -da and not -de here?

Vowel harmony. The last vowel of çorba is a (a back vowel), so the locative takes a rather than e: -da, not -de.

Why not -ta/‑te?

The d/t part depends on the last consonant of the stem. If the stem ends in a voiceless consonant (ç, f, h, k, p, s, ş, t), you use -t; otherwise -d. Çorba ends in a vowel, so it takes -d: çorbada. Compare: parkta (park + ta), okulda (okul + da).

What does var do?

Var is the existential predicate meaning there is/there are. It doesn’t change for singular/plural. The negative is yok (there isn’t/there aren’t).

Why is the verb var at the end?

Turkish is generally SOV, and predicates come at the end. In existential sentences, the thing that exists comes before var, and location/time often comes first: [location] [thing] var.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a”?

Turkish has no articles like English. Definiteness is shown by context or case-marking. If you need to specify, you can say bu çorbada (in this soup) or şu çorbada (in that soup).

Why is it tuz, not tuzu?

In existential sentences with var/yok, indefinite nouns stay in the bare form (no accusative). Tuzu would be definite accusative or a possessed form and doesn’t fit a basic var sentence. You could say Çorbanın fazla tuzu var (“The soup has too much salt”), but that’s a different, possessive structure.

Does fazla mean “a lot” or “too much”?

Here fazla means too much/excessive (more than necessary). Çorbada fazla tuz var implies a problem. If you just mean “a lot (but not necessarily too much),” use çok: Çorbada çok tuz var.

Can I say Çorba fazla tuzlu instead?

Yes. Çorba fazla tuzlu = “The soup is too salty.” It uses the adjective tuzlu (“salty”) modified by fazla (“too”). Your original sentence emphasizes the quantity (too much salt); this one emphasizes the taste/property (too salty). Both are natural.

Can adjectives come after nouns, like tuz fazla?

No. In Turkish, adjectives and quantifiers normally come before the noun they modify. So fazla tuz is correct; tuz fazla is ungrammatical in this context.

How do I turn it into a yes–no question?

Attach the question particle to var: Çorbada fazla tuz var mı? Answer with Evet, var (Yes, there is) or Hayır, yok (No, there isn’t).

How do I negate it?

Use yok: Çorbada fazla tuz yok (“There isn’t too much salt in the soup”). For the adjectival version: Çorba fazla tuzlu değil (“The soup isn’t too salty”).

Why isn’t tuz plural (tuzlar)?

Tuz is an uncountable mass noun in this meaning, so it stays singular. Tuzlar is used only when talking about different kinds of salts (e.g., table salt vs. sea salt).

Can I move parts around for emphasis?

Yes. Turkish allows reordering for focus:

Fazla tuz var çorbada (emphasis on what there is)
Çorbada var fazla tuz (emphasis on the location) The neutral, most common order is your original sentence.

How do I say “a little” or “none at all”?

Çorbada biraz tuz var = “There is a little salt in the soup.”
Çorbada hiç tuz yok = “There is no salt at all in the soup.” (hiç pairs with negation.)

What’s the difference between çok, fazla, and aşırı?

çok = a lot/very (quantity or intensity), neutral.
fazla = too much/excess, implies more than needed.
aşırı = excessively/overly, stronger negative. Examples: Çorbada çok tuz var (a lot), Çorbada fazla tuz var (too much), Çorba aşırı tuzlu (overly salty).

When would I use vardır instead of var?

Vardır is more formal/emphatic or used for general statements and confident assertions: Çorbada fazla tuz vardır can sound like “There is indeed too much salt in the soup,” or a generic claim. In everyday speech, var is standard.

How do I pronounce the special letters?

Ç = “ch” as in “chop.”
o is short, like the “o” in “got” (not diphthongized).
r is a tapped/rolled r.
z as in “zoo.”
Word stress is typically toward the end; keep var clearly pronounced.