Questions & Answers about Bu binada doktor yok.
Why does bina take the suffix -da here instead of -de or -ta?
The suffix -da means "in", "on", or "at". It follows Turkish vowel and consonant harmony rules. Because the last vowel in bina is "a", the suffix must also use an "a" (making it -da or -ta). Because bina ends in a vowel, and not a hard consonant (like p, ç, t, k), we use the "d" version. Therefore, bina becomes binada (in the building).
Why doesn't the word bu (this) get a locative suffix too?
When words like bu (this), şu (that), or o (that over there) are used as adjectives right before a noun, they never change. All suffixes go on the noun itself. So we just say bu binada (in this building) and leave bu exactly as it is.
Where is the verb for "is" or "there is" in this sentence?
Turkish doesn't use a regular verb to say "there is" or "there is not". Instead, it uses the special word yok at the end of the sentence to mean "does not exist" or "there is no". (Its opposite is var, meaning "there is").
The translation says "a doctor", but I don't see the word bir (a/one). Is it missing?
In Turkish, when you make a general negative statement using yok (there is not), you usually drop the word bir. Bu binada doktor yok simply means there are zero doctors here. Adding bir would sound a bit strange, like you are looking for one specific doctor who happens to be missing.
Learn Bu binada doktor yok and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free