Questions & Answers about Bankada bir problem var mı?
How does var mı translate to 'is there'?
The word var simply means 'there is' or 'there are'. To turn a statement into a yes/no question in Turkish, we add a question particle, which is mı here. So, putting them together, var mı means 'is there?' or 'are there?'.
Why is 'at the bank' (bankada) at the very beginning of the sentence?
In Turkish sentences that use var to express existence, the location almost always comes first. While English says 'Is there a problem at the bank?', the Turkish word order translates literally to 'At the bank, a problem is there?'.
What does the -da at the end of bankada do?
The suffix -da (or -de) is the locative suffix, which means 'in', 'on', or 'at'. Because the word banka (bank) ends with the back vowel 'a', we use -da to follow vowel harmony rules. Together, bankada means 'at the bank'.
Could I say this sentence without the word bir?
Yes, but it slightly changes the feel. Including bir translates exactly to 'a problem'. If you drop it and say Bankada problem var mı?, it sounds more general, like asking 'Is there trouble at the bank?' instead of asking about one specific issue.