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Soru var, cevap yok.

Soru var, cevap yok.
There is a question; there is no answer.
From Lesson 19:There is not / there are not (yok)·Turkish

Questions & Answers about Soru var, cevap yok.

How do var and yok work in this sentence if they aren't normal verbs?
Var (there is) and yok (there is not) are special existence words in Turkish. You just state the noun, like soru (question) or cevap (answer), and follow it directly with var to say it exists, or yok to say it doesn't.
Why isn't the word bir (a/one) used before the nouns?
When making general statements about whether something exists, Turkish usually leaves out bir. Saying Soru var is the standard way to say 'There is a question.' Adding bir would sound like you are emphasizing 'There is exactly ONE question.'
Could this sentence mean 'There are questions, there are no answers'?
Yes! In Turkish, general existence statements with var and yok often use the singular form of the noun. Depending on context, soru var can mean 'there is a question' or 'there are questions.'
Why isn't there a word for 'but' to connect the two thoughts?
Turkish often links short, contrasting clauses with just a comma. You could add ama (but) to say Soru var, ama cevap yok, but simply using a comma is very common and sounds perfectly natural.

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