Questions & Answers about Masada on tabak var.
Why is it tabak (plate) and not tabaklar (plates) since there are ten of them?
In Turkish, you never add the plural suffix (-lar or -ler) to a noun if it comes right after a number. Since we have the number on (ten), tabak stays strictly singular.
How would I turn this sentence into a question asking 'How many plates are on the table?'
You simply replace the number on with the question word kaç (how many). The question becomes Masada kaç tabak var? Just like with numbers, the noun stays singular after kaç.
What does the -da at the end of masada do?
It tells us where something is located. Masa means 'table', and the suffix -da means 'in', 'on', or 'at'. Together, masada means 'on the table'.
Why is var placed at the very end of the sentence?
Var means 'there is' or 'there are'. In Turkish, the word that acts as the verb or states existence almost always goes at the very end of the sentence. The literal word order is 'On the table ten plate there are'.