Learn Turkish: Bu kitapta kaç sayfa var? - How many pages are in this book?

In Turkish, whenever you use kaç (how many) or a specific number, the noun that follows it must stay in the singular form. Even though we translate it as 'how many pages' in English, Turkish literally says 'how many page'.

Why does kitap change to kitapta instead of kitapda?

The suffix meaning 'in', 'on', or 'at' is usually -da or -de. However, because kitap ends in a hard consonant (p), the suffix must also start with a hard consonant to make pronunciation easier. So, the d changes to a t, giving us kitapta (in the book).

How does var work in this sentence?

Var means 'there is' or 'there are'. To ask 'how many things are there in a place?', Turkish puts the location first (bu kitapta), then the thing being counted (kaç sayfa), and ends the sentence with var.

Can I move kaç to the very beginning of the sentence?