Questions & Answers about Burada köpek var, korkma.
How is the command "do not be afraid" formed in the word korkma?
To make a negative command for "you" (singular and informal), you take the verb root and add the negative suffix -ma or -me. The root for "to fear" is kork-. Because of vowel harmony (the 'o' in kork- is a back vowel), we use -ma, giving us korkma.
Why isn't there an extra ending on korkma to show who I am talking to?
In Turkish, the "you" (singular and informal) form of the imperative doesn't take a personal suffix. You just use the verb root for positive commands (like kork for "be afraid") or the root plus the negative suffix for negative commands (like korkma for "don't be afraid").
Does Burada köpek var mean "The dog is here" or "There is a dog here"?
It translates best to "There is a dog here." The word var means "exists" or "there is." If you wanted to say "The dog is here," you wouldn't use var. Instead, you would say Köpek burada (literally, "Dog at-here").
Why does "here" translate to Burada instead of just Bura?
The word Bura means "this place". To say that something is located in or at a place, Turkish adds the locative suffix -da or -de (meaning "in", "on", or "at"). So, bura plus -da becomes burada, meaning "at this place" or "here".
Why isn't the word bir (a/an) used before köpek?
You could say Burada bir köpek var, but it is very common in Turkish to drop bir when just stating the general presence of a type of thing. Saying Burada köpek var simply means "There is a dog present" without emphasizing the number.
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