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Questions & Answers about Şemsiye kapının yanında.
How does yanında translate to "next to"?
In Turkish, spatial words like this are built like a puzzle. yan means "side", -ı means "its", the -n- is a buffer letter, and -da is the locative suffix meaning "at" or "in". So, yanında literally means "at its side".
Why do we add -nın to kapı (door)?
To use spatial words like yanında, Turkish uses a structure similar to "the door's side". The -nın suffix acts like the English "'s" or "of". Together, kapının yanında literally translates to "at the side of the door" or "at the door's side".
Why are there two "n"s in kapının?
The root word is kapı (door), which ends in a vowel. The suffix we want to add for "of" is -ın. To prevent two vowels from being next to each other, Turkish uses a buffer letter. For this specific suffix, the buffer is always n, making it kapı + n + ın.
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
In simple sentences stating where something is, Turkish doesn't use a separate verb for "is" (for "he/she/it"). Just placing the subject (şemsiye) before the location (kapının yanında) is all you need to mean "The umbrella is next to the door."