Breakdown of Cepte hiçbir şey yok.
yok
there is not / non-existent
şey
thing
hiçbir
no / not any (determiner)
cep
pocket
Questions & Answers about Cepte hiçbir şey yok.
Why is şey written as a separate word in hiçbir şey?
In Turkish, the word şey (thing) is always written separately. While English combines words to make 'nothing' or 'everything', Turkish keeps them apart. hiçbir means 'no' or 'not one', so hiçbir şey literally translates to 'not one thing'.
Do I always have to use a negative word like yok with hiçbir şey?
Yes! When you use hiçbir (no / not any) or hiçbir şey (nothing), the verb or existence word at the end must also be negative. Here, you must use yok (there is not). In Turkish, double negatives are required, so you are literally saying 'There is not not-any-thing in the pocket.'
I learned the word for pocket is cep. Why is the suffix -te instead of -de for 'in'?
This is a quick reminder of consonant mutation. The word cep ends in a hard consonant (p). When the location suffix -de attaches to it, the 'd' hardens into a 't' to match. So, cep plus -de becomes cepte.
Why does cepte come at the beginning of the sentence?
In Turkish sentences that tell you what exists or does not exist using var or yok, the location usually comes first. You start by setting the scene (cepte - in the pocket), then say what is or is not there (hiçbir şey - nothing), and end with yok.
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