Questions & Answers about Odada kasa olup olmadığını soruyor.
How does olup olmadığını translate to "whether or not there is"? I learned to use var and yok for "there is" and "there isn't".
You cannot add most verb suffixes directly to var and yok because they are actually adjectives, not verbs. To make them into an indirect question like "whether there is", we have to substitute them with the verb olmak (to be/become). This structure literally says "its being and its not being", which translates smoothly to "whether or not there is".
Can you break down the exact suffixes used in olup olmadığını?
Sure! First we have olup, which is the verb root ol plus the connecting suffix -up. Then we have olmadığını: ol (root) + -ma (negative) + -dığı (participle with 3rd person possessive, meaning "its") + -n- (buffer letter) + -ı (accusative case).
Why is the accusative case -ı needed at the very end of olmadığını?
The verb sormak (to ask) takes a direct object when you specify exactly what the person is asking. Here, the entire phrase "whether or not there is a safe" acts as the specific thing being asked. Because it is a specific direct object, we must mark it with the accusative suffix.
Doesn't kasa usually mean the checkout or cash register?