Questions & Answers about Bu bavul bana ait.
Why does this sentence use bana instead of benim to show possession?
The word ait is a postposition meaning 'belonging to,' and it always requires the word before it to be in the dative (direction) case. So, instead of using the genitive benim (mine), you must say bana ait (literally 'belonging to me').
I forgot, why is 'to me' bana and not bene?
The personal pronouns ben (I) and sen (you) are the only two words in Turkish that change their root vowel when taking the dative suffix. Ben becomes bana (to me) and sen becomes sana (to you).
Where is the verb in this sentence?
There isn't an explicit verb! In Turkish, the 'to be' verb (is/are) is often implied for the third person in the present tense. You are literally saying 'This suitcase [is] belonging to me.' In more formal contexts, you might see the 'is' suffix added to make it Bu bavul bana aittir.
What is the difference between saying Bu bavul bana ait and Bu bavul benim?
They mean almost exactly the same thing. Bu bavul benim translates to 'This suitcase is mine,' which is very common in daily life. Bu bavul bana ait means 'This suitcase belongs to me,' which puts a slightly stronger or more formal focus on the concept of rightful ownership.