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Questions & Answers about Çocuklar ilkokulda.
Why does ilkokulda end with -da instead of -de or -ta?
The suffix for "in," "on," or "at" is the locative case, which can appear as -da, -de, -ta, or -te. We use -da here for two reasons. First, the last vowel in ilkokul is u, which is a back vowel, so vowel harmony requires the a form. Second, the word ends in l, which is a voiced consonant, so the suffix starts with d rather than the hard t.
Where is the word for "are" in this sentence?
Turkish doesn't have a separate word for "to be" (am/is/are). When talking about "they" (like "the children"), the verb "are" is simply implied by putting the subject and the location together. Saying Çocuklar ilkokulda is a complete sentence perfectly translating to "The children are at primary school."
Is ilkokul a combination of two different words?
Yes! It is a compound word made of ilk (first) and okul (school). When combined, ilkokul means "primary school" or "elementary school."
Why is the plural suffix on çocuk spelled -lar instead of -ler?