Breakdown of Masanın üzerinde iki fincan var.
masa
table
iki
two
var
there is / existent
fincan
cup (ceramic/porcelain, e.g., coffee cup)
üzerinde
on (top of); about
Questions & Answers about Masanın üzerinde iki fincan var.
Why does masa have the -nın suffix here?
To say "on the table" in Turkish, you literally say "at the table's top." This uses a possessive phrase. Masanın means "the table's" and üzeri means "its top." Together, they form masanın üzeri (the top of the table).
What do the suffixes in üzerinde mean?
Üzer means "space above" or "top surface." The -i is the possessive suffix ("its"). Then we need the locative suffix -de ("at" or "on") to say "on its top." When adding a spatial suffix like -de to a 3rd-person possessive suffix, Turkish requires the buffer letter -n-, giving us üzer-i-n-de.
Since there are two cups, why isn't it fincanlar?
In Turkish, when you use a number (like iki) or a quantity word before a noun, the noun must stay in its singular form. So, it is always iki fincan (two cup), never iki fincanlar.
How does the sentence structure work with var?
Sentences indicating existence ("there is" or "there are") use var at the very end. The standard order is to put the location first (Masanın üzerinde), the thing that exists second (iki fincan), and var last.
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