1At a glance
Are you saying whether something’s there, or where it is? Whether: that’s var and yok, Evde süt var mı? Where: neither of them, Süt nerede? — Süt masada.
There is, there isn’t var/yok
- What it says
- whether something’s somewhere
- How it’s built
- where (-da) → what → var or yok
- Example
- Bahçede iki ağaç var.
- Question and answer
- — Evde süt var mı? — Yok.
- Its quirk
- they also make “what’s new?”: Ne var ne yok?
I’ve got -(ı)m var
- What it says
- who’s got what
- How it’s built
- the thing with “my” or “your” on it → var or yok
- Example
- Bir ablam var.
- Question and answer
- — Kardeşin var mı? — Yok.
- Its quirk
- a named owner takes the genitive: Ayşe’nin arabası var
| who | varyes | yokno | var mıquestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| benI | evim var | evim yok | evim var mı? |
| senyou | evin var | evin yok | evin var mı? |
| ohe, she | evi var | evi yok | evi var mı? |
| bizwe | evimiz var | evimiz yok | evimiz var mı? |
| sizyou (pl.) | eviniz var | eviniz yok | eviniz var mı? |
| onlarthey | evi var | evi yok | evi var mı? |
2The key points
- Var and yok are the whole of the sentence’s verb: nothing else is needed. They go right at the end: Cebimde iki lira var.
- Whose it is goes on the thing, not on var: param var, paran var, paramız yok.
- To ask, put mı straight after them: var mı?, yok mu? One word answers it: Var. Yok. Yok mu? asks in surprise: “what, isn’t there any?”
- After a number there’s no -lar, in either job: üç elma var, iki çocuğumuz var.
- “There isn’t” is yok, not değil. Değil says it isn’t that: Bu çay değil, “this isn’t tea”. Yok says there isn’t any: Çay yok, “there’s no tea”.
3How it works
The order is like a film: first the place, then what’s in it, then whether it’s there. The place takes -da; the thing stays as it is:
When the owner isn’t “I” or “you” but someone you name, the owner takes the genitive and the thing takes “his” (Lesson 7). Onlar has the same form as o; onların says who it is:
The lessons haven’t got to this yet, but you’ll hear it straight away. “I’ve got” can also be said with the locative: bende, “on me”. Kalemim var: I’ve got a pen, my own. Bende kalem var: I’ve got a pen on me, right now, and whose it is doesn’t matter:
Var and yok also take the “I”, “you”, “we” endings, like any word without a verb. Mostly when someone’s inviting you along:
And in conversation yok can just mean “no”, the homely way, instead of hayır:
4In real life
5Where it’s easy to slip
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kardeş var. | Kardeşim var. | Without “my” it’s “there’s a brother somewhere”. “I’ve got” is the ending on the thing. |
| Evde çay değil. | Evde çay yok. | “There isn’t” is yok. Değil is “it isn’t…”. |
| Anahtar çantada var. | Anahtar çantada. | We know the key; the question is where it is: no var. |
| Üç kardeşlerim var. | Üç kardeşim var. | No -lar after a number. |
| Yok mı? | Yok mu? | Mı takes its vowel from yok: after o it’s mu. |
6Check yourself
Four questions, and each brings two or three rules together. Each wrong answer slips on just one thing, so read every one to the end.
1A new colleague asks about your family. Say: “I’ve got a big sister, but no brother.”
2You’re at Ayşe’s. There’s börek and baklava on the table, but no tea in sight. Ask, surprised: “Is there no tea?”
3You need to get to the airport and wonder about asking Can for a lift. Ask a friend whether Can has a car.
4You’re showing a guest round the garden: “There are two trees in the garden, but no flowers.” Fill in the gap.
Bahçede ? , ama çiçek yok.