What are common mistakes with Var / yok?

Learners try to use a 'have' verb (sahip olmak). Turkish uses possessive suffix + var/yok instead. 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'I have a car' → Araba-m var (my-car exists). Completely different structure! 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian 'У меня есть' structure is very similar to Turkish possessive + var! 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech 'Mám auto' uses a verb. Turkish var/yok is a different approach. 🇩🇪 German speakers: German 'Ich habe' uses a verb. Must switch to existence construction.

Var / yok: kurallar, örnekler ve alıştırmalar | Turkish Grammar A1

Var / yok

A1 — Ekler

Existence expressions: var (there is/I have) and yok (there isn't/I don't have)

Can express existence and possession using var/yok

Existence expressions: var (there is/I have) and yok (there isn't/I don't have)

Examples

Arabam var ama param yok. — I have a car but I have no money.
Burada tuvalet var mı? — Is there a toilet here?
Zamanın var mı? — Hayır, zamanım yok. — Do you have time? — No, I don't have time.

EklerA1

Var / yok

Existence expressions: var (there is/I have) and yok (there isn't/I don't have)

Learning Goal

Can express existence and possession using var/yok

Exam Skills:KonuşmaYazma

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Arabam var ama param yok.

I have a car but I have no money.

Burada tuvalet var mı?

Is there a toilet here?

Zamanın var mı? — Hayır, zamanım yok.

Do you have time? — No, I don't have time.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Var = var (there is, exists, I have). Yok = yok (there isn't, doesn't exist, I don't have).

Yapı	Anlam	Örnek
X var.	X exists / There is X	Su var. (There is water.)
X yok.	X doesn't exist / There is no X	Su yok. (There is no water.)
X-im var.	I have X	Arabam var. (I have a car.)
X-im yok.	I don't have X	Param yok. (I have no money.)

Dikkat: Türkçe'de 'have' (sahip olmak) fiili günlük dilde nadiren kullanılır. Bunun yerine possessive + var/yok kullanılır!

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Learners try to use a 'have' verb (sahip olmak). Turkish uses possessive suffix + var/yok instead. 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'I have a car' → Araba-m var (my-car exists). Completely different structure!

Common Error Patterns

Used sahip olmak instead of possessive + var/yok

Daily Turkish: possessive suffix + var/yok, not sahip olmak

Arabam var ama param yok.

I have a car but I have no money.

arabam var / param yok: possessive + exists/doesn't exist.

Burada tuvalet var mı?

Is there a toilet here?

var mı: is there? (question particle mı).

Zamanın var mı? — Hayır, zamanım yok.

Do you have time? — No, I don't have time.

zamanın var mı / zamanım yok: your-time exists? / my-time doesn't.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

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Frequently asked questions

When is Var / yok used?: Var = var (there is, exists, I have). Yok = yok (there isn't, doesn't exist, I don't have).
How is Var / yok formed?: Dikkat: Türkçe'de 'have' (sahip olmak) fiili günlük dilde nadiren kullanılır. Bunun yerine possessive + var/yok kullanılır!
What are common mistakes with Var / yok?: Learners try to use a 'have' verb (sahip olmak). Turkish uses possessive suffix + var/yok instead. 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'I have a car' → Araba-m var (my-car exists). Completely different structure! 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian 'У меня есть' structure is very similar to Turkish possessive + var! 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech 'Mám auto' uses a verb. Turkish var/yok is a different approach. 🇩🇪 German speakers: German 'Ich habe' uses a verb. Must switch to existence construction.