Var and Yok (There is / There is not)

The words var and yok are the equivalents of “there is/there are” and “there isn’t/there aren’t” respectively. “Var olmak” means “to exist“. If “var” is used with a subject, this indicates that something exists. Conversely, “Yok olmak” means “disappear“. If used with a subject “Yok” indicates the non-existence of something.

“Var” and “Yok” are such useful two words that you would easily use a grammatical change.

Yok: There is not / There are not

“Yok” indicates something’s or someone’s absence.

Example:

Moreover, “Yok” can mean “No”. But please watch out when using this way because this use is a little bit of informal even though it can make you sound like a real Turkish native.

Var: There is / There are

“Var” indicates something’s existence. For example, Burada sadece pastahane var. (eng. there is only patisserie here.)

Example:

Annenler evde var mı? (lit. Are your mothers at home? The overuse of the plural suffix -ler/-lar somehow makes the sentence more polite. Even, Annenler evde varlar mı? or Annenler evdeler mi? )

In Turkish, ” sahip olmak ” or “haiz olmak” (old use) means “to have”. Instead of using these words, Turkish people simply use “var” or “yok” to describe the things they have.

Example:

The last two translations may look odd in English; however, in Turkish saying “Benim korkum yok.” is easier than saying “Ben korkuya sahip değilim.”

Easy Examples with Var Yok

Paradigm of var/yok

In this part, we will see the change of var and yok with different tenses.

Var and Yok is the base form of third-person-singular. For other persons, the personal suffixes can be added. You’d mostly encounter var and yok without personal suffix; However, ‘varım’ or ‘yokum’ can be encountered as well. Yet these uses are ‘frozen’ and mostly used for specific concepts.

Example:

Var mısın, Yok musun?
eng. Are you in or out?
fr. Cap ou pas cap?

Question Form: Var mı? / Yok mu?

Question form of var and yok is very simple. It is formed by adding question suffix -mı and -mu at the end of var and yok, respectively.

Example:

Idiomatic Expressions with Var and Yok

When Var and Yok is used together, that defines the quantity of something. “Var yok” can be translated as “a little bit”. Also, there exists another way of saying: “Varla yok arası” (var ile yok arası).

In this context, “varla yok arası” also implies that “very slight, miniscule”. Do we have pasta at home? Varla yok arası (very litte, we must buy)

Basic Question Words