There is and to have: var and yok

Turkish expresses “there is” and “to have” with var (there is) and yok (there isn't). There is no verb “to have”: Arabam var literally means “my car exists”.

Meaning	Pattern	Example	Translation
there is	[place] + var	Masada su var.	There is water on the table.
there isn't	[place] + yok	Süt yok.	There is no milk.
have	[possessive] + var	Evim var.	I have a house.
don't have	[possessive] + yok	Zamanım yok.	I don't have time.

How do you say “I have”?

Put the possessive suffix on the thing and add var or yok: *arabam var* (I have a car).
The pronoun is optional and takes the genitive: *(Benim) arabam var.*
For questions add mı: *Vaktin var mı?* (Do you have time?).
var and yok come at the end; the place or owner comes first.

Examples

Benim bir ablam var.I have an older sister.
Bugün hiç vaktim yok.I have no time at all today.
Evde ekmek var mı?Is there any bread at home?
Burada bir sorun mu var?Is there a problem here?
Onun arabası yok.He doesn't have a car.

Common mistakes

✗ Ben var bir araba.✓ Benim bir arabam var.English “I have a car” has a verb after the subject; Turkish says “my car exists”: (benim) bir arabam var.
✗ Orada var bir kafe.✓ Orada bir kafe var.English “there is a café” puts the verb early; var always comes at the end of the sentence.
✗ Benim arabam var değil.✓ Benim arabam yok.“Don't have” is yok; değil negates nouns and adjectives, not var.
✗ Senin araba var mı?✓ Senin araban var mı?The owned thing needs the possessive suffix even after senin: araban var mı.
✗ Çay var mi?✓ Çay var mı?The question particle follows the a in var: var mı.