"Macaristan'da kumsal var mı?"
Translation:Are there any beaches in Hungary?
40 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
"beach" is actually a pretty generic term in English and we use it for most places with sand by the side of the ocean (just like "kumsal"). It can be rocks as well though.
It doesn't have to be a tourist destination for recreation like "plaj." "sahil/kıyı" are more like shore/coast (although there are a lot of blurred lines here).
There is definitely not a 1 to 1 correlation between all of these words in Turkish and English.
As a native English speaker (Australian) I would not say so. 'Beach' refers to a sandy, or perhaps pebbly, area of seaside. Not rocky, not a general term for coastline.
1429
Salam Can you help please var mı means is there why the correct answar Are there how to explain this Thanks
- 1912
Let me quote Anna from a comment below:
"Is there any...?" for uncountable entities, "Are there any...?" for countable items.
---> So in English you should use the plural form "are there."
"var mı" can have both meanings "is there" and "are there" depending on the context.
- 735
"var" itself doesn't express singular or plural.
German phrase "Es gibt" is same with Turkish. And so are Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
"Plaj" is a human-developed beach with services, such as a resort beach.
"Kumsal" is any beach, even an inaccessible one for example.
It reminds me of a conversation I participated in on Facebook a while back, about the difference between Esperanto "plaĝo" and "strando"; Reta Vortaro lists them as synonyms but Wikipedia notes a difference the same as as between Turkish "kumsal" and "plaj" (that is, "strando" is any beach, where "plaĝo" is a human-developed beach).
That is just a different sentence -- in both languages. "Macaristan'ın kumsalları var mı?"
Credits to https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Mariane584083.
I see THE birds"="kuşları görürüm", because "birds" is definite object, "kuş" at accusative case. "I see A bird" or "i see birds"="kuş görürüm", "birds" indefinite/unspecific object, at nominative case. "I see ONE bird"="bir kuş görürüm". "I seeTWO birds"="iki kuş görürüm" "kuş" remains at singular after a number. "I see A LOT of birds"="çok kuş görürüm", "kuş" at singular because "a lot" is a quantifier, like a number. "The birds or Birds are small animals"="kuşlar küçük hayvanlardır", "kuşlar" is subject. "A bird is a small animal"="kuş küçük bir hayvandır".
I can't quite put my finger on it, but it doesn't sound right (in my humble opinion) with "any" and the singular "beach". Both of these sound correct and interchangeable to me: Are there any beaches? Is there a beach?
But "Is there any beach?" sounds incomplete somehow... Is there any beach with a restaurant? Is there any beach with trees for shade? etc.
I apologize that I can't offer a specific grammar rule or an outside source to support my humble opinion... But if it sounds the same to you, perhaps it's a regional difference? :-)
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A-ha, thank you! I checked some English grammar platforms, and the most frequent answer by those users was: "Is there any...?" for uncountable entities, "Are there any...?" for countable items. Another user held that "Are there any..." asks for the presence in some specific location ("beaches in Hungary") whereas "Is there any" asks for possible existence per se (similar to your "beach with a restaurant/trees for shade"). I guess my brain was set to (uncountable) beach 'experience' rather than sand-covered square metres of ground next to waters, when I wrote "any beach" ;-))
Not sure where the word "any" comes into play in the Turkish sentence...
drumwhacker
Hello.
"Macaristan'da kumsal var mı?" - Are there any beaches in Hungary?
I'll try to explain:
Macaristan'da - In Hungary. A proper noun with an apostrophe + "-da" locative suffix.
Kumsal - beach or beaches in English & singular in Turkish.
Var mı? - are there?
Are there beaches in Hungary? - This is a very accurate English translation to the Turkish question & I agree with you. The word "any" is not needed in the English translation answer.
The Turkish question is only asking if there are beaches in Hungary & "any" does act as a determiner in the English answer.
Any - Determiner - (pronoun) & (adverb)
Thank you.
So the "any" is a bit of added translation, sounds like. I think that's called "mediation", correct? Thank you, Hilmi Bey!
You are welcome & my previous topic comment said there are no beaches in Hungary as it is land locked.
We are now discussing @ work if a lake has a beach & if that is a true definition of a beach? Lake "Balaton" in Budapest. More questions to answer?
Thank you.
Never realized that there was such a contraversy. Here on the Great Lakes between Canada and the USA they sure enough talk of beaches, even though they are fresh water and it is possible on a very clear day to see Canada across Lake Erie from a hilltop just south of North East, Pennsylvania. Possibly the Great Lakes are an exception because they are often thought of as inland seas?
That's awesome! I am a programmer in a digital media group at a college and one of the benefits are interesting "what if" and "did you know" discussions :)
And by mediation I meant, the translation is not exact so as to perhaps have a more natural-sounding sentence as a result. I however, am comfortable with "are there beaches in hungary". As to the answer to the actual question.... in english, there is the word "shore", which people in New Jersey use haha...
Actually, the literal (and acceptable English translation) is In Hungary, are there any beaches ? (Of course, Duo must not be a native english speaker and so doesn't accept this. Of course! , he speaks owlish)
What happens to the Turkish sentence if we incorporate 'any' in it? Would the word 'hiç' be used?
It is in Plural, and why it is not written in the plural in Turkish is because the general direct object can't be in the plural. for further clarification check this link out
It cannot be "the beach" here, because you are not talking about a specific beach.
Do they have beaches in Hungary? Not accepted. I cannot see why. It seems to be a more accurate translation of the Turkish given, and is perfectly acceptable English.
That is just a different sentence -- in both languages. "Onların Macaristan'da kumsalları var mı?"