'a' and 'the'

Another instance where Turkish may feel like pidgin English: the use of 'a' and 'the'. Some examples follow.

English	Turkish
The pen is green.	Kalem yeşil
There is a pen.	Kalem var.
The table is big.	Masa büyük.

However, there are times when you may see 'a' used:

English	Turkish
This is a pen	Bu bir kalem.
There is a pen.	Bir kalem var.

My policy will be this: when in doubt, leave it out.