İş tatmini son yıllarda azaldı; tükenmişlik arttı.

İş tatmini means job satisfaction.

Grammatically, tatmin is a noun meaning satisfaction (from the verb tatmin etmek, to satisfy). The ending -i in tatmini is the 3rd person possessive suffix, so literally the phrase is something like the satisfaction of work/job.

This is a very common Turkish pattern:

• iş tatmini = job satisfaction
• hayat kalitesi = quality of life
• su sıcaklığı = water temperature

So even though English often uses two nouns directly, Turkish often builds this kind of idea with a possessive structure.

Because in Turkish, noun-noun combinations of this type usually need a specific structure. The second noun often takes the 3rd person possessive ending.

So:

• iş tatmini = job satisfaction
• not usually iş tatmin

This pattern is sometimes called the indefinite noun compound. The first noun modifies the second noun, and the second noun gets the possessive suffix.

A few more examples:

• okul müdürü = school principal
• şehir merkezi = city center
• masa örtüsü = tablecloth

Son yıllarda means in recent years or over the last years.

Breakdown:

• son = last / recent
• yıllar = years
• -da = the locative ending, meaning in / at / on

So literally, son yıllarda means in the last years.

This is a very common time expression in Turkish. Turkish often uses the locative case for time periods:

• son günlerde = in recent days
• son aylarda = in recent months
• geçen hafta = last week (no locative here, just a fixed time phrase)

Because here -da is a case ending, not the separate word da meaning too / also.

So:

• yıllarda = in the years → one word, because -da is a suffix
• yıllar da = the years too / years also → two words, because da is a separate particle

This distinction is very important in Turkish spelling.

Both are in the simple past tense with -dı / -di / -du / -dü / -tı / -ti / -tu / -tü, depending on vowel harmony and consonant harmony.

• azalmak = to decrease
• azaldı = decreased
• artmak = to increase
• arttı = increased

So the sentence is reporting completed change in the past:

• İş tatmini ... azaldı = Job satisfaction decreased
• tükenmişlik arttı = burnout increased

This is due to consonant harmony.

The past tense suffix is basically -DI, but its first consonant changes to d or t depending on the final sound of the verb stem.

• azal- ends in l, which is voiced, so we get -dı → azaldı
• art- ends in t, which is voiceless, so we get -tı → arttı

Because the stem already ends in t, adding -tı creates ttı:

• art + tı = arttı

Same kind of pattern:

• bakmak → baktı
• gitmek → gitti
• bulmak → buldu

Because Turkish often doesn’t need an explicit subject pronoun when the meaning is clear from context.

In this sentence, the subjects are the nouns themselves:

• İş tatmini = the subject of azaldı
• tükenmişlik = the subject of arttı

So adding a pronoun would be unnecessary.

Turkish does this all the time:

• Fiyatlar arttı. = Prices increased.
• Kalite düştü. = Quality fell.
• İnsanlar yoruldu. = People got tired.

Because Turkish is generally an SOV language: subject-object-verb, and the verb often comes at the end of the clause.

Here there is no object, so the structure is basically:

• İş tatmini = subject
• son yıllarda = time expression
• azaldı = verb

Then:

• tükenmişlik = subject
• arttı = verb

This final-verb pattern is one of the most important sentence patterns in Turkish.

Tükenmişlik means burnout.

It comes from the verb tükenmek, meaning to be exhausted / to run out / to be depleted.

A rough breakdown is:

• tüken- = become exhausted / be used up
• -miş = a participle-related element here as part of the derived form
• -lik = a suffix that forms an abstract noun

You do not need to analyze it every time you see it; it is best learned as a set word meaning burnout.

Other Turkish nouns ending in -lik / -lık / -luk / -lük often express an abstract quality or state:

• iyi → iyilik = goodness
• yalnız → yalnızlık = loneliness
• hasta → hastalık = illness

The semicolon links two closely related statements:

• İş tatmini son yıllarda azaldı
• tükenmişlik arttı

Using a semicolon here gives a slightly more formal, written style and highlights the contrast or relationship between the two trends.

You could also say:

• İş tatmini son yıllarda azaldı ve tükenmişlik arttı.

That is also correct. The semicolon just makes the sentence feel a bit more concise and report-like.

Yes, absolutely.

Both are natural:

• İş tatmini son yıllarda azaldı
• Son yıllarda iş tatmini azaldı

Turkish word order is flexible, especially with time expressions. Moving son yıllarda to the front puts a little more emphasis on the time frame.

So the difference is mainly about focus, not basic meaning.

Turkish does not use articles the same way English does. There is no direct equivalent of the in ordinary noun phrases, and a/an is only sometimes expressed with bir.

So:

• İş tatmini can mean job satisfaction
• tükenmişlik can mean burnout

Whether something is understood as general, definite, or abstract depends a lot on context.

This is very normal in Turkish, especially with abstract nouns and general statements.

By itself, it sounds like a general trend, especially because of son yıllarda and the abstract nouns iş tatmini and tükenmişlik.

It sounds like something from a report, article, or study:

• Job satisfaction has decreased in recent years; burnout has increased.

If the speaker wanted to make it clearly about a specific place or group, Turkish would usually add more context, such as:

• Bu şirkette iş tatmini son yıllarda azaldı. = In this company, job satisfaction has decreased in recent years.
• Çalışanlar arasında tükenmişlik arttı. = Burnout increased among employees.

Yes, depending on context.

Turkish -dı / -di is a past tense, but when English talks about trends up to the present, the best translation may sometimes be the present perfect:

• azaldı = decreased or has decreased
• arttı = increased or has increased

With son yıllarda, English often prefers:

• Job satisfaction has decreased in recent years; burnout has increased.

So the Turkish tense is past, but the most natural English translation can vary.