Learn Hardcore Turkish: İş yerinde, projeyi tamamlamak büyük bir sorumluluk. - At work, completing the project is a big responsibility.

İş yerinde translates to "at the workplace". In the sentence, it functions as an adverbial phrase that sets the context by indicating where the action takes place. Turkish often places such locative expressions at the beginning of a sentence to immediately establish the setting.

What role does projeyi tamamlamak play in this sentence?

Projeyi tamamlamak is an infinitive clause that serves as the subject of the sentence. It literally means "completing the project." Although it contains the object "projeyi" (with the accusative suffix indicating a specified project) and the infinitive verb "tamamlamak" (to complete), together they form a noun phrase conveying the action that is considered a big responsibility.

Why is there no explicit linking verb (like "is") in the sentence?

In Turkish, the copula (the equivalent of the English verb "to be") is often omitted in the present tense, especially in nominal sentences that equate two noun phrases. Here, "büyük bir sorumluluk" directly describes the subject without needing an explicit verb—its meaning is understood from the context.

Why is projeyi in the accusative case, and how is it marked in Turkish?

In Turkish, when a noun is definite or specifically identified, it takes the accusative case. The noun "proje" becomes "projeyi" with the addition of the -yi suffix. This marking indicates that the project in question is a particular one being completed, which is essential for clarity in the sentence.

How does this Turkish sentence structure differ from typical English sentence structure?

While the basic meaning is similar, Turkish and English structure sentences differently. In English, one would say, "At the workplace, completing the project is a big responsibility." English requires an explicit linking verb ("is") to connect the subject with its complement, whereas Turkish omits this verb in nominal sentences. Additionally, Turkish often forms an entire idea—like an infinitive phrase—into a subject without additional transformation, reflecting a more flexible word order and reliance on context and case markers to convey meaning.