Çalışmadan başarılı olunamaz.

You cannot succeed without working.

Breakdown of Çalışmadan başarılı olunamaz.

• olmak: to be
• çalışmak: to work
• başarılı: successful
• -madan: without

Questions & Answers about Çalışmadan başarılı olunamaz.

What does the suffix -madan in çalışmadan mean, and how is it used here?

The suffix -madan is added to a verb stem to express “without doing” that action. In çalışmadan, it attaches to çalış- (from çalışmak, “to work”) and means “without working.”

How is the word olunamaz formed, and what does its construction tell us about possibility or ability?

Olunamaz comes from the verb olmak (“to be”) with the negative potential suffix -amaz. This form indicates that something “cannot be” done—in this case, it implies that becoming successful is impossible without working.

Why is there no explicit subject in Çalışmadan başarılı olunamaz, and how does Turkish normally handle subjects in general statements?

Turkish often omits the subject in general truths or proverbs because the statement applies universally (similar to saying “one” or “you” in English). In this sentence, the lack of an explicit subject emphasizes that the rule applies to everyone: without working, success is unattainable.

How does the word order in this sentence differ from English, and what is the typical structure in Turkish for such expressions?

Turkish typically places modifiers or adverbial phrases at the beginning. Here, çalışmadan (“without working”) comes first, followed by the quality başarılı (“successful”) and then the verb olunamaz (“cannot be”). English usually requires a subject at the beginning, so the structure in Turkish emphasizes conditions before stating the outcome.