Learn Hardcore Turkish: Aile, hayatın vazgeçilmez değerlerinden biridir. - Family is one of life’s indispensable values.

Aile means Family. In Turkish, it's common to introduce the topic or subject at the beginning of a sentence, and placing Aile first—with a comma following—emphasizes it as the central theme.

Why is hayatın written with the suffix -ın, and what does this indicate?

Hayatın is the genitive form of hayat (meaning life). The suffix -ın indicates possession, linking life to what follows—in this case, suggesting that the values discussed belong to or are associated with life (i.e., life’s indispensable values).

How is the phrase vazgeçilmez değerlerinden constructed?

The phrase breaks down as follows: • Vazgeçilmez is an adjective meaning indispensable.
• Değer means value, and adding the plural suffix -ler forms değerler (values).
• The possessive marker -in combines with the plural to become değerlerinin, but here, it joins with the ablative/postpositional form -den, resulting in değerlerinden, which means of the values (connecting it to hayatın).

What role does biridir play in the sentence, and how does it express “one of” in Turkish?

Biridir combines bir (meaning one) with the linking verb -dir (a formal, definitive form of “is”). In Turkish, to express “is one of…”, you attach -den to the group (here, değerlerinden) and follow it with biridir. Together, they translate to is one of (the) values.

Is the comma after Aile necessary, and what does it signify?

The comma after Aile isn’t strictly obligatory, but it is a common stylistic choice in Turkish. It serves to set off the topic (in this case, Family) from the rest of the sentence, thereby enhancing clarity and emphasizing that what follows is a comment or description about the topic.