Breakdown of Asansör arızalandı ve biz merdivenlerden inmek zorundayız.
ve
and
biz
we
inmek
to go down
zorunda olmak
to have to
asansör
the elevator
merdiven
the stairs
arızalanmak
to break down
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Questions & Answers about Asansör arızalandı ve biz merdivenlerden inmek zorundayız.
What does arızalandı mean and how is the verb formed?
Arızalandı comes from arızalanmak, meaning “to break down” or “malfunction.” You get it by taking the noun arıza (malfunction) + the verb-forming suffix -lan + the infinitive -mak, then adding the past-tense marker -dı in 3rd person singular. So asansör arızalandı = “the elevator broke down.”
Is arızalanmak the same as bozulmak?
Yes, they’re very close.
- arızalanmak is more technical (common in repair/maintenance contexts).
- bozulmak is more general (“to go bad,” “spoil,” or “break”).
You could equally say Asansör bozuldu.
Why is the subject pronoun biz included? Can it be omitted?
Turkish is a pro-drop language: verb endings show the person. Zorundayız already means “we are obliged,” so biz is optional. Writers or speakers add biz for emphasis or clarity, but you could also say simply …ve merdivenlerden inmek zorundayız.
What case is merdivenlerden, and why is merdiven plural?
Merdiven = stair/stairs. You attach:
• -ler for plural (the whole staircase)
• -den for the ablative case (“from”)
Ablative is required because inmek (“to go down”) needs “from where.” Hence merdivenlerden = “from the stairs.”
How does inmek zorundayız express “we have to go down”?
The pattern is [verb-infinitive] + zorunda olmak to express necessity.
- inmek (“to go down”)
- zorunda (“in obligation”)
- olmak (“to be”) → inflected as zorundayız (“we are obliged”)
In everyday speech you often drop olmak, so inmek zorundayız still means “we have to go down.”
Could I use inmemiz gerekiyor or inmeliyiz instead of inmek zorundayız?
Yes. Two common alternatives:
• inmemiz gerekiyor – “it’s necessary for us to go down” (using gerekmek)
• inmeliyiz – “we must go down” (using the obligation suffix -meli/-malı)
All convey the same necessity, though nuances of formality and tone may vary.
Why don’t we say merdivenlerden aşağı inmek or aşağı merdivenlerden inmek?
Inmek inherently means moving downward, so adding aşağı (“down”) is redundant. You can include aşağı for emphasis, but it isn’t required.