Question 1

Why does maliyet become maliyetleri here? What do the suffixes -ler and -i do?

Accepted Answer

-ler is the plural marker (“cost” → “costs”). -i is the accusative marker used when the direct object is definite or specific. Since we’re talking about “the costs,” Turkish adds -i to show it’s a definite object.

Question 2

Could you drop the -i in maliyetleri? When is the accusative case optional in Turkish?

Accepted Answer

If the object is indefinite or nonspecific, you omit the accusative.  
Example:  
Bu taktik maliyetler önemli ölçüde düşürdü.  
(This tactic reduced some costs significantly.)  
No -i means “some costs” rather than “the costs.”

Question 3

What does önemli ölçüde literally mean, and how does it function in the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Literally, önemli = important/significant, ölçüde = “in measure” (locative of ölçü, “measure”). Together they form an adverbial phrase meaning “to a significant extent,” i.e. “significantly.”

Question 4

Why is ölçüde in the locative case (with -de)?

Accepted Answer

Locative -de on ölçü (“measure”) turns it into “in measure,” a common Turkish pattern (… ölçüde) to express “to the extent of …” or “in … terms.” It functions adverbially.

Question 5

How is the verb düşürdü built? What are its parts?

Accepted Answer

Root: düşür- (causative of düş-, “to fall”).  
Past‐tense suffix: -dü (harmonized from -dı/-di/-du/-dü).  
No extra personal ending for 3rd person singular (zero suffix).  
So düşür + -dü = düşürdü “he/she/it reduced (made fall).”

Question 6

Why don’t we see a separate word for “he/she/it” before düşürdü?

Accepted Answer

Turkish is pro-drop: the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows person/number. Here -dü marks 3rd person singular, so düşürdü alone means “he/she/it reduced.”

Question 7

What’s the difference between düşmek and düşürmek?

Accepted Answer

Düşmek (intransitive) = “to fall” or “to go down” (e.g. Maliyet düştü = “Cost fell”).  
Düşürmek (transitive, causative) = “to make something fall,” i.e. “to drop/reduce something” (e.g. Bu taktik maliyetleri düşürdü = “This tactic reduced the costs”).

Question 8

Is word order always Subject–Object–Verb in Turkish? Could önemli ölçüde appear elsewhere?

Accepted Answer

The default is S-O-V: Bu taktik / maliyetleri / önemli ölçüde / düşürdü.  
Adverbs like önemli ölçüde can move before or after the object for nuance:  
Bu taktik önemli ölçüde maliyetleri düşürdü.  
The verb typically stays at the end.

Question 9

Can you use a different verb instead of düşürmek to express “reduce”?

Accepted Answer

Yes, azaltmak also means “to reduce.”  
Example: Bu taktik maliyetleri önemli ölçüde azalttı.  
Both are common; düşürmek often implies “dropping” rates or costs.

Bu taktik maliyetleri önemli ölçüde düşürdü.

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