Breakdown of Mekanizma çalışmazsa teknik servisi aramalısınız.
çalışmak
to work
servis
the service
teknik
technical
aramak
to call
Questions & Answers about Mekanizma çalışmazsa teknik servisi aramalısınız.
Why does çalışmazsa combine -ma and -sa instead of using separate words for “not” and “if”?
In Turkish, negation and condition are suffixes attached directly to the verb root. Here’s the breakdown:
- verb root: çalış- (to work)
- negative suffix: -ma → çalışma (does not work)
- conditional suffix: -sa → çalışmazsa (if it does not work)
You never need a separate word for “not” or “if” in this construction.
Do I have to use eğer before çalışmazsa to say “if”?
No. The suffix -sa already carries the “if” meaning. Adding eğer is optional and a bit more formal or emphatic. Both are correct:
- Mekanizma çalışmazsa… (If the mechanism doesn’t work…)
- Eğer mekanizma çalışmazsa… (If the mechanism doesn’t work…)
Why is mekanizma not marked with any suffix here?
Mekanizma is the subject of the sentence, and Turkish subjects don’t take a special case ending in simple declarative or conditional clauses. Only definite direct objects get the accusative suffix.
Why does servisi have -i at the end?