Ambalaj sağlam olmalı.

Packaging should be sturdy.

Breakdown of Ambalaj sağlam olmalı.

• olmak: to be
• -malı: should
• ambalaj: the packaging
• sağlam: sturdy

Questions & Answers about Ambalaj sağlam olmalı.

Why isn’t there an English-style article like the or a before ambalaj?

Turkish does not have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns appear in their bare form, and context tells you if something is specific or general. If you really need to clarify, you can use:

• the: bu ambalaj (this packaging)
• a/an: bir ambalaj (a packaging)

What case is ambalaj in, and why doesn’t it take any suffix here?

ambalaj is in the nominative (dictionary) form because it functions as the subject of the sentence. In Turkish, only definite direct objects take the accusative -ı/-i suffix. Subjects remain unsuffixed in the nominative.

How does sağlam work in this sentence? Why doesn’t it get a case or possessive ending?

Here sağlam is a predicate adjective (‘sturdy’), describing ambalaj. When an adjective comes after a noun as the predicate (with olmak as the copula), it stays in its basic form and does not take any extra suffix. The verb olmak carries tense, mood, and agreement.

What is the function of -malı in olmalı, and what does olmalı mean here?

-malı is the necessitative or obligative mood suffix, equivalent to “must” or “should.” You attach it to a verb root:
• ol- (to be) + -malı = olmalı, meaning must be.

Can you express the same idea using another structure, for example with gerek or zorunda?

Yes. Two common alternatives are:
• Ambalajın sağlam olması gerekir. (“The packaging’s being sturdy is necessary.”)
• Ambalaj sağlam olmak zorunda. (“Packaging is obliged to be sturdy.”)

How would you change olmalı if you wanted to say “I must be …” or “you must be …”?

You add a person ending to the necessitative:
• olmalıyım = I must be
• olmalısın = you must be
• olmalı = he/she/it must be (general)
• olmalıyız = we must be, etc.

Why is the word order Ambalaj sağlam olmalı instead of Sağlam ambalaj olmalı or some other order?

Turkish default for a copular sentence is Subject–Predicate Adjective–Verb. Here:
Subject = Ambalaj, Predicate Adjective = sağlam, Verb Phrase = olmalı.
You can swap for emphasis, but S-P-V feels most natural.

How do you pronounce the ğ in sağlam, and where is the stress in each word?

• ğ (yumuşak ge) isn’t a hard “g.” It lengthens the preceding vowel, so sağlam sounds like [saa-lam].
• Stress patterns:
– ambalaj : am-ba-LAJ
– sağlam : sağ-LAM
– olmalı : ol-MA-lı