Learn Hardcore Turkish: Fonksiyonellik tasarımda önemli. - Functionality is important in design.

In Turkish the simple present copula (the equivalent of English “is”) is usually omitted. A predicate adjective like önemli (“important”) stands on its own at the end of the sentence. For a more formal tone you could add the suffix -dir (making önemlidir), but in everyday speech it’s perfectly normal to drop it.

What does the suffix -da in tasarımda signify?

That -da is the locative case ending. It means “in” or “within.” So tasarımda literally translates to “in design” or “within design,” indicating context or location.

Why is tasarımda written as a single word rather than tasarım da?

When da/de is a case suffix (locative, in this case), it attaches directly to the noun without a space. If you saw da written separately (with a space), it would be the conjunction meaning “also,” not the locative case.

How do we know to use -da versus -de in tasarımda?

Turkish vowel harmony rules dictate that the locative suffix matches the last vowel of the word. Tasarım ends in a, a back vowel, so you use the back-vowel form -da. If the last vowel had been a front vowel (e, i, ö, ü), you’d use -de.

What part of speech is önemli, and why does it appear at the end?

Önemli is an adjective functioning as a predicate adjective. In Turkish clause structure, the predicate (whether verb or adjective) normally comes last, completing the sentence after any topics or adverbial phrases.

Why is fonksiyonellik used here instead of fonksiyonel?

Fonksiyonel is an adjective meaning “functional.”
Adding the suffix -lik turns it into a noun meaning “functionality.”
Since the sentence pattern is [noun] [locative] [predicate], we need the noun fonksiyonellik (“functionality”), not the adjective fonksiyonel.

How is fonksiyonellik built from its components?

It comes from three parts:
1) fonksiyon (“function”) – a root noun
2) -el – an adjectival suffix (→ fonksiyonel, “functional”)
3) -lik – a nominalizing suffix (→ fonksiyonellik, “functionality”)

How flexible is the word order in Fonksiyonellik tasarımda önemli?

Turkish is fairly flexible, but a common pattern is:
1) Context/adverbial (tasarımda)
2) Topic or subject (fonksiyonellik)
3) Predicate (önemli)
You could swap (Tasarımda fonksiyonellik önemli) or emphasize differently, but the predicate stays at the end.

Could you replace tasarımda with tasarım için, and what would change?

Yes, grammatically both are valid, but the nuance differs:

tasarımda = “in design” (context/field)
tasarım için = “for design” (purpose)
So Fonksiyonellik tasarımda önemli says “Functionality is important in the design phase/field,” whereas Fonksiyonellik tasarım için önemli would mean “Functionality is important for the design (to succeed).”