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Bu köprü onarılmalı.

Bu köprü onarılmalı.
This bridge must be repaired.
FromLesson 58inHardcore Turkish
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Questions & Answers about Bu köprü onarılmalı.

What does the suffix -malı in onarılmalı signify?
The suffix -malı (or -meli, depending on vowel harmony) is the necessity (gereklilik) mood. It adds a meaning of “must/should do” when attached to a verb. So onarılmalı means “must be repaired” or “needs to be repaired.”
Why is the form onarılmalı and not onarmalı?

Because the sentence is in the passive voice before adding necessity.

  1. Start with onar (to repair)
  2. Add the passive suffix -ıl- → onarıl- (to be repaired)
  3. Then add the necessity suffix -malı → onarılmalı (must be repaired)
    If you skipped the passive and just did onarmalı, that would be the active necessity: “(Someone) should repair.”
Can you break down onarılmalı into its morphemes?

Yes:

  • onar = root “repair”
  • -ıl- = passive voice suffix
  • -malı = necessity mood suffix
  • Ø = zero ending for 3rd person singular
    Putting it together: onar-ıl-malı-Ø = “it must be repaired.”
Why doesn’t köprü take the accusative ending here?
In a passive sentence, the thing undergoing the action becomes the subject and stays in the nominative. You only use the accusative when it’s a direct object of an active verb. So Bu köprü onarılmalı keeps köprü unmarked.
How do I form the negative of onarılmalı?

Insert -ma- (the negative marker) before -malı:
onarılmalı → onarıl-ma-malı = onarılmamalı, meaning “must not be repaired.”

How would I turn it into a question: “Does this bridge need to be repaired?”

Attach the question particle mı to the end:
Bu köprü onarılmalı mı?

How can I express “We should repair this bridge” in active voice?

Use the active necessity and mark the object with accusative:
Bu köprüyü onarmalıyız.

  • Bu köprüyü (this bridge-ACC)
  • onarmalı (should repair)
  • -yız (we)
How do I explicitly mention the agent who must do the repairing?

Use tarafından after the agent in the genitive, or use an indefinite word like birisi:
Bu köprü birisi tarafından onarılmalı.
= “This bridge must be repaired by someone.”
You can replace birisi with mühendisler, yetkililer etc.

Is there an alternative way to convey the same idea using gerekmek?

Yes. You can turn the verb into a noun and use gerekmek (“to be necessary”):
Bu köprünün onarılması gerekiyor.
Literally, “The repairing of this bridge is necessary.”

What is the usual word order and stress pattern for Bu köprü onarılmalı?
  • Word order: Turkish defaults to Subject + (Adverb/Object) + Verb, so Bu köprü (subject) comes before onarılmalı (verb phrase).
  • Stress: Most Turkish words carry stress on the last syllable, so you’d stress -malı in onarılmalı.

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