Elektrik arızası yüzünden asansör tamir edilmeli.

The elevator must be repaired due to an electrical fault.

Breakdown of Elektrik arızası yüzünden asansör tamir edilmeli.

• tamir edilmek: to be repaired
• yüzünden: because of
• asansör: the elevator
• elektrik arızası: the electrical fault
• -meli: to express necessity

Questions & Answers about Elektrik arızası yüzünden asansör tamir edilmeli.

Why does arıza have a -sı suffix in Elektrik arızası?

In Turkish, when you link two nouns in an “izafet” (noun-noun compound), the second noun takes the 3rd person singular possessive suffix to show that the first noun possesses or relates to it. Here, elektrik (electricity) “owns” the breakdown, so arıza becomes arıza­sı, giving elektrik arızası (“electricity’s breakdown” → “electrical failure”).

Moreover, the postposition yüzünden (“because of”) also requires the preceding noun to carry a possessive suffix—so the same -sı serves both purposes.

What is yüzünden, and how does it function in the sentence?

Yüzünden is a postposition meaning because of or due to, used to introduce a cause (often negative). Its form is:

• noun + 3rd-person possessive suffix + yüzünden

In Elektrik arızası yüzünden, it literally means “because of the electrical failure.” It places the reason before the main clause.

Could you use için, dolayı, or nedeniyle instead of yüzünden? What’s the nuance?

Yes. All can express cause, but with slight differences:

• için is neutral and can mark cause or purpose (e.g. Yağmur için şemsiyemi aldım – “I took my umbrella because of the rain” or “for the rain”).
• dolayı and nedeniyle also mean “because of,” often interchangeable with yüzünden, but feel a bit more formal or bookish.
• yüzünden tends to emphasize an unwanted or negative result.

Example conversions:
• Elektrik arızası yüzünden... (common)
• Elektrik arızası nedeniyle... (formal)
• Elektrik arızası dolayısıyla... (formal)
• Elektrik arızası için... (neutral, but could be confused with “for the purpose of electrical failure” in some contexts)

Why isn’t asansör in the accusative case (i.e. why not asansörü)?

In Turkish passive constructions, the original direct object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive and appears in the nominative (unmarked) case. Since tamir edilmek is passive, asansör is the subject and takes no accusative -ü.

How is tamir edilmeli formed? What voice and mood does it express?

tamir edil­­meli combines:
1) tamir etmek (to repair)
2) Passive suffix -il- → tamir edil- (to be repaired)
3) Necessitative/obligation suffix -meli → tamir edilmeli (must/should be repaired)

So it’s a passive voice with the necessitative mood (“has to be repaired”).

How exactly do you form the passive of tamir etmek, yielding tamir edilmek?

In Turkish, the general passive suffix is -il- or -in-, following vowel harmony. For verbs ending in -etmek, assimilation occurs:

1) et- → ed- (t → d between vowels)
2) add -il- → edil-
3) add infinitive -mek → edilmek

Combined with the noun: tamir etmek → tamir edilmek.

What’s the difference between tamir edilmek and tamir olmak?

Both mean “to get repaired,” but:

• tamir edilmek is the formal passive of tamir etmek (often used in official/technical contexts).
• tamir olmak uses olmak (“to become”) to make tamir intransitive. It’s more colloquial:
  • Araba tamir oldu. vs. Araba tamir edildi.
  In most cases they’re interchangeable, though tamir edilmek feels slightly more formal.

How would you specify who must repair the elevator?

By adding an agent with tarafından (“by”):
• Elektrik arızası yüzünden asansör, teknisyen tarafından tamir edilmelidir.
Here teknisyen tarafından makes the agent explicit (“must be repaired by the technician”).

How do you turn the sentence into a question?

Add the interrogative particle mi after the verb (with proper vowel harmony) and raise your intonation:
• Elektrik arızası yüzünden asansör tamir edilmeli mi?
= “Should the elevator be repaired due to the electrical failure?”