Kargo zamanında teslim edilmeli.

Cargo must be delivered on time.

Breakdown of Kargo zamanında teslim edilmeli.

• zamanında: on time
• teslim etmek: to deliver
• kargo: the cargo

Questions & Answers about Kargo zamanında teslim edilmeli.

What does the suffix -meli indicate in teslim edilmeli?

The suffix -meli expresses necessity or obligation. In English, it’s equivalent to must or should, indicating that something is required to happen.

How is the passive voice formed in teslim edilmeli?

• The base verb is teslim etmek (to deliver).
• To form the passive, etmek takes the passive suffix -il → edilmek.
• Then we add the necessity suffix -meli → edilmeli.
• Finally, teslim
  • edilmeli gives teslim edilmeli (“must be delivered”).

Why is there no explicit subject in Kargo zamanında teslim edilmeli?

Passive statements in Turkish often omit the agent (the doer). The sentence means “The cargo must be delivered on time,” with an unspecified subject (“it/one/you must deliver it”), so the agent is left out.

Why does zamanında include the suffixes -ın and -da?

• zaman is the noun time.
• -ın is the third-person singular possessive, giving zamanın (“its time”).
• -da is the locative case, indicating “at” or “in”.
• Combined, zaman+ın+da → zamanında means “at its time,” i.e. “on time.”

Is it possible to change the word order in this sentence?

Yes. Turkish has a relatively flexible word order, though SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) is default. For emphasis, you could say:
• Zamanında kargo teslim edilmeli. (emphasizing zamanında)
• Kargo mutlaka zamanında teslim edilmeli. (adding mutlaka for extra emphasis)
But random reordering like Zamanında teslim edilmeli kargo would sound awkward.

How would you turn this into a yes/no question?

Add the question particle -mi after the verb:
Kargo zamanında teslim edilmeli mi?
This means “Should the cargo be delivered on time?”

How do you form the negative of this necessity?

Insert the negative marker -me- before -meli:
Kargo zamanında teslim edilmemeli.
This literally means “The cargo must not be delivered on time” (i.e. one should avoid delivering it on time).

What is an alternative way to express the same idea using gerek or lazım?

You can use a noun clause plus gerek/lazım:
• Kargonun zamanında teslim edilmesi gerekiyor.
• Kargonun zamanında teslim edilmesi lazım.
Both mean “It is necessary that the cargo be delivered on time.”

How can you express the same obligation actively with a specified subject?

Use an active verb form and include the subject pronoun if needed:
Biz kargoyu zamanında teslim etmeliyiz.
This means “We must deliver the cargo on time.”

Why is the verb teslim edilmek formed from teslim and etmek?

• teslim is originally a noun (borrowed from Arabic).
• Turkish uses etmek to turn many nouns into verbs (literally “to do noun”).
• So teslim etmek means “to deliver.”
• The passive of etmek is edilmek.
• Therefore teslim edilmek is the passive form “to be delivered.”