Bisiklet zinciri haftada bir yağlanmalı.

The bicycle chain should be oiled once a week.

Breakdown of Bisiklet zinciri haftada bir yağlanmalı.

• bisiklet zinciri: the bicycle chain
• yağlanmak: to be oiled
• haftada bir: once a week

Questions & Answers about Bisiklet zinciri haftada bir yağlanmalı.

What is the function of the suffix -malı in yağlanmalı?

The suffix -malı (or -meli after front vowels) marks the necessitative mood, expressing obligation or recommendation. It corresponds to English “must” or “should.” In yağlanmalı, it means “it should be lubricated.”

Why is the verb in passive form (yağlanmak) instead of active (yağlamak) here?

yağlanmak is the passive of yağlamak (“to lubricate”). Using the passive means the bicycle chain is the recipient of the action (it gets lubricated), rather than the subject doing the lubricating.

Why does zinciri carry the -i ending instead of appearing as zincir?

The ending -i is the definite accusative marker, used here to signal that we’re talking about a specific chain (the bicycle chain). In Turkish you can also use the accusative on a passive subject to highlight definiteness.

What kind of compound is bisiklet zinciri, and why is bisiklet unchanged?

bisiklet zinciri is a noun-noun compound meaning “bicycle chain.” In such compounds the first noun stays in its bare form and acts like an adjective, so bisiklet (“bicycle”) simply describes zinciri (“chain”).

Could I instead say bisikletin zinciri? What’s the nuance?

Yes. bisikletin zinciri means “the chain of the bicycle” (using the genitive-possessive). It’s slightly more explicit about ownership, whereas bisiklet zinciri is a standard compound. In everyday use they’re interchangeable.

How is the time expression haftada bir structured, and what does it mean?

– hafta = “week”
– -da (locative) → haftada = “in/each week”
– bir = “one”
Putting them together, haftada bir means “once a week.”

Can I replace haftada bir with other phrases?

Absolutely. You can say her hafta bir kez, haftada bir kere, or haftada bir defa; all of these mean “once a week.”

Does the placement of haftada bir in the sentence matter?

Turkish word order is flexible. Both below are correct:
• Bisiklet zinciri haftada bir yağlanmalı.
• Haftada bir bisiklet zinciri yağlanmalı.
Starting with the time phrase (second example) is common in formal or instructional contexts.

What if I use yağlanmalıdır instead of yağlanmalı—any difference?

yağlanmalıdır adds the formal suffix -dır (“it is/does”), making it sound more official or technical (“it must be lubricated”). yağlanmalı is slightly less formal but still expresses the same obligation.

Is there a specific person doing the lubricating in yağlanmalı?

No personal ending (like -yım, -sın, etc.) appears. This is an impersonal or generic recommendation: “It should be lubricated” (you/one should do it).