Breakdown of Savunma planının tolerans sınırlarını belirlemek zorundayız.
plan
the plan
-ın
of
zorunda olmak
to have to
belirlemek
to define
sınır
the limit
savunma
defense
tolerans
tolerance
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Questions & Answers about Savunma planının tolerans sınırlarını belirlemek zorundayız.
What does the suffix -ının in Savunma planının do here?
-ının is the genitive (possessive) case ending attaching to third-person singular nouns. It marks Savunma planı (“defense plan”) as the possessor of what follows. So Savunma planının literally means “of the defense plan.”
Why is tolerans sınırlarını marked with -ı at the end?
In Turkish, a definite direct object takes the accusative suffix -ı/-i/-u/-ü (here -ı by vowel harmony). Since tolerans sınırları (“tolerance limits”) is a specific set of limits we must determine, it becomes tolerans sınırlarını to show it’s a definite object. Without -ı, it would be either indefinite or more generic.
Why doesn’t tolerans take a genitive ending when it modifies sınırları?
Turkish often forms noun-noun compounds by placing the modifier in bare form, like English “tolerance limits.” Only if you need the full “of”-relationship do you use genitive + possessive (e.g. toleransın sınırları). In technical or fixed terms you can drop that genitive.
Could you say toleransın sınırlarını belirlemek zorundayız instead? Is there a nuance?
Yes, you can. Toleransın sınırları is the more explicit “the limits of tolerance,” using the genitive -ın on tolerans + possessive -ı on sınırlar. The meaning is essentially the same; the shorter compound tolerans sınırları is just more streamlined and common in technical contexts.
How is zorundayız built and what does it mean?
Zorundayız comes from the idiom zorunda olmak, meaning “to be obliged to” or “must/have to.” Breakdown:
• zorun- → “obligation/difficulty” root
• -da → locative-like connector (between root and copula)
• ol → “to be” (often dropped in colloquial writing)
• -yız → “we” ending of the copula
Put together zorunda + yız = “we are obliged.”
Why is belirlemek in the infinitive, and why does the main verb come at the end?
When you use a secondary verb with zorunda olmak, the first verb goes into the infinitive (-mek/-mak). Turkish follows SOV order, so you get:
Subject (implied) + objects + infinitive (belirlemek) + main verb (zorundayız).
Why is there no explicit subject like “biz” or an article such as “the”?
- Turkish drops subject pronouns when the person/number is clear from the verb ending. Here -yız on zorundayız already tells you it’s “we.”
- Turkish has no indefinite/definite articles (a/the). Specificity is marked by case endings (e.g. accusative -ı) rather than separate words.