Learn Hardcore Turkish: Enflasyondaki azalma eğilimi fiyatları makul seviyeye çekti. - The downward trend in inflation brought prices down to reasonable levels.

The suffix -ki attaches to a noun in a locative case (here enflasyonda, “in inflation”) to form a relative adjective meaning “which is in/at inflation.” So enflasyondaki literally means “the one in inflation,” and it modifies azalma eğilimi to give “the downward trend in inflation.”

What is the structure and meaning of azalma eğilimi?

azalma = azalmak (to decrease) + -ma (noun-forming suffix) ⇒ “a decrease”
eğilim = “tendency”
The -i on eğilim is the 3rd-person possessive suffix making it definite: “the tendency of that decrease.”
Put together, azalma eğilimi means “the decrease’s tendency,” i.e. “downward trend.”

Why is fiyatları in the accusative case and what does the -ı suffix do?

fiyatlar = “prices.”
-ı is the definite accusative marker, so fiyatları = “the prices.”
This tells us that fiyatları is a specific direct object of the verb çekti. Without -ı, it would mean “prices” in a general, indefinite sense.

Why is seviye inflected as seviyeye, and what case is that?

seviyeye = seviye (level) + -ye (dative suffix, “to/toward”).
So makul seviyeye translates as “to a reasonable level.” It shows the direction or target of the action.

How does çekti (from çekmek) function in fiyatları makul seviyeye çekti?

Literally çekmek means “to pull.” In this idiom, fiyatları makul seviyeye çekmek = “to pull/bring the prices down to a (reasonable) level.” It’s a common collocation in Turkish economic language.

Could we use indirdi (from indirmek) instead of çekti, and is there a nuance difference?

Yes. fiyatları makul seviyeye indirdi also means “(someone) lowered the prices to a reasonable level.”

indirmek = “to lower” (more direct)
çekmek = “to pull/bring” (a bit more figurative)
In practice, they’re interchangeable here.

What does makul mean, and can it modify other nouns?

makul = “reasonable,” “fair,” or “moderate.” It’s an adjective and can describe many nouns, e.g.:

makul fiyat (reasonable price)
makul ücret (fair wage)
makul süre (reasonable time)

What’s the difference between azalma and düşüş when talking about a downward trend?

Both refer to something going down, but:

azalma emphasizes the process of decreasing
düşüş emphasizes the act or event of falling
In economic contexts, enflasyondaki azalma eğilimi and enflasyondaki düşüş eğilimi are largely interchangeable with only a subtle nuance.

Why isn’t the subject enflasyondaki azalma eğilimi marked by a special suffix? How do we know it’s the subject?

Turkish doesn’t require a case ending for the subject in a transitive sentence. Word order and context signal the subject. Here, the noun phrase enflasyondaki azalma eğilimi comes before the verb çekti, so it’s understood as the subject performing the action.