Learn Hardcore Turkish: Çevre dostu ambalaj kullanmak önemli. - Using eco-friendly packaging is important.

Çevre dostu literally means eco-friendly or environment-friendly. It combines çevre (environment) and dost (friend) with the possessive suffix -u, giving environment’s friend.

What is the function of the -u in dostu?

The suffix -u is the third-person singular possessive. It turns dost (friend) into dostu (its friend), so çevre dostu reads as friend of the environment.

Do I need a hyphen in çevre dostu?

No. In Turkish, noun-to-noun compounds like çevre dostu are normally written as two separate words. Hyphens are mainly used for certain prefixes or foreign insertions.

Why is there no article “the” or “a” before ambalaj?

Turkish does not have articles. Nouns are indefinite by default, and definiteness is shown by context or case endings (for example, the accusative -ı).

Why isn’t ambalaj marked with the accusative suffix -ı here?

As the object of the infinitive kullanmak, ambalaj stays indefinite, so it takes no -ı. To say “using the eco-friendly packaging,” you would use ambalajı kullanmak.

What role does kullanmak play in the sentence?

Kullanmak is the infinitive (to use). Turkish infinitives (ending in -mak/-mek) can function like nouns, so çevre dostu ambalaj kullanmak means “using eco-friendly packaging.”

Where is the verb “is” in Turkish?

Turkish omits the copula “to be” in the present tense. Here, önemli (important) serves as the predicate adjective without a separate verb.

How would I make the sentence negative?

Add değil after the adjective:
Çevre dostu ambalaj kullanmak önemli değil.

How do I say “using the eco-friendly packaging” (definite)?

Attach the accusative -ı to ambalaj:
Çevre dostu ambalajı kullanmak önemli.

Why is önemli at the end?

In Turkish, predicates (verbs or adjectives) appear at the very end. Since the infinitive phrase is the subject, önemli naturally follows as the final element.