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Sabah saatlerinde trafik akışı yavaş.

Sabah saatlerinde trafik akışı yavaş.
Traffic flow is slow in the morning hours.
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Questions & Answers about Sabah saatlerinde trafik akışı yavaş.

What does sabah saatlerinde literally mean, and how is it constructed?

sabah means “morning,” and saatlerinde breaks down into:

  • saat (hour)
  • -ler (plural → hours)
  • -i (3rd-person singular possessive → its hours)
  • -nde (locative case → in)
    Putting it together, sabah saatlerinde means “in the hours of the morning” or “during the morning hours.”
Why does saatlerinde use the locative -nde instead of something like -da?

The suffix -nde is the locative case marker indicating “in” or “at.” You may also see -da/-de variants depending on vowel harmony and consonant assimilation:

  • saat
    • -ler → saatler
  • saatler
    • -i → saatleri (its hours)
  • saatleri
    • -nde → saatlerinde (in its hours)
Why is there no verb like is in “Sabah saatlerinde trafik akışı yavaş”?
In Turkish, the copula (to be) is usually omitted in simple present affirmative sentences. So instead of saying trafik akışı [is] yavaş, you just say trafik akışı yavaş. The meaning “…is slow” is understood.
What grammatical role does trafik akışı play in this sentence?

trafik akışı (“traffic flow”) is the subject.

  • trafik (traffic) modifies akış (flow)
  • Together they form a noun phrase that takes the subject slot.
    The predicate yavaş then describes that subject.
Could you use trafik yoğunluğu (“traffic density”) instead of trafik akışı (“traffic flow”)?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

  • trafik akışı refers to how smoothly traffic moves.
  • trafik yoğunluğu emphasizes how crowded or congested it is.
    So trafik yoğunluğu yavaş demek mantıklı ama daha çok “traffic is heavy” hissi verir.
Why is yavaş at the end of the sentence?

Word order in Turkish is generally Subject-Object-Verb (SOV), but adjectives and adverbs often come after the subject phrase. Here:

  • Time phrase: Sabah saatlerinde
  • Subject: trafik akışı
  • Predicate/adjective: yavaş
    Even though yavaş is an adjective, it functions as the sentence’s final element, just like a verb would in SOV order.
Could you say trafik akışı çok yavaş to mean “the traffic flow is very slow”?

Absolutely. çok (“very” / “much”) precedes yavaş:

  • trafik akışı çok yavaş = “traffic flow is very slow.”
Why is saatlerinde plural? Can we say saatinde?

Plural saatler (“hours”) emphasizes the span of morning hours (e.g. 6 AM–9 AM).

  • saatinde (singular) would mean “in the morning hour” (a very specific one).
    Turkish often uses the plural in time expressions when talking about a range, so saatlerinde is more natural for “during the morning hours.”
Can I replace sabah saatlerinde with sabahları?

Yes. sabahları means “mornings” (habitually/in general). So:

  • Sabahları trafik akışı yavaş.
    still conveys “Traffic flow is slow in the mornings,” but lacks the nuance of specific “hours” and may feel a bit more generic.