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Questions & Answers about Müdür yeni planı onayladı.
What does each word mean, and how is the sentence structured?
Breakdown:
- Müdür = manager/director (subject, nominative)
- yeni = new (adjective)
- plan-ı = plan + accusative -ı (the new plan, specific direct object)
- onayla-dı = approve + past tense -DI (he/she/it approved)
Turkish uses SOV (Subject–Object–Verb), so this is the neutral order.
Why does plan have -ı at the end (planı)?
Because it’s a specific direct object. Turkish marks definite objects with the accusative -(y)ı/-(y)i/-(y)u/-(y)ü. Since plan ends in a consonant, no buffer letter is needed; with last vowel a (back, unrounded), the correct form is planı.
When would I NOT add the accusative to the object?
When the object is non-specific/indefinite. Use bir and omit the accusative: Müdür yeni bir plan onayladı (The manager approved a new plan). With many count nouns, especially when modified by an adjective, including bir is the natural choice for indefiniteness.
Why is it -ı and not -i/-u/-ü? How does vowel harmony work here?
Accusative is a four-way harmony suffix chosen by the noun’s last vowel:
- a/ı → -ı (plan → planı)
- e/i → -i (proje → projeyi)
- o/u → -u (okul → okulu)
- ö/ü → -ü (gün → günü)
What tense is onayladı, and how is it formed?
It’s the simple past with -DI (harmonizes as -dı/-di/-du/-dü; after voiceless consonants -tı/-ti/-tu/-tü). Stem onayla- + -dı → onayladı. Person endings: onayladım, onayladın, onayladı, onayladık, onayladınız, onayladılar.
Does the verb tell us who did it? Where is “he/she/it”?
Yes. Verbs encode person/number; onayladı means “he/she/it approved.” You can add O for emphasis: O, yeni planı onayladı.
Where is the word for “the”?
Turkish has no articles. Definiteness of objects is shown by the accusative (planı ≈ “the plan”), and subjects are inferred from context. Müdür is usually “the manager”; for “a manager,” use bir müdür.
How would I say “The manager approved a new plan”?
Müdür yeni bir plan onayladı. Indefinite object → include bir and omit the accusative.
Can I change the word order? What changes in meaning?
Yes; the element right before the verb is typically in focus.
- Neutral/broad focus: Müdür yeni planı onayladı.
- Focus on the subject (It was the manager who did it): Yeni planı müdür onayladı.
- Topic–comment (de-emphasize the object; common in speech): Müdür onayladı yeni planı.
How do I make this negative or ask a yes/no question?
- Negative: Müdür yeni planı onaylamadı (did not approve). Insert -ma/-me before the tense.
- Yes/no question: Müdür yeni planı onayladı mı? The question particle mi/mı/mu/mü is separate and follows vowel harmony.
How do I say “The new plan was approved (by the manager)”?
Passive: Yeni plan onaylandı. Add the agent with tarafından: Yeni plan müdür tarafından onaylandı.
Could yeni planı mean “his/her new plan”?
Not here. A possessed, definite object needs possessive + accusative: yeni planını onayladı (he/she approved his/her new plan). Compare:
- yeni planı (accusative, no possessor) = the new plan
- yeni planını (3rd-person possessive + accusative) = his/her new plan (as a specific object)
Why doesn’t müdür have any ending?
Subjects are in the bare nominative: müdür. With case suffixes, its role changes: müdürü (accusative, the manager as object), müdüre (to the manager), müdürden (from the manager), müdürle (with the manager).
Pronunciation tips for the sentence?
- ü (as in müdür) is like German/French ü (rounded front vowel).
- ı (dotless i, in planı/onayladı) is a close back unrounded vowel, similar to the a in “sofa.”
- Turkish r is a tapped r [ɾ].
- Typical stress is final: mü-DÜR | ye-Nİ | pla-NI | o-nay-la-DI.
Are there common synonyms for onaylamak?
- kabul etmek = to accept (broader, not necessarily official approval)
- onay vermek = to give approval (noun + verb)
- tasdik etmek = to ratify/endorse (formal) For official approvals, onaylamak is the most standard.
How would I say it in other tenses/aspects?
- Present continuous: Müdür yeni planı onaylıyor (is approving).
- Future: Müdür yeni planı onaylayacak (will approve).
- Reported past: Müdür yeni planı onaylamış (apparently/it seems he approved).
What if the subject or object is plural?
- Plural subject: Müdürler yeni planı onayladı(lar). Verb plural -lar is optional; with human subjects, using it is common.
- Plural object (definite): Müdür yeni planları onayladı (approved the new plans).
When do I need the buffer letter -y in the accusative?
When the noun ends in a vowel. Examples: proje → projeyi, oda → odayı. With consonant-final nouns, no buffer: plan → planı.
Is onayladı built from a noun? What’s inside the verb?
Yes. onay (approval) + verbalizer -la → onayla- (to approve) + past -dı → onayladı. This noun → verb pattern is very common in Turkish.