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)