Tuz tüketimi yüksek.

Salt consumption is high.

Breakdown of Tuz tüketimi yüksek.

• olmak: to be
• yüksek: high
• tuz tüketimi: the salt consumption

Questions & Answers about Tuz tüketimi yüksek.

What does each word mean, and how is the sentence put together?

• tuz = salt (noun)
• tüketim = consumption (noun), from the verb tüket- “to consume” + nominalizer
• tüketim-i = consumption-its → “consumption of …” (3rd person possessive suffix makes an indefinite compound: “salt consumption”)
• yüksek = high (adjective, used as the predicate)

Structure: Subject noun phrase (tuz tüketimi) + predicate adjective (yüksek) → “Salt consumption is high.”

Where is the word “is”? Why is there no verb?

Turkish often drops the present-tense “to be” in third person. An adjective can directly act as the predicate:

• Tuz tüketimi yüksek. = “Salt consumption is high.” Optionally, you can add the copular suffix -dir for formality or emphasis: Tuz tüketimi yüksektir.

Why does “tüketimi” end with -i? Is that accusative?

Here, -i is the 3rd person possessive suffix, not accusative. It forms an “indefinite compound noun” (belirtisiz isim tamlaması): first noun bare + second noun with possessive.

• tuz tüketimi = “salt consumption” Accusative would stack on top of this if needed (see below).

Could I say “tuzun tüketimi” instead?

Yes, but it’s different. Tuzun tüketimi is a “definite” compound (with genitive on the first word) and points to a specific salt’s consumption:

• General phenomenon: Tuz tüketimi yüksek. (preferred)
• Specific item/context: Bu tuzun tüketimi yasak. “The consumption of this salt is prohibited.”

Can I drop the -i and say “tuz tüketim”?

No. For the meaning “salt consumption,” Turkish requires the possessive on the second noun: tuz tüketimi. Without it, the phrase is ungrammatical in this sense.

How do I make it negative or ask a yes/no question?

• Negative: Tuz tüketimi yüksek değil.
• Yes/no question: Tuz tüketimi yüksek mi?
  The question particle mi/mı/mü/mu is written separately and harmonizes with the last vowel of the preceding word (here: yüksek → mi).

Is “yüksektir” correct? What does the -dir add?

Yes: Tuz tüketimi yüksektir.
The copular suffix -dir (here surfacing as -tir by harmony) adds formality, general truth, or a “stated-as-fact” tone. In everyday speech, the bare form is more common.

What’s the difference between “yüksek” and “fazla” here?

• yüksek = high (neutral/measure-based)
• fazla = too much/excessive or more than desired
  Both are common:
• Tuz tüketimi yüksek. (neutral)
• Tuz tüketimi fazla. (implies excess)

Can I use “çok” to intensify it?

Yes, as an intensifier of the adjective:

• Tuz tüketimi çok yüksek. = “Salt consumption is very high.”
  But don’t say “çok tuz tüketimi yüksek.” If you want to modify the verb instead:
• Çok tuz tüketiyoruz. = “We consume a lot of salt.”

Is the word order fixed? What about “Yüksek tuz tüketimi var”?

• Tuz tüketimi yüksek. states an attribute of the subject.
• Yüksek tuz tüketimi var. = “There is high salt consumption.” This uses the existential var, focusing on existence/occurrence rather than equating subject and property. Both are fine; the nuance differs.

How do I say “Our/Their/Turkey’s salt consumption is high”?

• Our: Tuz tüketimimiz yüksek.
• Their: Tuz tüketimleri yüksek.
• Turkey’s: Türkiye’nin tuz tüketimi yüksek.
  Notes: personal possessive suffixes attach to tüketim; named possessors take the genitive on the name plus possessive on the head noun.

Why are there no articles like “the/a” in the sentence?

Turkish has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context or structure. Tuz tüketimi can mean “salt consumption” or “the salt consumption,” depending on context.

How do I pronounce it?

• tuz: “tooz” (u = back rounded, like in “put” but longer/rounder)
• tü in tüketimi: ü is front rounded (like German “ü” or French “u” in “tu”)
• Syllables: tuz | tü-ke-ti-mi | yük-sek
  Stress in indefinite compounds tends to fall on the first word: TUZ tüketimi.

What happens if the phrase is the object? How does accusative work?

The whole compound gets accusative on the head noun, after the possessive. The accusative adds -nI after a vowel:

• Tuz tüketimini azaltmalıyız. = “We must reduce salt consumption.”
  Here: tüketim + i (3sg poss) + ni (acc) → tüketimini.

Do adjectives agree with the noun in number or gender?

No. Turkish adjectives don’t change for number or gender. Yüksek stays the same regardless of what it describes.