Stres azaltılmak yerine artıyor.

Instead of being reduced, stress is increasing.

Breakdown of Stres azaltılmak yerine artıyor.

• yerine: instead of
• artmak: to increase
• stres: the stress
• azaltılmak: to be reduced

Questions & Answers about Stres azaltılmak yerine artıyor.

What does yerine mean here, and how does it work?

Yerine means instead of. It is a postposition that follows a noun or a verb in its infinitive form (-mak/-mek), indicating a contrast between an expected action and what actually happens.

• Here: azaltılmak yerine = instead of being reduced
• Whole sentence: Stres [azaltılmak yerine] artıyor. = Stress is increasing instead of being reduced.

Alternative patterns with a similar meaning:

• Azalacağına artıyor.
• Azalacak yerde artıyor.
• Azalması gerekirken artıyor.

Why is it azaltılmak and not azalmak or azaltmak?

• azalmak = to decrease (intransitive; happens on its own)
• azaltmak = to reduce (transitive; someone reduces something)
• azaltılmak = to be reduced (passive of azaltmak)

In this sentence, the idea is that stress was supposed to be reduced by some measures or agents, so the passive azaltılmak fits best. If you mean “instead of decreasing (on its own), it increases,” you can say:

• Stres azalmak yerine artıyor.

Can I say azaltmak yerine artıyor?

Not in this context. Azaltmak is transitive (“to reduce something”), so saying stres azaltmak yerine would imply “stress reduces (something) instead of increasing,” which doesn’t make sense. Use:

• azalmak yerine (instead of decreasing) or
• azaltılmak yerine (instead of being reduced).

What is the morphological breakdown of azaltılmak?

• azal- = decrease (intransitive root)
• -t- = causative (makes it transitive: “cause to decrease” → reduce)
• -ıl- = passive (be reduced)
• -mak = infinitive/ verbal noun

So: azal-t-ıl-mak → “to be reduced.”

What is the breakdown of artıyor?

• art- = increase (root)
• -ı- = vowel of the progressive suffix, harmonized to the last vowel
• -yor = present continuous

So: art-ı-yor = “is increasing.” Pronounced roughly “ar-TI-yor.”

Why use present continuous (artıyor) and not simple present (artar)?

• artıyor = it is increasing now / currently trending upward (ongoing process)
• artar = it (generally) increases / tends to increase (habitual, general truth)

If you mean a general tendency, you can say:

• Stres azalacağına artar. For a current, observable trend, artıyor is best.

Is the subject “stres” necessary? Can I just say Azaltılmak yerine artıyor?

You can drop the subject if it’s clear from context. Azaltılmak yerine artıyor would mean “Instead of being reduced, it’s increasing,” with the subject understood from the previous sentence or context. Turkish allows this kind of omission.

Why isn’t there any case ending on stres? Should it be stresi?

No. Stres is the subject here, so it stays in the bare (nominative) form. The -i (accusative) ending marks a definite direct object, which is not the role of stres in this sentence.

How does vowel harmony affect azaltılmak and artıyor?

• In azaltılmak, the passive suffix -ıl- uses ı because the last vowel of the stem (azalt) is a back vowel (a). Then -mak also takes a back vowel (a).
• In artıyor, the progressive -iyor adapts to -ıyor because the last vowel in the stem (art) is a (back vowel), so the suffix vowel is ı: -ıyor.

Are there other natural ways to express “instead of” here?

Yes, with slightly different nuances:

• Stres azalacağına artıyor. (rather than decreasing, it increases)
• Stres azalacak yerde artıyor.
• Stres azaltılması gerekirken artıyor. (while it ought to be reduced, it’s increasing)
• Stres azaltılmayıp artıyor. (not being reduced but increasing)

What’s the difference between azalmak yerine and azaltılmak yerine in nuance?

• azalmak yerine: contrasts two intransitive processes of the same subject (stress should decrease on its own but increases).
• azaltılmak yerine: implies an external agent or measures are expected to reduce stress, but instead it increases. It highlights the (failed) intervention.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Turkish is flexible. Options:

• Azaltılmak yerine stres artıyor. (slight emphasis on the “instead of being reduced” part)
• Stres, azaltılmak yerine, artıyor. (commas optional; adds a pause/emphasis) The core meaning stays the same; word order mainly affects emphasis.

Is there a more formal version?

Yes:

• Stres azaltılmak yerine artmaktadır. (uses -maktadır, a formal/neutral reportive progressive) In everyday speech, artıyor is more common.

How do I pronounce the tricky cluster in azaltılmak?

Syllabify as: a-zal-tıl-mak. Keep the t clear before ıl. Primary stress in Turkish typically falls on the last syllable, so you’ll hear a natural prominence on -mak: a-zal-tıl-MAK. For artıyor, the stress tends to fall before -yor: ar-TI-yor.