Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye al.

Please take this warning seriously.

Breakdown of Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye al.

• bu: this
• lütfen: please
• uyarı: the warning
• ciddiye almak: to take seriously

Questions & Answers about Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye al.

What does each part of the sentence Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye al mean, morphologically?

• Lütfen = please
• bu = this (demonstrative)
• uyarı = warning (noun formed from the verb uyarmak “to warn”)
• -yı = accusative case suffix on uyarı, making uyarıyı “this warning” as a definite direct object
• ciddi = serious
• -ye = dative suffix; in the set phrase ciddiye almak it forms an idiomatic adverbial meaning “seriously”
• al = take (2nd person singular imperative; subject “you” is implied)

Why is it uyarıyı and not just uyarı?

Because the object is definite/specific. In Turkish, definite direct objects take the accusative:

• Bu uyarıyı = “this warning” (specific) → needs accusative: uyarıyı.
• An indefinite, non-specific object would not take accusative: Bir uyarı ciddiye al = “Take a warning seriously.” (grammatically fine, though less natural in isolation).

What is the purpose of the extra y in uyarıyı?

It’s a buffer consonant. When a word ending in a vowel takes a suffix beginning with a vowel, Turkish inserts y to avoid two vowels colliding: uyarı + -(ı) → uyarı-y-ı.
This happens with other vowel-initial suffixes too: ara + -a → araya, o + -u → onu.

What does ciddiye almak literally mean, and why not just ciddi almak?

Ciddiye almak is a fixed expression: literally “to take to the serious,” i.e., “to take seriously.” You can’t say ciddi almak; it’s ungrammatical. The dative -e (with buffer y) turns ciddi into ciddiye in this idiomatic pattern used with almak.

Could I say ciddiyetle al or ciddi olarak al instead?

Those aren’t idiomatic with almak. You might see ciddiyetle yaklaşmak (“to approach with seriousness”) or ciddi olarak değerlendirmek (“to evaluate seriously”), but when the verb is almak, the natural phrase is ciddiye almak. Colloquially, people also say hafife almak (“to take lightly”) as the opposite.

How does vowel harmony affect the ending in uyarıyı?

The accusative suffix has four forms: -ı, -i, -u, -ü. It harmonizes with the last vowel of the stem:

• After back unrounded a/ı → -ı (e.g., uyarı → uyarıyı)
• After front unrounded e/i → -i
• After back rounded o/u → -u
• After front rounded ö/ü → -ü

What are more formal or polite ways to say this?

• To be polite/formal (or plural “you”): Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye alın.
• Even more deferential/request-like: Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye alır mısınız?
• In writing, a slightly more formal synonym is: Lütfen bu uyarıyı dikkate alın.

Why is there no subject pronoun like sen?

In Turkish, the imperative already encodes the subject. Al is the 2nd person singular imperative (“you take”), so adding sen is unnecessary and would sound emphatic or even a bit scolding: Sen ciddiye al!

Can I replace bu uyarıyı with a pronoun?

Yes:

• Bunu ciddiye al. = “Take this seriously.”
• Onu ciddiye al. = “Take it (him/her/that) seriously.” For people:
• Beni ciddiye al. = “Take me seriously.”
• Formal/plural: Bizi ciddiye alın. = “Take us seriously.”

Where can I put lütfen in the sentence?

Common, natural positions:

• Lütfen bu uyarıyı ciddiye al. (most typical)
• Bu uyarıyı lütfen ciddiye al.
• Bu uyarıyı ciddiye al, lütfen. (softer, afterthought tone) In formal writing, you may see a comma after lütfen: Lütfen, bu uyarıyı… (optional).

How do I make it negative (e.g., “Don’t take this warning seriously”)?

Use the negative imperative of almak:

• Bu uyarıyı ciddiye alma. = “Don’t take this warning seriously.” For the opposite idea (“Don’t take this warning lightly”):
• Bu uyarıyı hafife alma.

What’s the difference between ciddiye almak, dikkate almak, and önemsemek?

• Ciddiye almak: to treat as serious, not as a joke.
• Dikkate almak: to take into consideration (formal/official contexts).
• Önemsemek: to consider important, to care about. In many contexts they overlap, but the nuance differs: a safety notice is often ciddiye alınır; a regulation is dikkate alınır; a person’s feelings are önemsenir.

Is there a reason for the double d in ciddi / ciddiye?

It’s part of the standard spelling of the word ciddi (“serious”), ultimately from Arabic. You’ll always see it with double d: ciddi, ciddiye, ciddiyet.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• c in ciddi/ciddiye is pronounced like English “j” in “jam.”
• The dotless ı in uyarıyı is like a relaxed “uh” sound; it’s not the same as dotted i.
• Lütfen is commonly stressed on the first syllable: LÜT-fen.
• In connected speech, stress tends to fall near the end of the phrase, so al may carry prominence.

Are there synonyms for uyarı I should know?

Yes:

• ikaz (more formal/literary): Lütfen bu ikazı ciddiye alın.
• uyarı mesajı (warning message/notice)
• uyarı vs uyarmak: noun vs verb (“warning” vs “to warn”).