Log inSign up

Kuralları ihlal edersek ceza gelebilir.

Kuralları ihlal edersek ceza gelebilir.
If we violate the rules, a penalty may come.
FromLesson 93inHardcore Turkish
……

Questions & Answers about Kuralları ihlal edersek ceza gelebilir.

Can you break the sentence down morphologically?
  • kural-lar-ı = rule-PL-ACC → kuralları “the rules” (direct object)
  • ihlal et-er-sek = violate do-AOR-COND-1PL → ihlal edersek “if we violate”
  • ceza gel-e-bil-ir = penalty come-POT-AOR.3SG → ceza gelebilir “a penalty may come” Overall: “If we violate the rules, a penalty may come.”
Where is the word “we”? I don’t see a pronoun.
It’s on the verb as the suffix -k in edersek. Turkish usually drops subject pronouns because person/number are shown on the verb. You could add biz for emphasis: Biz kuralları ihlal edersek…
Why is it kuralları (accusative) and not kurallar?
Because ihlal etmek “to violate” takes a direct object, and here it’s specific/definite: “the rules” (of this place/system). The accusative -ı marks that definiteness: kural-lar-ı → “the rules.”
Why not kurallara? I often see dative with rules.

Different verbs take different cases:

  • ihlal etmek (to violate) → takes a direct object in accusative: kuralları ihlal etmek
  • uymak (to obey/comply) → takes dative: kurallara uymak So: Kuralları ihlal edersek… vs Kurallara uymazsak…
What exactly is ihlal etmek? Is it one verb or two words?

It’s a light-verb construction: the noun ihlal (“violation,” from Arabic) + the light verb etmek (“to do/make”) = “to violate.” You can think of it as one lexical unit: ihlal etmek = “to violate.”

  • More formal: ihlal etmek
  • More conversational: kuralları çiğnemek “to break the rules”
  • Negative framing: kurallara uymamak “to not follow the rules”
What does the conditional -se(k) in edersek do?
It means “if.” The stem et- takes the aorist -er (et-er), then conditional -se, then 1st person plural -k → ed-er-sek = “if we do/if we violate.” It expresses a general condition.
Why the aorist (generic) in the “if”-clause and not future or present continuous?

In Turkish, real/likely conditions typically use the aorist in the -se/-sa clause: ihlal edersek “if we violate (ever/at any time).” Alternatives:

  • ihlal edince = “when(ever) we violate” (more temporal)
  • ihlal ediyorsak = “if we are (right now) violating” (specific ongoing situation)
What does -ebil- add in gelebilir?
-ebil- is the potential/possibility morpheme. Here it means “may/might”: gelebilir = “may come.” It can also mean ability in other contexts (“can”), but here it’s about possibility.
Why say ceza gelebilir (“a penalty may come”) instead of “we may get a penalty”?

Turkish often uses an impersonal or event-focused phrasing. Alternatives (all natural, with nuances):

  • Ceza gelebilir. (impersonal, neutral)
  • Ceza alabiliriz. (we may receive a penalty)
  • Bize ceza kesilebilir / verilebilir. (a penalty/fine may be issued to us; passive, formal)
  • Ceza yiyebiliriz. (we might get a penalty; colloquial)
Who is the subject of ceza gelebilir?
The subject is ceza (“a penalty”). It’s third-person singular. The -iz ending doesn’t appear here because “we” is not the subject of gelmek.
How do I explicitly say “to us”?

Add the dative bize:

  • Bize ceza gelebilir. (A penalty may come to us.) Position is flexible: Kuralları ihlal edersek, bize ceza gelebilir.
Can I change the word order?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

  • Kuralları ihlal edersek, ceza gelebilir. (neutral)
  • Ceza gelebilir, kuralları ihlal edersek. (emphasizes the outcome first)
  • Bize ceza gelebilir, kuralları ihlal edersek. (adds “to us”)
How would I make it stronger or weaker?
  • Stronger/more certain: Kuralları ihlal edersek, ceza gelir/gelecek.
  • Weaker/negative: Kuralları ihlal etmezsek, ceza gelmez/gelmeyebilir.
What’s a more formal, regulation-like way to say this?
  • Kuralları ihlal etmemiz hâlinde ceza uygulanabilir.
  • Kuralların ihlali durumunda ceza kesilebilir. Both sound official, using nominalizations and passives.
Are there good synonyms for “violate the rules”?
  • Kuralları çiğnemek (very common, neutral)
  • Kurallara uymamak (not to comply with the rules)
  • More formal/legal: kuralları ihlal etmek, kuralları/kuralları ihlal suretiyle…
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • c in ceza is like English “j” in “jam.”
  • ı in kuralları is the undotted ı, like a relaxed “uh.”
  • Syllables: ku-ral-la-rı | ih-lal | e-der-sek | ce-za | ge-le-bi-lir.

More from this lesson

Toplantıyı başlatmak üzereyiz; herkes hazır mı?Otobüs kalkmak üzere, çabuk gel!-ykenbir andaTelefon bir anda kapandı.yanmakFilm bitmek üzereyken ışıklar bir anda yandı.gülmek
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Turkish grammar?”
Turkish grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Turkish

Master Turkish — from Kuralları ihlal edersek ceza gelebilir to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Turkish freeBrowse the full course