Questions & Answers about Kuralları ihlal etmek yasak.
Why is the word kuralları in the accusative case?
Because it’s the direct object of the verb phrase ihlâl etmek (to violate). In Turkish, a definite direct object takes the accusative. Here, kuralları means “the rules.”
- Morphology: kural (rule) + -lar (plural) + -ı (accusative) = kuralları.
- The whole subject of the sentence is the infinitive phrase Kuralları ihlal etmek (“to violate the rules”), within which the object still behaves like a normal object and gets accusative marking when definite.
Could kuralları also mean “his/her rules”? How do I tell?
Surface-form ambiguity exists. Kuralları can be:
- Accusative plural: “the rules” (as here).
- 3rd person possessive plural: “his/her rules.” You tell from context. If it meant “his/her rules,” you’d often see the possessor stated: onun kuralları. Also, if you put that possessed noun in the accusative, it becomes kurallarını.
Why is there no Turkish word for “is”? Why just yasak at the end?
Turkish uses a copular suffix instead of a separate “to be” verb, and in the simple present with third person it can be omitted. So:
- Kuralları ihlal etmek yasak. = “To violate the rules is forbidden.”
- You can also include the copula for formality/emphasis: yasaktır.