Learn Hardcore Turkish: Ekran süresi bugün fazla, azaltmalıyım. - Screen time is too much today; I must reduce it.

It’s an indefinite noun compound: Noun1 + Noun2-(s)I. So "ekran" (screen) + "süre-si" (time-3sg possessive) → "screen time." The -si here doesn’t mean a literal owner; it’s how Turkish forms many “X of Y” compounds, e.g., "araba kapısı" (car door), "okul müdürü" (school principal). "ekran süresi" is the idiomatic term (also used in phone settings). "Ekranın süresi" would mean "the screen’s duration," which is not what you want.

Where is the verb “to be”? Why can the sentence be “Ekran süresi bugün fazla” without anything like “is”?

In Turkish nominal sentences, the present copula is typically zero. The adjective "fazla" serves as the predicate: "Ekran süresi bugün fazla" = "Screen time is too much today." You can add the formal copula if you want a bookish tone: "Ekran süresi bugün fazladır."

Can I move "bugün" around? For example, "Bugün ekran süresi fazla"?

Yes. Turkish word order is flexible for adverbials like time.

Bugün ekran süresi fazla. (Most common, topicalizes “today”)
Ekran süresi bugün fazla. (Also fine, focuses the “today” part) Both are natural.

What does "fazla" mean here, and how is it different from "çok" and "daha fazla"?

fazla = excessive/too much in this context. "Ekran süresi bugün fazla" → It’s more than it should be.
çok = a lot/very. It intensifies adjectives or verbs: "çok yoruldum" (I’m very tired). Saying "Ekran süresi bugün çok" is odd; you’d need a head like "yüksek" or "fazla": "çok yüksek" or "çok fazla."
daha fazla = more (comparative), not necessarily “too much”: "Daha fazla zamanım var" (I have more time). You can say "çok fazla" to emphasize "way too much."

How is "azaltmalıyım" built, and what nuance does it carry?

azal- = to decrease (intransitive, something decreases on its own)
azalt- = to reduce (transitive, cause something to decrease; causative -t)
-malı/-meli = necessitative/obligation (“should, ought to”)
-(y)ım = 1st person singular ending So "azalt-mal-ı-y-ım" → "I should reduce (it)." It expresses personal necessity or a strong recommendation, softer than “must.”

Do I need to say the object explicitly, like "onu" or "ekran süresini azaltmalıyım"?

Not required here. Turkish often drops objects when obvious from context. If you include a specific object, mark it with accusative:

Ekran süresini azaltmalıyım. (I should reduce the screen time)
Onu azaltmalıyım. (I should reduce it) Leaving it implied, as in the original, is perfectly natural.

Why is it "azaltmalıyım" and not "azalmalıyım"?

"azalmak" is intransitive (“to get less” by itself). Saying "azalmalıyım" would mean "I should get reduced," which doesn’t fit. You want the transitive "azaltmak" (“to reduce [something]”).

How strong is "-malı/-meli" compared to other ways to say “must/should”?

-malı/-meli: should/ought to; personal sense of necessity. "Azaltmalıyım."
-(mA)m gerek / -(mA)m lazım: I need to/I should; very common and neutral. "Azaltmam gerek/lazım."
-mek zorundayım: I must/I’m obliged to; strongest. "Azaltmak zorundayım." All are natural; -malı is slightly more compact and self-directed.

Is the comma before "azaltmalıyım" okay? Could I use a period or something else?

Yes, Turkish allows a comma between coordinated clauses. You could also write a period for a stronger break, or add a connector:

Ekran süresi bugün fazla. Azaltmalıyım.
Ekran süresi bugün fazla; o yüzden azaltmalıyım. (therefore)

If I want to make it clearly about my own usage, should I say "ekran sürem"?

Yes:

Ekran sürem bugün fazla, azaltmalıyım. = My screen time is too much today; I should reduce it. If you keep it as "ekran süresi," it often still implies your own in context, but "ekran sürem" is explicit.

How do I mark the object correctly if I say it explicitly with possession?

Use the accusative on the possessed noun:

Ekran süremi azaltmalıyım. (I should reduce my screen time) Pattern: [Possessed object]-i + transitive verb.

How do I negate the sentence? For example, “It’s not too much,” or “I shouldn’t reduce it.”

Predicate negation: "Ekran süresi bugün fazla değil." (It’s not too much today)
Necessitative negation: "Azaltmamalıyım." (I shouldn’t reduce it) You can combine them if the logic fits your context.

Could I say "Ekran süresi bugün yüksek" instead of "fazla"?

Yes, "yüksek" (high) works, especially if you’re thinking in terms of a metric: "Ekran süresi bugün yüksek." "Fazla" leans toward “excessive,” while "yüksek" is more neutral/quantitative.

Why not just say "Ekran süresi bugün çok"?

"çok" is an adverb meaning “a lot/very,” so it needs something to modify. On its own as a predicate it’s odd here. Say:

Ekran süresi bugün çok fazla. (very too much, strong emphasis)
Ekran süresi bugün çok yüksek. (very high)

Anything to know about the suffix vowels in "azaltmalıyım"?

Vowel harmony applies:

-malı (not -meli) because the last vowel in "azalt" is a back vowel (a).
-yım uses the buffer y because the previous suffix ends in a vowel, and ı matches back harmony: azalt-ma-lı-y-ım.

Is there any difference in nuance between "ekran süresi" and "ekran zamanı"?

"ekran süresi" is the established, idiomatic term, especially for the smartphone feature “Screen Time.” "ekran zamanı" is understandable but less standard and feels more like “time at the screen” rather than the tracked usage metric.