Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor.

The sink trap is leaking.

Breakdown of Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor.

• lavabo sifonu: the sink trap
• sızdırmak: to leak

Questions & Answers about Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor.

What exactly does lavabo sifonu refer to? Is it the toilet flush?

It’s the U-shaped trap (P-trap) under a sink—the part that connects the basin to the drain and holds water to block smells. On its own, sifon can also mean a toilet flush mechanism, but the phrase lavabo sifonu makes it clear we’re talking about the sink’s trap, not the toilet. For the toilet you’d hear klozet sifonu or rezervuar.

Why is it lavabo sifonu and not lavabonun sifonu?

Both are correct, but they’re slightly different:

• lavabo sifonu = an indefinite noun compound (X Y-(s)I): “sink siphon/trap” as a type or part name. Very natural for household parts.
• lavabonun sifonu = genitive-possessive (X-nın Y-sı): “the sink’s siphon,” pointing to a specific sink’s trap.

In everyday speech, lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor is perfectly natural even when you mean “the” one here.

The word sifonu ends in -u. Is that the accusative case?

Here it is not accusative; it’s the possessive ending -(s)I that appears in noun compounds: lavabo sifon-u. As a subject, it’s in the bare (nominative) case. If you made it a definite object, you would add accusative on top: lavabo sifonunu.

• Subject: Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor.
• Object: Lavabo sifonunu değiştirdim. (“I changed the sink trap.”)

Can I just say Sifon sızdırıyor?

Yes, if the context is clearly about the sink. Without context, sifon might be understood as the toilet flush mechanism. Adding lavabo removes the ambiguity.

Why is it sızdırıyor and not sızıyor?

• sızmak = “to seep/leak” (the liquid is doing the leaking). Example: Su sızıyor (“Water is leaking”).
• sızdırmak = “to leak/let leak” (the object is allowing leakage). Example: Boru sızdırıyor (“The pipe is leaking”).

For things like roofs, pipes, tanks, or traps, Turkish prefers sızdırmak: Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor.

What tense/aspect is sızdırıyor? Is it exactly “is leaking”?

Yes. -yor is the present continuous/progressive, so sızdırıyor ≈ “is leaking” (right now or these days). For general truths/habits you could see sızdırır (“leaks” as a general property), and in formal registers sızdırmakta is also used.

How do I make the sentence negative or a yes–no question?

• Negative: Lavabo sifonu sızdırmıyor. (“is not leaking”)
• Question: Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor mu? (Yes–no question; note that mu is a separate word and obeys vowel harmony: mı/mi/mu/mü.)
• Negative question: Lavabo sifonu sızdırmıyor mu?

What’s the stress and pronunciation, especially for the dotless ı?

• lavabo: la-va-BO (final stress)
• sifonu: si-FO-nu (stress on FO)
• sızdırıyor: sız-dı-RI-yor (stress just before -yor; the vowel ı is a back, unrounded, “uh” sound; there’s no English equivalent—keep lips relaxed: [ɯ].) Overall: la-va-BO si-FO-nu sız-dı-RI-yor.

Is the word order fixed? Could I move things around?

Default neutral order keeps the verb at the end: [Subject] [Verb] → Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor. You can front elements for emphasis, but putting sızdırıyor before the subject is unusual here unless you’re exclaiming or contrasting something. Stick to the default for clarity.

Do I need an article like “the”? How do I say “the sink trap”?

Turkish has no articles. Lavabo sifonu can mean “the sink trap” or “a sink trap,” depending on context. If you really want to signal a specific one, lavabonun sifonu (“the sink’s trap”) is explicit.

Can I use evye or specify kitchen vs bathroom?

• lavabo is the general word (often bathroom sink; can be used broadly).
• evye is the kitchen sink/basin (more technical/common in kitchens). To specify: mutfak lavabosu (kitchen sink), banyo lavabosu (bathroom sink). Example: Mutfak lavabosunun sifonu sızdırıyor.

Are there synonyms for “leak” I should know?

• sızdırmak: to leak (for objects/structures).
• kaçırmak: to let leak/escape (very common): Lavabo sifonu su kaçırıyor.
• akıtmak: to let water run/flow; for faucets/containers: Musluk akıtıyor.
• damlatmak: to drip: Musluk damlatıyor. They overlap in casual speech; sızdırmak and kaçırmak are safest for a trap/pipe.

How would I say it’s leaking again, a lot, or slightly?

• Again: Lavabo sifonu yine sızdırıyor.
• A lot/seriously: Lavabo sifonu fena sızdırıyor.
• Slightly: Lavabo sifonu biraz sızdırıyor.

How do I pluralize if multiple traps are leaking? What about verb agreement?

• Plural subject: Lavabo sifonları sızdırıyor.
• Verb agreement: With inanimate subjects, the verb typically stays singular; sızdırıyorlar is possible but less common unless the subjects are people.

Is sızdırmak transitive? Do I need to mention what is leaking?

It can take an object (what is leaked), but you don’t have to state it when it’s obvious:

• With object: Lavabo sifonu su sızdırıyor.
• Without object (common): Lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor.

Is there a more casual way to say “under the sink is leaking”?

Yes: Lavabonun altı sızdırıyor. Literally “the underside of the sink is leaking,” meaning the area under the sink is getting wet. It’s idiomatic and common.

How could I report this to a plumber politely?

• Ustam, lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor. Bakabilir misiniz? (“Master/craftsman, the sink trap is leaking. Could you take a look?”)
• On the phone: Merhaba, evde lavabo sifonu sızdırıyor. Randevu alabilir miyim? (“Hello, the sink trap is leaking at home. Can I get an appointment?”)