Breakdown of Toplantı için sadece biz buradayız; diğerleri izinli veya raporlu olmalı.
biz
we
burada
here
olmak
to be
toplantı
meeting
veya
or
için
for
sadece
only, just
diğer
the other
izinli
on leave
raporlu
on sick leave
Questions & Answers about Toplantı için sadece biz buradayız; diğerleri izinli veya raporlu olmalı.
Why does olmalı mean "must be" (as a guess) here instead of "must be" (as a rule)?
The suffix -malı is often used for obligation, like "I have to go." However, when you attach it to olmak (to be) right after an adjective or noun, it expresses a logical deduction. The speaker is making a strong guess based on the empty room, so izinli veya raporlu olmalı means "they must be on leave or sick leave."
Why is it diğerleri and not just diğerler for "the others"?
Diğer is an adjective meaning "other." To turn it into a standalone pronoun meaning "the others," Turkish adds the plural suffix -ler followed by the 3rd person possessive suffix -i. It literally translates to "the others of them," which is the standard way to say "the others" or "the rest."
How does the word raporlu translate to "on sick leave"?
The root word is rapor, meaning "report." In Turkish work and school culture, to take a sick day, you need a doctor's note called a sağlık raporu (health report). By adding the suffix -lu (meaning "with" or "having"), you get raporlu. It literally means "having a doctor's report," which is the everyday way to say someone is officially off sick.
Could I say Biz sadece buradayız instead of Sadece biz buradayız?
You could, but it changes the meaning! The word sadece (only) modifies the concept that comes immediately after it. Sadece biz buradayız means "Only we are here" (and no one else is). If you said Biz sadece buradayız, it would mean "We are only here" (we aren't anywhere else, or we aren't doing anything else).
Learn Toplantı için sadece biz buradayız; diğerleri izinli veya raporlu olmalı and more in Turkish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free