Language
Turkish is very easy to read as it is read as written. If you know the sounds of the letters you can read but not understand!
|
Letter
|
Sound
|
As in
|
Never
|
|
A-a
|
a
|
car
|
came
|
|
B-b
|
b
|
bed
|
|
|
C-c
|
dj
|
jam
|
cap or pace
|
|
Ç-ç
|
ch
|
church
|
|
|
D-d
|
d
|
day
|
|
|
E-e
|
e
|
etch or pet
|
|
|
F-f
|
f
|
fetch
|
|
|
G-g
|
g
|
get
|
|
|
Ğ-ğ
|
no sound
|
makes preceding vowel longer
|
|
|
H-h
|
h
|
hedge or hot
|
|
|
I-y
|
uh
|
|
|
|
I-i
|
ee
|
meet
|
|
|
J-j
|
zh
|
pleasure
|
|
|
K-k
|
k
|
kettle
|
|
|
L-l
|
l
|
ledge
|
|
|
M-m
|
m
|
mat
|
|
|
N-n
|
n
|
not
|
|
|
O-o
|
o
|
not
|
|
|
Ö-ö
|
eu
|
curt, church (with rounded lips)
|
|
|
P-p
|
p
|
pot
|
|
|
R-r
|
r
|
rot
|
|
|
S-s
|
s
|
sock
|
|
|
Ş-ş
|
sh
|
shop
|
|
|
T-t
|
t
|
top
|
|
|
U-u
|
oo
|
pool
|
|
|
İ-i
|
pronounced like
|
"ee" with rounded lips
|
|
|
V-v
|
v
|
vodka
|
|
|
Y-y
|
y
|
you
|
|
|
Z-z
|
z
|
zoo
|
|
The aim of this section is not to teach you Turkish, but just to give you a rough idea to how the language works.
Word Formations
In English you can make new words by adding something to the beginning or end of the first word. You can start with a singular noun and add "s" for a plural (e.g. cat-cats), or add "ed" to verbs to make the past tense (e.g.love/loved). Turkish does this all the time, often instead of using separate words like "my" or "from". For example "hotel" is otel in Turkish, "hotels" is oteller, "my hotels" is otellerim, "in my hotels" is otellerimde....
There are two types of vowel In Turkish. Usually each word uses vowels from the same group. Do not forget there are always exceptions.
"back" vowels are: a-ı-o-u
"front" vowels are: e-i-ö-ü
You need to know "vowel harmony" to make plurals and so correctly.
-s plural ler - lar
|
hand
|
el
|
hands
|
eller
|
|
car
|
araba
|
cars
|
arabalar
|
|
with, by
|
ile
|
|
|
|
with/by car
|
araba ile
|
|
|
|
without
|
sız-siz-suz-süz
|
|
|
|
without hand
|
elsiz
|
|
|
|
without car
|
arabasyz
|
|
|
|
without salt
|
tuzsuz
|
|
|
|
without milk
|
sütsüz
|
|
|
|
from
|
den/dan
|
|
|
|
from home
|
evden
|
|
|
|
from car
|
arabadan
|
|
|
|
to
|
ya, a, ye, e
|
|
|
|
to the car
|
arabaya
|
|
|
|
to the school
|
okula
|
|
|
|
to the gallery
|
galeriye
|
|
|
|
to the house
|
eve
|
|
|
|
in, on, at
|
da, ta, de, te
|
|
|
|
at the car
|
arabada
|
|
|
|
on the street
|
sokakta
|
|
|
|
in the house
|
evde
|
|
|
|
at the customs
|
gümrükte
|
|
|
Nouns
Noun is always singular when using a number with.
Example: "4 cars" 4 araba, "2 hands" 2 el.
There is no masculine or feminine nouns in Turkish so that "he" and "she" are the same. Also there is not a specific word for "the" in Turkish. For example araba could mean either "car" or "the car". "a" is the same word as "one" bir araba means "a car " or "one car" according to context.
Pronouns
"He" or "she" and "it" are all the same pronoun in Turkish. There are however two different pronouns for the word "you".If speaking to one person on friendly terms you can use sen, and when speaking to several people or someone you do not know well better to use siz. As a new learner you can use sen, instead of formal siz.
Ben means "I", beni means "me", benim means "mine", bana means "to me", bende means "with me", benden means "from me".
Sen means "you" in singular and informal way, seni, senin, sana, sende senden
O, means "he, she, it", onu, onun, ona, onda, ondan
Biz, means "we", bizi, bizim, bize, bizde, bizden
Siz, means "you" (plural) or formal singular "you", sizi, bizin, size, sizde, sizden
Onlar, means "they", onlari, onlarin, onlara, onlarda, onlardan.
Adjectives
Adjectives come before nouns and the verb comes at the end. Daha is the word for "more", and en is the word for "most". Example: "a new car" yeni araba, "a newer car" daha yeni araba, "a newest car" en yeni araba.
"my", "your" etc. are expressed by ending. Note that "their" form is the same as for "his,her,and its"
|
my
|
-m
|
my car
|
arabam
|
|
your(single, informal)
|
-n
|
your car
|
araban
|
|
his, her, its
|
-si
|
his car
|
arabası
|
|
our
|
-miz
|
our car
|
arabamız
|
|
your(plural, formal)
|
-niz
|
your car
|
arabanız
|
|
their
|
-si
|
our car
|
arabası
|
Also See:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Would you like to add your comment about this article? Click here!
Editor's Picks
Easy Pogaca Zeyda's delicious and easy recipe for Pogaca. Afiyet olsun! more...
Dentists Some Turkish phrases which may be useful when you visit a dentist at least once a year. more...
Izmir Wildlife Park Izmir Wild Life Park (Izmir Doğal Yaşam Parkı) lies on 425,000 sq.mt land in Çiğli Salalı and was opened in November 2008. more...
Modoko There are thousands and thousands of styles of furniture sold in 350 stores spread out over an area of 150.000 sq.mt. that caters to different... more...
Selamiçeşme Özgürlük Park This park has one soil and one asphalt jogging route. Moreover there are two concrete basketball fields, more...
Mourning Rituals The funerals, after death ceremonies, prayers and offerings of different religions are quite assorted in Istanbul. more...
 |
Latest Articles |
Dragon Festival 2010
Istanbul Film Festival
The Guide Istanbul March/April 2010
Ankara Film Festival
Kremlin Palace Treasures in Topkapi
Filmmor Festival
From Traditional to Contemporary
Hippodrome / Atmeydani Exhibition
Izmir European Jazz Festival
