How do you say it in Turkish? Asking for words and meanings

The idea

Use … Türkçe nasıl denir? to ask for the Turkish equivalent of a word or expression; put the expression you already know in the gap. When pointing to an object, ask Buna Türkçe ne denir? The form denir concerns what people generally call it, without naming a speaker. Bunu Türkçe nasıl söylerim? asks how you can express your own message. If you already have the Turkish word, ask … ne demek? for its meaning, or … nasıl okunur? for its pronunciation. Follow up with Bir örnek cümle yazar mısınız? to see its use.

Examples

• Bunu Türkçe nasıl söylerim?How do I say this in Turkish?
• Bu kelime tam olarak ne demek?What exactly does this word mean?
• Bu ifadeyi başka nasıl söyleyebilirim?How else can I say this expression?
• Buna Türkçe ne denir?What is this called in Turkish?
• Bu kelime Türkçe nasıl okunur?How is this word pronounced in Turkish?
• Bir örnek cümle yazar mısınız?Would you write an example sentence?
• “Ödünç” kelimesini bir cümlede kullanabilir misiniz?Could you use the word ödünç in a sentence?

Watch out

Do not turn every vocabulary question into Ne demek istiyorsunuz? That asks what the person intends to say and can sound like a challenge, depending on tone. For the meaning of a word on a page, use Bu kelime ne demek? A pronunciation answer alone will not explain its meaning.

Try it yourself

1. Ask for the Turkish name of an object. Complete with a form of denmek.

   Show answer or example answer

   denir / deniyor

   denir / deniyor: you are pointing to an object and need its name. Buna already supplies “to this”; denir gives the usual name, while deniyor also works for what it is called.

2. Complete the question asking what ödünç means.

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   demek

   demek: ödünç is the word you want explained. It refers to borrowing or lending for temporary use, with return expected; the question does not ask how to pronounce it.

3. Ask how the word is pronounced. Use a form of okunmak.

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   okunur / okunuyor

   okunur / okunuyor: the missing information is the spoken form of a written word. Both forms ask how it is read aloud here; giving a definition would leave that need unanswered.

4. Politely ask someone to write an example sentence. Use a form of yazmak.

   Show answer or example answer

   yazar / yazabilir

   yazar / yazabilir: you want a written example, so the verb must concern writing. Both make a polite request with mısınız, which stays separate from the verb.

Use it today

Choose an object, an unfamiliar Turkish word and a word you cannot pronounce. Write a suitable question for each. Then ask for an example sentence and use the new word in a sentence of your own.