Hece ölçüsü is a syllable-counting meter often used in Turkish folk verse. Here you work with six independent lines written for this lesson, not a traditional poem. No recording is attached; read from the spelling, then say the lines aloud.
The idea
In hece ölçüsü, lines follow a shared syllable count; 7, 8 and 11 are common patterns. Count every syllable through the end of the line, including unstressed ones. The table uses hyphens for syllables and / for a suggested durak, a brief pause between words. A pause must not cut a word in half. A total does not force one pause pattern, and some lines have no internal pause. Keep normal word stress when reading: counting does not mean giving every syllable equal force.
| Line | Syllables and suggested pause | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Serin rüzgâr esiyor. | Se-rin rüz-gâr / e-si-yor | 4+3 = 7 |
| İnce perde sallanır. | İn-ce per-de / sal-la-nır | 4+3 = 7 |
| Sarı lamba parlıyor. | Sa-rı lam-ba / par-lı-yor | 4+3 = 7 |
| Akşam oldu, evler sustu. | Ak-şam ol-du / ev-ler sus-tu | 4+4 = 8 |
| Pencerem açıktı, sokak sessizdi. | Pen-ce-rem a-çık-tı / so-kak ses-siz-di | 6+5 = 11 |
| Masada bir fincan, yanında kitap. | Ma-sa-da bir fin-can / ya-nın-da ki-tap | 6+5 = 11 |
Examples
- Serin rüzgâr esiyor.A cool wind is blowing.The verb-first order is also possible in verse. It keeps seven syllables but changes the grouping from 4+3 to 3+4.
- İnce perde sallanır.The thin curtain sways.
- Sarı lamba parlıyor.The yellow lamp is shining.
- Akşam oldu, evler sustu.Evening came; the houses fell silent.
- Pencerem açıktı, sokak sessizdi.My window was open; the street was quiet.
- Masada bir fincan, yanında kitap.A cup on the table, a book beside it.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
Do not count stressed words instead of syllables, or stretch a vowel to repair the total. In rüz-gâr, â belongs to one syllable, not two. Changing a verb can change the meter even when the sentence remains grammatical; check the whole ending.
Try it yourself
How many syllables are in Serin rüzgâr esiyor? Type a number.
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7
7: se-rin gives 2, rüz-gâr gives 2 and e-si-yor gives 3. The three words therefore make seven syllables, regardless of which word you emphasize.
How many syllables are in Pencerem açıktı, sokak sessizdi? Count to the end and type a number.
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11
11: pen-ce-rem and a-çık-tı make 6; so-kak and ses-siz-di make 5. The final di still counts even if you say it softly.
For a 4+4 pause in Akşam oldu, evler sustu, after which word should you pause? Type that word.
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oldu
oldu: ak-şam ol-du completes the first four syllables; ev-ler sus-tu supplies the next four. Pausing after Akşam would give 2+6 instead.
Complete a seven-syllable line: İnce perde ___. Choose sallanır or sallanıyor.
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sallanır
sallanır: in-ce per-de already supplies 4, and sal-la-nır adds 3. Sal-la-nı-yor adds 4, so sallanıyor would make an eight-syllable line instead.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
How many syllables are in Serin rüzgâr esiyor? Type a number.
How many syllables are in Pencerem açıktı, sokak sessizdi? Count to the end and type a number.
For a 4+4 pause in Akşam oldu, evler sustu, after which word should you pause? Type that word.
Complete a seven-syllable line: İnce perde ___. Choose sallanır or sallanıyor.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Read the table slowly, tapping once per syllable and pausing only at /. Then read naturally without tapping. Write two new seven-syllable lines and mark an optional 4+3 pause without splitting a word.