Society and community: Turkish social vocabulary

The idea

Choose the noun by the scope of your statement. Toplum usually presents society as a whole; topluluk suits a particular group brought together by an interest or bond. Learn useful combinations too: eşit haklar means equal rights, ayrımcılıkla mücadele etmek means to combat discrimination, and aidiyet duygusu means a sense of belonging.

Examples

• Bu topluluk her hafta buluşuyor.This community meets every week.
• Göç toplumun yapısını değiştirebilir.Migration can change the structure of society.
• Mahallede dayanışma giderek güçleniyor.Solidarity in the neighbourhood is gradually growing stronger.
• Gönüllüler yeni gelenlere dil desteği sunuyor.Volunteers offer language support to newcomers.
• Dernek, ayrımcılıkla mücadele etmek için bir kampanya başlattı.The association launched a campaign to combat discrimination.
• Toplantıda herkes eşit hakları savundu.At the meeting, everyone defended equal rights.
• Ortak projelere katılım, aidiyet duygusunu güçlendirebilir.Participation in shared projects can strengthen a sense of belonging.

Watch out

Do not automatically translate every community or club as toplum. A photography group is naturally a fotoğraf topluluğu. The meanings of toplum and topluluk can overlap; the point here is which fits the situation better. Also distinguish göç, the movement, from göçmen, the person.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the more suitable word for society as a whole, with its institutions: toplum or topluluk?

   Show answer or example answer

   toplum

   toplum: the institutions and the whole social structure are the clues; the question is not about one group within that structure.

2. A group of photography enthusiasts meets regularly. Which word fits this group better: toplum or topluluk?

   Show answer or example answer

   topluluk

   topluluk: a shared interest in photography brings these people together, so a word for a specific group fits best.

3. Choose the word for a person who moves elsewhere to live, rather than the movement itself: göç or göçmen?

   Show answer or example answer

   göçmen

   göçmen: the question asks who moves, not what the movement is called. Göç names the process.

4. Neighbours share food and tools in difficult times. Which word describes this mutual support: dayanışma or ayrımcılık?

   Show answer or example answer

   dayanışma

   dayanışma: sharing food and tools is concrete mutual support. Ayrımcılık would describe discriminatory treatment, not this cooperation.

Use it today

Invent a neighbourhood project. In four sentences, name its group, explain how people can participate, describe mutual support and suggest how the project could strengthen belonging. Use at least five table words.