Türkçe
Turkish
Turkic
Also known as: Turkish, Türkçe
Turkish (Türkçe) is the largest Turkic language with ~85M speakers — sole official language of Türkiye and Northern Cyprus. Significant diaspora in Germany (~3M post-1961 guest workers and descendants). Oghuz Turkic branch (sister to Azerbaijani and Turkmen). Latin alphabet since Atatürk's 1928 reform replacing Ottoman Arabic-Persian-Turkish script (Türk Dil Kurumu language reform stripped most Persian-Arabic loanwords in 1930s-40s). Agglutinative SOV with vowel harmony (back/front, rounded/unrounded), no grammatical gender, extensive case system (6 cases).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Turkish
Water
su
/su/
Fire
ateş
/ateʃ/
Sun
güneş
/ɟyneʃ/
Moon
ay
/aj/
Mother
anne
/anːe/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
yemek
/jemek/
Drink
içmek
/itʃmek/
Love
aşk
/aʃk/
Heart
kalp
/kalp/
Tree
ağaç
/aːatʃ/
House
ev
/ev/
Dog
köpek
/cøpek/
Cat
kedi
/cedi/
Hand
el
/el/
Eye
göz
/ɟøz/
Hello
merhaba
/meɾhaba/
Thank you
teşekkürler
/teʃecːyɾleɾ/
One
bir
/biɾ/
Good
iyi
/iji/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Turkic languages
| Meaning | Turkish | Ottoman Turkish | Gagauz | Crimean Tatar | Qashqai | South Azerbaijani | Karakhanid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | su /su/ | سو /su/ | su /su/ | suv /suv/ | su /su/ | سو /su/ | suw /suw/ |
| Fire | ateş /ateʃ/ | آتش /aˈteʃ/ | ateş /aˈteʃ/ | ateş /ateʃ/ | od /od/ | اوْد /od/ | ot /ot/ |
| Sun | güneş /ɟyneʃ/ | كونش /ɡyˈneʃ/ | güneş /ɟyˈneʃ/ | küneş /kyneʃ/ | gün /ɟyn/ | گۆنش /ɡyneʃ/ | kün /kyn/ |
| Moon | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | آی /aj/ | ay /aj/ |
| Mother | anne /anːe/ | آنه /aˈne/ | ana /aˈna/ | ana /ana/ | ana /ana/ | آنا /ana/ | ana /ana/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | پدر /peˈdeɾ/ | boba /boˈba/ | baba /baba/ | ata /ata/ | آتا /ata/ | ata /ata/ |
| Eat | yemek /jemek/ | یمك /jeˈmek/ | imää /iˈmæː/ | aşamaq /aʃamaq/ | yemek /jeˈmæc/ | یئمک /jemæk/ | yi- /ji/ |
| Drink | içmek /itʃmek/ | ایچمك /itʃˈmek/ | içmää /itʃˈmæː/ | içmek /itʃmek/ | içmek /itʃˈmæc/ | ایچمک /itʃmæk/ | ič- /itʃ/ |
| Love | aşk /aʃk/ | عشق /aʃk/ | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | sevgi /sevɡi/ | sevgi /sevˈɟi/ | سئوگی /sevɡi/ | sevgü /sevɡy/ |
| Heart | kalp /kalp/ | قلب /kalb/ | üräk /yˈræk/ | yürek /jyrek/ | ürek /yˈɾæc/ | اۆرک /yræk/ | yürek /jyrek/ |
| Tree | ağaç /aːatʃ/ | آغاج /aˈʁatʃ/ | aaç /aːtʃ/ | terek /terek/ | ağaç /aˈʁatʃ/ | آغاج /ɑɣɑdʒ/ | ığač /ɯɣatʃ/ |
| House | ev /ev/ | خانه /xaːˈne/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ev /ev/ | ائو /ev/ | ev /ev/ |
| Dog | köpek /cøpek/ | كوپك /køˈpek/ | köpek /køˈpek/ | köpek /køpek/ | it /it/ | ایت /it/ | it /it/ |
| Cat | kedi /cedi/ | كدی /keˈdi/ | kedi /keˈdi/ | mışıq /mɯʃɯq/ | pišik /piˈʃic/ | پیشیک /piʃik/ | piši /piʃi/ |
| Hand | el /el/ | ال /el/ | el /el/ | el /el/ | el /el/ | اَل /æl/ | qol /qol/ |
| Eye | göz /ɟøz/ | كوز /ɡøz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | köz /køz/ | göz /ɟøz/ | گؤز /ɡøz/ | köz /køz/ |
| Hello | merhaba /meɾhaba/ | سلام /seˈlaːm/ | selam /seˈlam/ | selâm /selæm/ | salam /saˈlam/ | سلام /sælam/ | salām /salaːm/ |
| Thank you | teşekkürler /teʃecːyɾleɾ/ | تشكر ادرم /teʃekˈkyɾ edeˈɾim/ | saa ol /saː ol/ | sağ ol /saɣ ol/ | sağ olun /sɑːʁ oˈlun/ | ساغ اول /saɣ ol/ | tabug /tabuɡ/ |
| One | bir /biɾ/ | بر /biɾ/ | bir /bir/ | bir /bir/ | bir /biɾ/ | بیر /bir/ | bir /bir/ |
| Good | iyi /iji/ | ایی /iˈji/ | ii /iː/ | yahşı /jaχʃɯ/ | yaxşı /jaxˈʃɯ/ | یاخشی /jaxʃɯ/ | yaqšı /jaqʃɯ/ |
Word order compared
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