büyük
/byjyc/from spelling rules
The English word "big" is translated into Turkish as büyük. Wiktionary also lists ulu.
Meaning: of a great size (adj)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| büyük | /byjyc/ (from spelling rules) |
| ulu | /uˈɫu/ |
büyük is used to describe things of a great size, both in terms of physical dimensions and in terms of importance.
Which one should you use?
While büyük is the standard word for big or large, ulu is used for things that are great in a more abstract, majestic or venerable sense, such as great leaders or sublime mountains.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective büyük typically precedes the noun it modifies in a standard noun phrase, such as büyük ev (big house).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of büyük is /byjyc/. The b sound is like the [b] in about, the y is like the [y] in yes and the k is like the [k] in skew.
Did you know?
- Turkish uses büyük to describe familial hierarchy, such as aile büyükleri for 'family elders'. In this context, it refers to age and respect rather than physical size.
- In many Turkic languages, the word for 'big' is closely related to the word for 'high', such as the Kazakh word биік (biyik).
- The pronunciation of büyük contains a sound similar to the French 'u', which is produced by rounding your lips for 'o' but trying to say 'ee'.
Examples in context
- O çok mu büyük?Is it too big?This sentence is useful for asking about the size of something using büyük.Tatoeba #2001480 by duran, translation #1658057 by Spamster
- O büyük bir iş.That's a big job.This sentence is useful for describing a significant task using büyük.Tatoeba #4211009 by duran, translation #3315122 by CK
- Bu çok büyük mü?Is this too big?This sentence is useful for asking if an object is too big using büyük.Tatoeba #4210658 by duran, translation #3315273 by CK
- bu büyük bir evthis is a big house
- büyük bir soruna big problem
- geniş bir salona big living room
- geniş bir odaa big room
- muazzam bir anıta magnificent monument
- muazzam bir projeyi tamamlamakto accomplish a huge project
- bu büyük bir problemthis is a big problem
- bol malzemea big amount of material
- dev bir hamburgera big hamburger
- dev bir arabaa giant car
- Bu büyük bir şirket.This is a big company.
- Geniş bir bahçeye sahipsiniz.You have a big garden.
- Muazzam bir başarı elde ettiniz.You have achieved a huge success.
- Dev bir kahve içtim.I drank a giant coffee.
- 1801 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Selin and Burak are looking at a new piece of furniture in a store.
- SelinBu masa çok büyük değil mi?Isn't this table very big?
- BurakEvet, çok büyük bir masa.Yes, it is a very big table.
- SelinOraya sığacağını sanmıyorum.I don't think it will fit there.
- BurakHaklısın, daha küçük bir şey bakmalıyız.You're right, we should look for something smaller.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “big” translations and entries büyük, ulu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries büyük, ulu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
