serseri
/seɾseɾi/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'bum' translates to Turkish as serseri.
When used to describe a person, serseri refers to a drifter, a vagabond or someone of low character, such as a 'beach bum' or a 'lazy bum'. While the English word 'bum' can refer to buttocks, in Turkish, serseri is used specifically for the sense of describing an idle or wandering person.
Meaning: informal: butt(ocks) specifically (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word serseri literally means 'wanderer' or 'vagrant'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /seɾseɾi/. The /s/ sound is like the [s] in 'send', the /ɾ/ is like the American English [t] in 'atom' and the /i/ is like the [ee] in 'creek'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use serseri to refer to the anatomical body part 'buttocks'. In Turkish, this word refers to a person (a vagabond or drifter) rather than a body part.
Did you know?
- While serseri is often a criticism, it can be used affectionately between close friends to describe someone with a rebellious or free spirit.
- In Turkish cinema, the serseri is a recurring archetype of the misunderstood loner with a heart of gold.
- The word serseri is a Persian loanword that entered Turkish via Ottoman Turkish, rather than being of native Turkic origin.
Examples in context
- Tom bir plaj serserisi.Tom is a beach bum.This sentence uses serseri to describe a person as a beach bum.Tatoeba #2976724 by duran, translation #2956992 by CK
- Ben beş para etmez bir serseriyim.I'm a good-for-nothing bum.This sentence uses serseri to describe a person as a good-for-nothing bum.Tatoeba #1071056 by duran, translation #433739 by CK
- İşe geri dön, seni tembel serseri!Get back to work, you lazy bum!This sentence uses serseri to describe a person as a lazy bum.Tatoeba #3324693 by deyta, translation #2199102 by Hybrid
- Bu aylak sürekli televizyon izliyor, hiçbir işle ilgilenmiyor.This idle person is always watching TV and has no interest in anything.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep is jokingly criticizing Burak for not looking for a job.
- ZeynepHala uyuyorsun, seni serseri!You are still sleeping, you bum!
- BurakSadece biraz dinleniyorum, Zeynep.I am just resting a bit, Zeynep.
- ZeynepBütün gün serseri gibi davranıyorsun.You act like a bum all day.
- BurakYarın iş aramaya başlayacağım.I will start looking for work tomorrow.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries serseri, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
