tarafından
/taɾafɯndan/from spelling rules
The English word 'by' is expressed in Turkish as tarafından.
tarafından is used to indicate the agent in a sentence, specifically the person or thing performing an action in a passive voice construction.
Meaning: indicates a means (prep)
What does it mean word for word?
The word tarafından literally means 'from the side of' or 'from the direction of'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Turkish passive voice constructions, tarafından is used to identify the agent performing the action.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /taɾafɯndan/. The [ɾ] sound is like the [t] in the American English word 'atom', the [f] is like the [f] in 'food', the [ɯ] is somewhat like the [o] in 'ribbon' and the [n] is like the [n] in 'not'.
Did you know?
- Because tarafından is primarily for passive agents, you cannot use it to say 'by the window' or 'by the door', which requires the word yanında.
- The root word taraf is a loanword from Arabic, meaning 'side' or 'edge'.
- Using tarafından can sometimes make a sentence sound overly formal or like a translated text, as natural spoken Turkish prefers active voice.
Examples in context
- O onun tarafından öpüldü.She was kissed by him.This sentence shows how to express being kissed by someone using tarafından.Tatoeba #1271472 by duran, translation #887550 by CK
- O, bir tarafından ezildi.She was run over by the car.This sentence demonstrates being run over by a car using tarafından.Tatoeba #1335023 by duran, translation #314814 by CK
- Ev sel tarafından yıkıldı.The house was undermined by the flood.This sentence illustrates a house being undermined by a flood using tarafından.Tatoeba #1087222 by duran, translation #240925 by AlanF_US
- Bu rapor, uzmanlar tarafından hazırlandı.This report was prepared by experts.
- Film, ünlü yönetmen tarafından çekildi.The film was directed by a famous director.
- Bu haber, televizyon vasıtasıyla yayıldı.This news spread through television.
- İngilizceyi, dil kursları vasıtasıyla öğrenmeye karar verdim.I've decided to learn English through language courses.
- Şikayetinizi yazılı olarak ulaştırmanız gerekiyor. Bu da posta yoluyla yapılabilir.You need to submit your complaint in writing. This can also be done by mail.
- Okulu kapatmak için baskı yoluyla çözüm arıyorlar.They are seeking a solution by means of pressure to close the school.
- 1930 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Selin are discussing a newly painted room.
- BurakBu oda kim tarafından boyandı?Who was this room painted by?
- SelinOda profesyonel bir ekip tarafından boyandı.The room was painted by a professional team.
- BurakRenk seçimi senin tarafından mı yapıldı?Was the color choice made by you?
- SelinEvet, renkler benim tarafından seçildi.Yes, the colors were chosen by me.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tarafından, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
