pasta
/pasta/from spelling rules
The English word cake is translated into Turkish as pasta.
In Turkish, pasta refers to a type of sweet dessert. For example, if you are talking about a birthday cake, you would use the phrase doğum günü pastası.
Meaning: type of sweet dessert (noun)
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between pasta and kek. While pasta refers to a decorated, layered dessert cake often served at celebrations, kek is used for simpler, homemade-style sponge cakes or quick breads.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form of pasta, you add the suffix -lar to create pastalar.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /pasta/. The [p] sound is as in the English word pan and the [s] sound is as in the English word send.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistake the Turkish word makarna (pasta/noodles) for pasta (cake) due to the similarity in English-derived terms, but in Turkish, pasta means cake and makarna means pasta.
Did you know?
- Because pasta is borrowed from the Italian word for dough or paste, its meaning has drifted significantly. In Turkish, the word evolved to describe the finished, decorated dessert rather than the raw ingredient.
- While pasta is for celebrations, the simpler kek is almost always served with a glass of Turkish tea during afternoon visits.
- A pasta in Turkey is often much more lavishly decorated with fresh fruit and heavy cream than the typical American layer cake.
Examples in context
- O, İyi bir pasta.It is a good cake.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of a pasta.Tatoeba #1067367 by duran, translation #707874 by KasperNymand
- Ne büyük bir pasta!What a big cake!This sentence is useful for commenting on the size of a pasta.Tatoeba #3783753 by duran, translation #3732140 by CK
- Tom bir pasta yiyor.Tom is eating a cake.This sentence is useful for describing someone eating a pasta.Tatoeba #2104945 by duran, translation #1665882 by Amastan
- Bir dilim çikolatalı pasta alabilir miyim?Can I have a slice of chocolate cake, please?
- Özür dilerim, bir dilim kek alabilir miyim?Excuse me, may I have a slice of cake?
- Bu akşam ana tatlı olarak hangi pastayı sunuyorsunuz?What cake are you serving as the main dessert tonight?
- Bugün annem güzel bir kek yaptıToday, my mom made a delicious cake.
- Tam bir pasta istiyorumI want a whole cake.
- Çikolatalı kek istiyorumI want a chocolate cake.
- Anne benim için bir doğum günü pastası yapabilir misin?Mom, can you make a birthday cake for me?
- Bu pasta çok lezzetliThis cake is very delicious
- Harika bir kek yapmışsın!You've made an amazing cake!
- 331 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Burak are at a cafe.
- ElifBu pasta harika görünüyor.This cake looks wonderful.
- BurakEvet, çok tatlı bir pasta.Yes, it is a very sweet cake.
- ElifSen de bir dil ister misin?Do you want a slice too?
- BurakEvet, lütfen.Yes, please.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
