araba
/ɑ.ɾɑ.ˈbɑ/
The English word car is translated into Turkish as araba or otomobil.
Meaning: automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| araba | /ɑ.ɾɑ.ˈbɑ/ |
| otomobil | /otomoˈbil/ |
Both terms refer to an automobile or a vehicle steered by a driver. While these words specifically mean car, the broader term taşıt can be used to refer to any mode of transportation, including cars.
Which one should you use?
araba is the common, everyday word for car, whereas otomobil is more formal or technical.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word araba is a noun and does not change based on gender, as Turkish has no grammatical gender.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. It is pronounced /ɑ.ɾɑ.ˈbɑ/. The ɾ sound is like the [t] in the American English word atom, and the b sound is like the [b] in about.
Did you know?
- Because the word araba originally meant a 'two-wheeled cart', it is still used in many Turkish dialects to refer to a bicycle or even a simple cart.
- The word araba is a linguistic mystery, as scholars cannot agree if it is originally Turkic or an ancient loanword from Arabic.
Examples in context
- Bu araba yeni mi?Is this car new?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific araba is new.Tatoeba #2012305 by duran, translation #1673279 by Amastan
- Bu araba ona ait.This car belongs to him.This sentence is useful for stating that a araba belongs to someone.Tatoeba #4026911 by duran, translation #3907561 by CH
- O araba çok yeni.That car is very new.This sentence is useful for describing that a araba is very new.Tatoeba #4357421 by duran, translation #4297000 by Globetrotter
- Araba çok hızlı gidiyor.The car is going very fast.
- Hangi arabayı tercih edersiniz?Which car would you prefer?
- Araba kullanmayı seviyorum.I enjoy driving a car.
- Arabayı oto yıkamaya götüreceğim.I'm taking the car to the car wash.
- Otoyol üzerinde bir oto kazası oldu.There was a car accident on the highway.
- Oto kiralama şirketine telefon açtım.I called the car rental company.
- 5067 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Mehmet are talking about a new vehicle in the parking lot.
- ElifMehmet, bu araba gerçekten çok güzel.Mehmet, this car is truly very beautiful.
- MehmetTeşekkürler Elif, onu geçen hafta aldım.Thanks Elif, I bought it last week.
- ElifOnu sürmek çok keyifli olmalı.It must be very enjoyable to drive it.
- MehmetEvet, gerçekten harika bir sürüşü var.Yes, it really has a great drive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car” translations and entries araba, otomobil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries araba, otomobil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
