Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| nakit | /nɑˈcit/ |
| para | /paˈɾa/ /pɑˈɾɑ/ |
In Turkish, you use these terms to refer to money in the form of notes, bills and coins. In commercial contexts, the phrase nakit ödeme is used for a "cash payment", while nakit olarak is the standard way to say "in cash".
Which one should you use?
While para is the general word for "money" (which can include digital balances or bank accounts), nakit specifically refers to physical currency like notes and coins. Additionally, peşin is a formal term used specifically to describe cash payments made at the time of purchase.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word nakit is an uncountable noun and does not take a plural suffix when you are referring to the general concept of cash.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of nakit is /nɑˈcit/. The sound /n/ is like the [n] in "not", /c/ is like the [k] in "skew" and /i/ is like the [ee] in "creek".
Did you know?
- To describe someone who is cheap or stingy, Turkish speakers use the phrase para kemirmek, which literally means 'gnawing on money'.
- Turkish has a specific term harçlık for the small amount of 'pocket money' or cash given to children by elders, which carries a social connotation of blessing.
- The word para shares a linguistic root with the Persian word for 'piece', reflecting a history where currency was viewed as individual fragments of metal.
Examples in context
- O tür param yok.I don't have that kind of cash.This sentence uses para to show how to specify a certain kind of money.Tatoeba #3681772 by duran, translation #3635987 by CK
- O bir sürü nakit.That's a lot of cash.This sentence uses nakit to describe a large amount of physical cash.Tatoeba #4711416 by duran, translation #3594108 by CK
- Hiç nakitin var mı?Do you have any cash?This sentence uses nakit to ask if someone possesses any physical cash.Tatoeba #2073377 by duran, translation #1886100 by CK
- Nakit olarak para ödeyebilir miyim?Can I pay in cash?
- Peşin ödeme yapmak istiyorumI want to make a cash payment.
- Nakit ödemeyi tercih ederimI prefer to pay in cash.
- 185 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep and Burak are at a small cafe.
- ZeynepKredi kartı geçiyor mu?Do you accept credit cards?
- BurakÜzgünüm, sadece nakit kabul ediyoruz.I'm sorry, we only accept cash.
- ZeynepTamam, yanımda nakit var.Okay, I have cash with me.
- BurakTeşekkürler, Zeynep Hanım.Thank you, Ms. Zeynep.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cash” translations and entries nakit, para, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nakit, para, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
