çocuk
/t͡ʃoˈd͡ʒuk/
The English word "child" is translated into Turkish as çocuk. Wiktionary also lists evlat.
Meaning: son or daughter, someone's child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| çocuk | /t͡ʃoˈd͡ʒuk/ |
| evlat | /ev.lat/ |
The term çocuk is used to refer to a child or a kid. Because Turkish is a gender-neutral language, çocuk can refer to both a male and a female child.
Which one should you use?
While çocuk is the standard word for child, evlat is a more emotive or literary term often used by parents to refer to their own offspring.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, use çocuklar for children. Note that when adding a possessive or case suffix to çocuk, the k at the end changes to a ğ due to consonant mutation, such as in çocuğun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of çocuk is /tʃoˈdʒuk/. The /tʃ/ sound is like the [ch] in [ch]ange, the /dʒ/ sound is like the [j] in [j]ump, the /u/ sound is like the [oo] in c[oo]l and the /k/ sound is like the [c] in [c]ore.
Did you know?
- The standard word for child, çocuk, has an unexpected origin as a word for a 'pigling' or a young pig.
- In Turkish, it is common for adults to call people significantly younger than themselves çocuk or çocuğum even if they are not related, as a sign of affection or seniority.
- The word çocuk can be used as a slang term for 'guy' or 'fellow' among peers, regardless of their actual age.
Examples in context
- İyi bir çocuk ol!Be a good child!This sentence is useful for practicing the imperative mood with çocuk.Tatoeba #3524355 by deyta, translation #1663512 by liwan1208
- O bir çocuk değil.She's not a child.This sentence is useful for practicing negation with çocuk.Tatoeba #2034761 by duran, translation #1191962 by Anon
- O bir çocuk aktör.He's a child actor.This sentence is useful for using çocuk as an attributive noun.Tatoeba #5377000 by deyta, translation #2568574 by Hybrid
- Dün parkta bir oğlan çocuğu gördüm.Yesterday, I saw a boy child at the park.
- Bu kız çocuğu çok zeki!This girl child is very smart!
- 744 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mehmet and Elif are talking about a neighbor's child.
- MehmetSizin çocuk kaç yaşında?How old is your child?
- ElifBizim çocuk beş yaşında.Our child is five years old.
- MehmetÇok tatlı bir çocuk.He is a very sweet child.
- ElifTeşekkürler, Mehmet Bey.Thank you, Mr. Mehmet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “child” translations and entries çocuk, evlat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries evlat, çocuk, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
