Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| aralık | /aɾalɯk/ (from spelling rules) | |
| kânunuevvel | /caːnuːnu.evˈvɛl/ | archaic |
| yeldoksan | /jeldoksan/ (from spelling rules) |
The term refers to the twelfth month of the Gregorian calendar.
What does it mean word for word?
The word aralık literally means gap, interval or space.
Which one should you use?
While aralık is the standard modern term, kânunuevvel is an archaic form and yeldoksan is also a form for this month.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Kânunuevvel is an archaic, Ottoman-era term that is no longer used in daily speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say in December, add the locative suffix -ta to get Aralık'ta. To say from December, add the ablative suffix -tan to get Aralık'tan.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /aɾalɯk/. The sound /ɾ/ is like the 't' in AmE 'atom', /ɯ/ is somewhat like the 'o' in 'ribbon' and /k/ is like the 'c' in 'core'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using the month with specific dates or as a proper noun, remember to capitalize it. English speakers often forget to capitalize the month in Turkish.
Did you know?
- The word aralık can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is 'ajar', such as a door left slightly open.
- Until January 10, 1945, the official name for December in Turkey was kânunuevvel. The change was mandated by law number 4696.
- In the Ottoman era, the months of December and January were paired as kânunuevvel ('first kânun') and kânunuesani ('second kânun').
Examples in context
- Noel günü 25 Aralıktır.Christmas Day is December 25th.This sentence shows how to use the word aralık to state a specific date.Tatoeba #636959 by deyta, translation #62804 by CK
- 24 Aralık Noel arefesidir.December 24th is Christmas Eve.This sentence uses aralık to identify Christmas Eve.Tatoeba #3118763 by duran, translation #2718489 by CK
- Gelecek aydan sonraki ay Aralıktır.The month after next is December.This sentence uses aralık to describe the month following the next month.Tatoeba #1620125 by duran, translation #243675 by CK
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their travel plans in a cafe.
- MerveAralık ayında tatile gidecek misin?Are you going on vacation in December?
- MehmetHayır, Aralık ayında çok çalışmam gerekiyor.No, I need to work a lot in December.
- MerveO zaman Ocak ayında plan yapalım.Then let's make a plan in January.
- MehmetTamam, öyle yapalım.Okay, let's do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “December” translations and entries aralık, kânunuevvel, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aralık, kânunuevvel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
