How to Say "Donkey" in Turkish

eşek

/eˈʃec/

The English word donkey is eşek in Turkish. Wiktionary also lists merkep and himar.

Meaning: a domestic animal (noun)

Ways to say it

eşek refers to the domestic animal. Note that calling a person an eşek is a common way to call them stupid or foolish.

merkep is an archaic, more literary form.

The pronunciation is /eˈʃec/. The sound /ʃ/ is like the [sh] in shoe, and the sound /c/ is like the [k] in skew.

Turkish uses the phrase eşek şakası to describe a 'practical joke' that is mean or goes too far.
In Turkish culture, calling a child an eşek in a playful tone can sometimes be an expression of affection rather than an insult.
While eşek is the standard word, the term merkep is actually derived from an Arabic word meaning 'ship' or 'vessel'.

At değil eşek bu.
That isn't a horse. It's a donkey.
This sentence is useful for distinguishing a donkey from a horse using eşek.
Tatoeba #10591601 by soliloquist, translation #10026695 by CK
Ben eşek gibi anırıyorum.
I am braying like a donkey.
This sentence uses eşek to describe the sound of braying.
Tatoeba #5856219 by deyta, translation #1665679 by Amastan
O bir at değil, bir eşekti.
That's not a horse, it's a donkey.
This sentence is useful for clarifying that an animal was a donkey rather than a horse using eşek.
Tatoeba #4870043 by deyta, translation #4008936 by JSakuragi
Benzin taşımak için eşekleri kullanıyoruz.
We use donkeys to transport gasoline.
Yarışta kimin eşeği kazanacak?
Whose donkey will win the race?
Bu eşek ne kadar da başına buyruk.
This donkey is so stubborn.
10 more sentences on Tatoeba

Can and Zeynep are visiting a local farm.

Can

Şuradaki küçük eşek çok sevimli.
That little donkey over there is very cute.
Zeynep

Evet, gerçekten çok tatlı görünüyor.
Yes, it really looks very sweet.
Can

Eşek beslemek zor olur mu?
Is it hard to feed a donkey?
Zeynep

Hayır, genellikle kolaydır.
No, it is usually easy.

Sources

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