Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| elbise | /el.bi.ˈse/ |
| giysi | /ɟijˈsi/ |
The word elbise is used to describe a one-piece garment that covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist. If you want to refer to the act of wearing a dress, you can combine the noun with the verb giymek to form the phrase elbise giymek.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the specific and the general. elbise refers specifically to a dress, while giysi is a general term for any piece of clothing or garment, such as a shirt, pants or a jacket.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to a specific dress as a direct object in a sentence, such as 'I saw the dress', you add the accusative suffix '-yi' to the word to get elbiseyi.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of elbise is /el.bi.ˈse/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the third syllable. The 'b' sound is like the 'b' in about, the 'i' sound is like the 'ee' in creek and the 's' sound is like the 's' in send.
Did you know?
- The word elbise is actually the plural form of an Arabic word meaning 'clothing'. This creates a linguistic quirk where a singular Turkish word is derived from a plural root.
- The word giysi is a pure Turkish word, whereas elbise was borrowed from Arabic during the Ottoman period.
- Turkish uses the same root for elbise as it does for the word libas, which refers to more traditional or formal garments.
Examples in context
- Bu hoş bir elbise.This is a pretty dress.This sentence shows how to describe a dress as pretty using elbise.Tatoeba #4270906 by User20656, translation #3856094 by Maasikas
- Bu elbise ne kadar?How much is this dress?This sentence is useful for asking the price of a specific elbise.Tatoeba #1273462 by duran, translation #60304 by CK
- O güzel bir elbise.That's a beautiful dress.This sentence demonstrates how to describe a dress as beautiful using elbise.Tatoeba #1283352 by duran, translation #37853 by CK
- Bu elbise çok güzel.This dress is very beautiful.
- Yeni bir elbise almak istiyorum.I want to buy a new dress.
- Elbiseleriniz gerçekten şık.Your dresses are really elegant.
- Hangi renkte bir elbise giymek istersiniz?What color dress would you like to wear?
- 543 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Emre are getting ready for a wedding.
- ElifSence bu elbise benim için uygun mu?Do you think this dress is suitable for me?
- EmreEvet, bu elbise sana çok yakıştı.Yes, this dress suits you very well.
- ElifHangi renk elbise giymeliyim?Which color dress should I wear?
- EmreKırmızı elbise harika olur.The red dress would be great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dress” translations and entries elbise, giysi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries elbise, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
