zencefil
/zen.d͡ʒeˈfil/
In Turkish, the word for the spice ginger is zencefil.
zencefil is a noun used to refer to the spice itself. When you want to describe a food or a drink that contains ginger, you use the adjective form zencefilli. For example, you can say zencefil çayı to mean ginger tea.
Meaning: spice (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective zencefilli is used specifically to describe items that are made with or contain ginger. To form common phrases like ginger tea, you simply combine the noun zencefil with the word for tea, çayı.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the third syllable. It is pronounced /zen.dʒeˈfil/. The sounds are similar to the following English sounds: [z] in zone, [n] in not, [j] in jump, [f] in food and the [ee] in creek.
Did you know?
- The Turkish word zencefil has a global journey that began in Old Tamil as 'iñcivēr'. It traveled through Prakrit and Syriac before entering Arabic and Persian.
- While English uses 'ginger' to describe a person's red hair, Turkish uses the word zencefil only for the spice and does not use it for hair color.
- In Turkey, zencefil is often paired with honey and lemon in a traditional remedy for sore throats and colds.
Examples in context
- Zencefil gazozu alabilir miyim?Can I have a ginger ale?This sentence shows how to use zencefil when ordering a ginger ale.Tatoeba #5808297 by deyta, translation #5790360 by Eccles17
- Bejo bronz fincanda zencefilli bir kahve yapar.Bejo makes a ginger coffee in a bronze cup.This sentence demonstrates how to use zencefilli to describe a coffee containing ginger.Tatoeba #5734512 by duran, translation #5733564 by halucnation
- Kişniş, acı kırmızı biber ve zencefil getirmeyi unutmayın.Don't forget to bring coriander, chili peppers, and ginger.This sentence lists several spices, including zencefil.Tatoeba #12100319 by vvv123, translation #8998593 by shekitten
- Bu yemeğin içinde zencefil kullanmalı mıyım?Should I use ginger in this dish?
- Marketten zencefil almayı unuttum.I forgot to buy ginger from the store.
- Zencefilin sağlık açısından birçok faydası vardır.Ginger has many health benefits.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Zeynep are in the kitchen preparing tea.
- BurakÇaya biraz zencefil eklemek ister misin?Do you want to add some ginger to the tea?
- ZeynepEvet, zencefil çok sağlıklı.Yes, ginger is very healthy.
- BurakTaze zencefil var mı?Is there any fresh ginger?
- ZeynepHayır, sadece toz zencefil var.No, there is only ground ginger.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ginger” translations and entries zencefil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zencefil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
