döner
/dœˈnæɾ/
The Turkish word for the Greek-style sandwich "gyro" is döner.
If you want to specify the sandwich version where the meat is wrapped in a flatbread (a gyro wrap), use the phrase döner dürüm.
Meaning: Greek sandwich (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word döner is a present participle of the verb dönmek (to turn/rotate), which refers to the rotating spit used to cook the meat.
How do you pronounce it?
/dœˈnæɾ/. The sound of /n/ is like the [n] in "not", the /æ/ is like the [a] in "cat" and the /ɾ/ is like the [t] in the American English word "atom".
Did you know?
- In some Turkish cities, it is common to eat döner inside a thick, toasted halved loaf of bread called ekmek arası.
- In Turkey, if you order just döner, you might receive meat served on a plate with rice or salad rather than a sandwich.
- While döner refers to the meat, a dönerci is the specialized chef or shop that prepares it.
Examples in context
- Bir döner alabilir miyim?Can I have a gyro?
- Bu döner çok lezzetli.This gyro is very delicious.
Example conversation
Emre and Selin are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- EmreSelin, akşam yemeğinde ne yemek istersin?Selin, what would you like to eat for dinner?
- SelinCanım çok döner çekti.I really crave a döner.
- EmreTamam, köşedeki restorana gidelim.Okay, let's go to the restaurant on the corner.
- SelinHarika, hadi gidelim!Great, let's go!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry döner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
