ben
/ˈben/
The English phrase "I am" is expressed in Turkish using ben.
ben is the first-person singular pronoun used to refer to oneself. While ben means "I", it is often omitted in Turkish sentences because the verb conjugation alone indicates that the subject is "I". In these cases, ben is used primarily for emphasis or to clarify the subject.
Which one should you use?
While ben translates to "I", the primary way to say "I am" in a sentence is through the person-marker on the verb. ben is used to add emphasis.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun ben changes depending on its role in a sentence. It becomes benim to express possession (my/mine), benden to mean "from me" or "than me" in comparisons, bana to mean "to me" and beni to serve as a direct object (me).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ben is /ˈben/. The sound of the letter b is like the [b] in "about" and the n is like the [n] in "not".
Did you know?
- While ben means 'I', it shares an identical spelling with the Turkish word for 'mole' or 'birthmark', which was historically linked to the concept of a skin mark.
- In many Turkic languages like Kazakh or Kyrgyz, the word for 'I' is written or pronounced as men, making the Turkish ben sound like a slight variation of its relatives.
Examples in context
- Ben iyiyim. Ya sen?I am fine, and you?Tatoeba #1280122 by duran, translation #872223 by japegon
- O benden daha kısa.He's shorter than I am.This sentence shows how ben changes to benden when used in a comparison.Tatoeba #5567710 by duran, translation #2588717 by Hybrid
- O, benim kadar genç.She is as young as I am.This sentence shows how ben changes to benimTatoeba #1037038 by duran, translation #314114 by CK
- Ben yorgunum.I am tired.
- Ben buradayım.I am here.
- Ben varım, endişelenme.I am here, don't worry.
- 1694 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are meeting at a cafe.
- MehmetBen geldim.I have arrived.
- ElifHoş geldin, ben de yeni geldim.Welcome, I also just arrived.
- MehmetBen çok acıktım.I am very hungry.
- ElifBen de öyle hissediyorum.I feel that way too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ben, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ben, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
