kız
/kɯz/
The English word 'girl' is kız in Turkish.
kız is the most common term for 'girl' in Turkish. You may also use genç kız to mean 'young girl', which is often used in more formal situations when you want to emphasize someone's youth. For more affection, the informal term kızcağız can be used to mean 'little girl' or 'sweetie' and kızım means 'my girl', used when referring to one's daughter or as an endearing term toward a young girl.
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Which one should you use?
While kız means 'girl', it is also the word used for 'daughter' in many contexts, depending on the sentence structure.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of kız is kızlar.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kɯz/. The /k/ sound is like the [c] in core, the /ɯ/ sound is somewhat like the [o] in ribbon and the /z/ sound is like the [z] in zone.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid pronouncing the vowel as a standard 'i' (ee) like the word 'key'. Instead, use the close-back unrounded vowel /ɯ/.
Did you know?
- In traditional Turkish culture, the phrase kız evi literally means 'girl house', but it refers specifically to the bride's family home during wedding negotiations.
- The word kız is a cognate with the Chuvash word hĕr. Chuvash is the only other surviving member of the Oghur branch of Turkic languages, making this a rare surviving link to an ancient linguistic split.
- While kız means 'girl', it is frequently used as a colloquial exclamation among female friends, similar to how English speakers use 'Girl!' to express shock or excitement.
Examples in context
- O kız Mary mi?Is that girl Mary?Tatoeba #12070257 by deyta, translation #12069616 by CK
- İyi bir kız ol.Be a good girl.Tatoeba #2003209 by duran, translation #1649020 by Spamster
- O hâlâ bir kız.She is still a girl.Tatoeba #2067428 by duran, translation #885221 by MarijnKp
- Üniversitedeki genç kızlar çok çalışkan.The young girls at the university are hardworking.
- O sınıftaki kız çok zeki.The girl in that class is very smart.
- Annesi, kızına bir hediye aldı.The mother bought a gift for her daughter.
- 1535 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mehmet and Selin are talking about a neighbor's child.
- MehmetKüçük bir kız gördün mü?Did you see a little girl?
- SelinEvet, o kız parkta oynuyor.Yes, that girl is playing in the park.
- MehmetÇok tatlı bir kız.She is a very sweet girl.
- SelinGerçekten öyle, çok sevimli.She really is, very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries kız, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kız, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
