İstanbul
/isˈtan.buɫ/
Istanbul is the English name for İstanbul, the largest city of Turkey and last capital of the Ottoman Empire.
Meaning: largest city of Turkey and last capital of the Ottoman Empire (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When attaching grammatical suffixes to the proper noun İstanbul, you must use an apostrophe before the suffix. For example, use İstanbul'un to say 'of Istanbul', İstanbul'a for 'to Istanbul', İstanbul'da for 'in Istanbul' and İstanbul'dan for 'from Istanbul'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The pronunciation is /isˈtan.buɫ/. The /i/ is like the sound in cr[ee]k, /s/ is like [s]end, /n/ is like [n]ot, /b/ is like a[b]out and /u/ is like c[oo]l.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget to use an apostrophe when attaching grammatical suffixes to the proper noun İstanbul, such as when writing the accusative form İstanbul'u.
Did you know?
- The modern name İstanbul evolved from the Byzantine Greek phrase eis tḕn Pólin, which literally means 'in the City'.
- In Turkish, the dotted capital İ in İstanbul is a distinct letter from the dotless I.
- While İstanbul is the official name, Turks often call the city Yedi Tepe, which means 'Seven Hills'.
Examples in context
- Hiç İstanbul’da bulundun mu?Have you ever been in Istanbul?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has been in İstanbul.Tatoeba #3612122 by vvv123, translation #7078353 by ellasevia
- Ben hiç İstanbul'a gitmedim.I never went to Istanbul.This sentence is useful for stating that you have never gone to İstanbul.Tatoeba #5118138 by duran, translation #5116594 by Airvian
- İstanbul'da kaç tane cami var?How many mosques are there in Istanbul?This sentence is useful for asking how many mosques are in İstanbul.Tatoeba #2518576 by Gulo_Luscus, translation #1820731 by Amastan
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Selin are talking about their travel plans.
- BurakBu yaz İstanbul'a mı gidiyorsun?Are you going to İstanbul this summer?
- SelinEvet, İstanbul'u çok merak ediyorum.Yes, I am very curious about İstanbul.
- Burakİstanbul gerçekten harika bir şehir.İstanbul is truly a wonderful city.
- SelinUmarım orada çok eğlenirim.I hope I will have a lot of fun there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “istanbul” translations and entries İstanbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries İstanbul, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
