ocak
/oˈd͡ʒɑk/
January in Turkish is ocak. Wiktionary also lists kânunusani and büyük ay.
Meaning: first month of the Gregorian calendar (name)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ocak | /oˈd͡ʒɑk/ | |
| kânunusani | /caːnunusani/ (from spelling rules) | archaic |
| büyük ay | /byjyc aj/ (from spelling rules) |
ocak refers to the first month of the Gregorian calendar. In Turkish, the word ocak also literally means 'hearth' or 'fireplace'.
Which one should you use?
While ocak is the standard term, kânunusani is an archaic form. büyük ay is also a form for January.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form kânunusani is an archaic, Ottoman-era term for January and is not used in modern daily Turkish.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the month in a descriptive way, it is common to add the word 'ay' (month) after 'ocak', resulting in ocak ayı (the month of January).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /oˈdʒɑk/. The sound /dʒ/ is like the [j] in jump, and the sound /k/ is like the [c] in core.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Yılın ilk ayı ocaktır.The first month of the year is January.This sentence is useful for stating that January is the first month of the year.Tatoeba #1038799 by deyta, translation #27389 by CK
- Ocak ayında karımız var.We have snow in January.This sentence is useful for mentioning having snow in the month of ocak.Tatoeba #1278021 by duran, translation #27824 by CK
- Ocak takvimin ilk ayıdır.January is the first month of the calendar.This sentence is useful for identifying January as the first month of the calendar.Tatoeba #1832340 by duran, translation #681511 by Source_VOA
- Geçen ocak ayında, işyerimizde önemli bir konferans düzenledik.Last January, we organized an important conference at our workplace.
- 62 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Elif are planning a winter trip.
- EmreOcak ayında tatile gitmek ister misin?Do you want to go on vacation in January?
- ElifEvet, Ocak ayı çok güzel olur.Yes, January would be very nice.
- EmreO zaman biletleri hemen alalım mı?Shall we buy the tickets right away then?
- ElifHarika bir fikir, haydi yapalım!That's a great idea, let's do it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “January” translations and entries ocak, kânunusani, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ay, büyük, kânunusani, ocak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
