şimşek
/ʃim.ʃec/
The English word lightning is translated into Turkish as şimşek.
şimşek refers to the discharge of lightning. You can use the phrase şimşek çakması to specifically describe the actual visual flash or bolt of lightning. Additionally, the phrase şimşek gibi is used idiomatically to describe something moving with extreme speed, similar to the English 'as quick as lightning'.
Meaning: discharge (noun)
Which one should you use?
While şimşek refers to the visible flash of lightning, the word yıldırım is used specifically for the lightning strike that hits the ground or a specific object.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /ʃim.ʃec/. The sounds are similar to the [sh] in shoe, the [ee] in creek, the [m] in much and the [k] in skew.
Did you know?
- The word yıldırım is also used as a prefix in the term yıldırım aşkı, which translates literally to 'lightning love' but means 'love at first sight'.
- In Turkish folklore, şimşek and yıldırım are sometimes personified as supernatural forces or tools used by divine entities to punish the wicked.
- The word şimşek is thought to be an ancient way of describing a 'spear' thrown from the sky, originating from the Proto-Turkic word for a piercing weapon.
Examples in context
- Dışarı çıkma! Şimşek var!Don't go out! There's lightning!This sentence is useful for warning someone about the presence of şimşek.Tatoeba #13969656 by deyta, translation #13954972 by Ioan_Cristian
- O şimşek çakmasını gördün mü?Did you see that flash of lightning?This sentence uses şimşek to ask about seeing a flash of lightning.Tatoeba #4586441 by duran, translation #2649718 by sharptoothed
- O şimşek kadar hızlı bitirdi.He finished it as quick as lightning.This sentence demonstrates the idiomatic use of şimşek to describe extreme speed.Tatoeba #5449064 by duran, translation #291515 by CK
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep and Can are watching a storm from the window.
- ZeynepBak, yine şimşek çaktı!Look, lightning struck again!
- CanÇok korkutucu görünüyor.It looks very scary.
- ZeynepŞimşekten hemen sonra gök gürledi.The thunder rolled right after the lightning.
- CanEve girsek daha iyi olur.It would be better if we went inside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lightning” translations and entries şimşek, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries şimşek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
