sevimli
/sevimli/from spelling rules
The English word lovely is translated into Turkish as sevimli.
sevimli describes something that is charming or pleasing in form, looks, tone or manner. While it means lovely, it is very frequently used to mean cute when describing children, animals or small objects.
Meaning: beautiful, charming, very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use sevimli when you want to convey charm or cuteness. If you want to emphasize physical beauty or aesthetic attractiveness, use güzel (beautiful) instead.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /sevimli/. It sounds like [s]end, [v]ase, cr[ee]k and [m]uch.
Did you know?
- While sevimli is used for 'cute' things, calling an adult romantic partner sevimli can sometimes be perceived as patronizing, as if you are treating them like a child.
- Unlike English, where 'lovely' can be used as a generic polite adjective for a day or a meal, sevimli is almost exclusively used for entities that can be 'cute' or 'lovable'.
- The word sevimli is built from the root sev, which is the base for the verb 'to love'.
Examples in context
- Ne sevimli bir bahçe!What a lovely garden!This sentence illustrates how to use sevimli to describe a garden.Tatoeba #4642320 by maydoo, translation #2158706 by Rezzonance
- O sevimli genç bir adam.He's a lovely young man.This sentence shows how to use sevimli when describing a young man.Tatoeba #5174287 by duran, translation #1956186 by Spamster
- Sami'nin sevimli bir karısı vardı.Sami had a lovely wife.This sentence demonstrates the use of sevimli to describe a wife.Tatoeba #6733918 by deyta, translation #6733525 by OsoHombre
- O güzel bir kadınShe is a lovely woman.
- Hoş bir akşam yemeğiA lovely dinner.
- Tatlı bir çocuksunYou are a lovely child.
- Bu şirin bir hediyeThis is a lovely gift.
- Harika görünüyorsun!You look lovely!
- Bu şirin bir projeye benziyor.It looks like a lovely project.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Merve are looking at a kitten in a pet shop.
- EmreŞu kedi çok sevimli!That kitten is so lovely!
- MerveEvet, gerçekten çok sevimli.Yes, it really is very lovely.
- EmreOnu eve götürmek ister misin?Do you want to take it home?
- MerveHayır, henüz hazır değilim.No, I am not ready yet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sevimli, 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 sevimli, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
