Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| sadık | /saːˈdɯk/ |
| vefalı | /vefalɯ/ (from spelling rules) |
| bağlılıklı | /baːlɯlɯklɯ/ (from spelling rules) |
The term describes being firm in allegiance to a person or institution. In common descriptive phrases, the adjective sadık typically precedes the noun it modifies, such as in the phrase sadık bir dost (a loyal friend).
Which one should you use?
While sadık is the standard translation for 'loyal', vefalı implies a loyalty rooted in gratitude or faithfulness to a past kindness, often used for people or animals. bağlılıklı is also a form of the word.
How does it change in a sentence?
To negate the adjective sadık to say 'not loyal', you add the negative particle değil after the adjective, resulting in sadık değil.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /saːˈdɯk/. The /s/ sound is like the [s] in 'send', the /ɯ/ sound is somewhat like the [o] in 'ribbon' and the /k/ sound is like the [c] in 'core'.
Did you know?
- The concept of vefa is so culturally significant that there is a specific Turkish term vefa borcu to describe a 'debt of loyalty' that can never truly be repaid.
- The term bağlılık (the noun form of bağlılıklı) comes from the word 'bağ', which means 'knot' or 'bond'.
- The word sadık can also function as a common male given name in Turkey, meaning 'the truthful one'.
Examples in context
- Tom sadık değil mi?Tom is loyal, isn't he?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is sadık.Tatoeba #3637180 by duran, translation #3417356 by CK
- Sen sadık değil misin?Aren't you loyal?Tatoeba #6091598 by duran, translation #6091181 by CK
- Köpek vefalı bir hayvandır.A dog is a loyal animal.This sentence is useful for describing a dog as vefalı.Tatoeba #4798154 by deyta, translation #3305042 by oyd11
- İşyerinde sadık çalışanlar aramak önemlidir.It is important to look for loyal employees at the workplace.
- Ona karşı her zaman vefalı olmaya çalışırım.I always try to be loyal to him/her.
- Sadık arkadaşLoyal friend
- Vefalı eşLoyal partner
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Selin and Can are talking about their friend's character.
- SelinO her zaman çok sadık bir arkadaştır.He is always a very loyal friend.
- CanEvet, ona her konuda güvenebilirsin.Yes, you can trust him in everything.
- SelinSence sadık olmak bugün zor mu?Do you think being loyal is hard today?
- CanBence gerçek dostlar için zor değil.I think it is not hard for true friends.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “loyal” translations and entries sadık, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
