Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| adam | /aˈdam/ |
| erkek | /æɾˈcec/ |
| er | /ɛɾ/ |
| er kişi | /eɾ ciʃi/ (from spelling rules) |
In Turkish, the word you choose depends on whether you are discussing biological sex, human character or military status. While insan refers to the genus Homo, the term erkek is the most common and widely accepted way to say 'man' when referring to gender or sex. On the other hand, adam refers to a man as a person or describes his character. The root adam is also used in the adverb adamakıllı, which means to do something properly, seriously or in a decent manner.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the context of the description. Use erkek to specify biological sex or gender, equivalent to 'male'. Use adam when discussing a person's character or integrity, similar to the English expression of calling someone a 'real man'. The term er is a specialized or archaic term for a man, most commonly used in a military context to refer to a private. The term er kişi is also a way to express the concept.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For polite address, you can use the honorific Bey, which is similar to the English 'Mr.' used to address a man.
Related words
Did you know?
- The word adam is a linguistic traveler that moved from Biblical Hebrew into Arabic and then into Turkish. It is a doublet of the name Adem, the Turkish version of 'Adam'.
- In Turkish, if you say someone is adam gibi adam, you are not just saying he is a 'man like a man'. You are using a fixed idiom to describe a person of extreme integrity and honor.
- While adam refers to a man, the word insan is used for 'human' regardless of gender. In some contexts, calling someone an insan can be a higher compliment of character than calling them an adam.
Examples in context
- O iyi bir adam.He's a good man.This sentence is useful for describing a person's character using adam.Tatoeba #2009845 by duran, translation #2258565 by _undertoad
- Şu adam Tom mu?Is that man Tom?This sentence is useful for identifying a specific person using adam.Tatoeba #8098424 by soliloquist, translation #6351811 by CK
- O kötü bir adam.He is an evil man.Tatoeba #1256685 by duran, translation #303244 by CK
- O bir erkekHe is a man
- Bu adam çok komik!This man is very funny!
- 2633 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Merve and Can are looking at a photo of an old family friend.
- MerveBu adam kim?Who is this man?
- CanO benim eski bir öğretmenim.He is a former teacher of mine.
- MerveÇokle nazik bir adam gibi görünüyor.He looks like a very kind man.
- CanEvet, gerçekten öyledir.Yes, he really is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries adam, erkek, er, 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 adam, er, erkek, kişi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
