kavun
/kaˈvun/
The English word "melon" is kavun in Turkish.
kavun refers to the fruit. A related term is kavuniçi, which is used to describe the color of a cantaloupe or a melon-like color.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between different fruits: kavun refers specifically to melon, while karpuz is used for watermelon. These two words are not interchangeable.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kaˈvun/. You can approximate this using the sounds in the English words [c]ore for /k/, [v]ase for /v/, c[oo]l for /u/ and [n]ot for /n/. In each comparison the English letters in brackets make the sound.
Did you know?
- The Kırkağaç is a world-renowned variety of kavun that is so culturally significant it is protected by a legal geographical indication label.
- When shopping for kavun at a traditional Turkish bazaar, it is common for the vendor to let you smell the fruit's rind, as fragrance is considered more important than appearance.
- The color kavuniçi is not just for fruit but is a recognized term used by professional Turkish fashion designers and interior decorators.
Examples in context
- Bu yeni bir tür kavun.This is a new kind of melon.This sentence is useful for describing a new variety of kavun.Tatoeba #1326461 by duran, translation #55565 by CK
- Bu kabak kavun gibi kokuyor.This squash smells like melon.This sentence uses kavun to compare the smell of a squash to a melon.Tatoeba #4484427 by Y4K4M0Z, translation #4483909 by CK
- Kavunu altı eşit parçaya böl.Cut the melon into six equal pieces.This sentence shows how to use kavun when giving an instruction to cut the fruit.Tatoeba #1665403 by duran, translation #49847 by CK
- Lütfen kavun getirir misiniz?Could you please bring some melon?
- Şibitler burada yetişiyor.Small melons grow here.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Selin are at a fruit market.
- BurakSelin, bu kavun çok güzel görünüyor.Selin, this melon looks very nice.
- SelinEvet, kokusu da harika.Yes, the smell is great too.
- BurakBir tane kavun alalım mı?Shall we buy one melon?
- SelinTamam, hadi alalım.Okay, let's get it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “melon” translations and entries kavun, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
