Hanım
/hanɯm/from spelling rules
The Turkish way to say Ms. is Hanım.
When using this title, you use the person's first name followed by Hanım, such as Ayşe Hanım.
Which one should you use?
While Hanım is the title for a woman, the equivalent title for a man is Bey.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Turkish, the title Hanım is placed after the person's first name rather than before the surname.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /hanɯm/. The /h/ is like the [h] in [h]ome, the /n/ is like the [n] in [n]ot, the /ɯ/ is somewhat like the [o] in ribb[o]n and the /m/ is like the [m] in [m]uch.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly place the title before the name, such as saying Hanım Ayşe. In Turkish, the title must follow the name.
Did you know?
- The title Hanım shares a common ancestral root with the title Khan, which was used for rulers of Central Asian steppes.
- While Hanım is used as a title for 'Ms.', it is also the standard word for 'wife' or 'lady of the house' in traditional domestic contexts.
- The word Hanım has roots in the Ottoman era and was historically used to refer to high-ranking noblewomen or ladies of the court.
Examples in context
- Ayşe Hanım bugün çok yorgun görünüyor.Ms. Ayşe looks very tired today.
- Sayın Demet Hanım toplantıya katıldı.Ms. Demet attended the meeting.
- Canan Hanım size bir mesaj gönderdi.Ms. Canan sent you a message.
Example conversation
Merve and Emre are waiting in a clinic's reception area.
- MerveSizce Demir Hanım ne zaman gelir?When do you think Ms. Demir will arrive?
- EmreSanırım biraz gecikti.I think she is a bit late.
- MerveDemir Hanım randevularına hep sadık kalırdı.Ms. Demir always used to stick to her appointments.
- EmreHaklısın, garip bir durum.You are right, it is a strange situation.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hanım, CC BY-SA 4.0.
