canım
/d͡ʒaˈnɯm/
In Turkish, "my dear" is said as canım.
canım is a term of endearment used to address someone you love or care about. It translates literally to "my soul" or "my life."
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of can (soul, life or spirit) and the first-person singular possessive suffix -ım (my).
How does it change in a sentence?
canım is the first-person singular possessive form of the root can. This root can be used in other possessive forms, such as canın (your soul).
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /dʒaˈnɯm/. The sound /dʒ/ is like the [j] in [j]ump, /n/ is like the [n] in [n]ot, /ɯ/ is somewhat like the [o] in ribb[o]n and /m/ is like the [m] in [m]uch.
Did you know?
- In Turkish culture, canım is so common that it can function similarly to the English word 'honey' or 'sweetie', often being used by strangers like shopkeepers to create a sense of warm, communal familiarity.
- The root word can is a loanword from Persian, reflecting the deep influence of Persian culture and literature on the Ottoman Turkish language.
- In some regional dialects, the word canım is used as a filler word in conversation, similar to how some English speakers use 'like' or 'you know'.
Examples in context
- Tamam, canım, iyi geceler!OK, my dear, good night!This example shows how to use canım in a friendly goodnight greeting.Tatoeba #6165047 by duran, translation #737671 by Eldad
- Açıkçası, canım, umurumda değil.Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.This example illustrates the use of canım in a blunt or frank statement.Tatoeba #5106240 by duran, translation #573559 by Leono
- Hayır, canım, atla gitsen iyi olur.No, my dear, you had better go on horseback.This example demonstrates the use of canım when giving advice or a suggestion.Tatoeba #3761839 by duran, translation #837430 by Scott
- Sayın Ahmet Bey,Dear Mr. Ahmet
- Değerli Hocam,Dear Professor
- Nasılsın canım?How are you, my dear?
- Çok özledim, sevgilim.I missed you so much, my love.
- Gel buraya, tatlım!Come here, my sweetie!
- Ne yapıyorsun yavrum?What are you doing, my dear?
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Elif are talking in a cafe.
- BurakNasılsın canım?How are you, my dear?
- ElifÇok iyiyim, teşekkür ederim.I am very well, thank you.
- BurakSenin için kahve getirdim.I brought coffee for you.
- ElifÇok naziksin, canım.You are very kind, my dear.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry canım, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries canım, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
