What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of koca (husband) and the first-person singular possessive suffix -m (my).
Which one should you use?
While kocam specifically means "my husband", the base word koca can also mean "huge" or "large" in certain contexts, though it is primarily used for "husband" in modern daily speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more neutral and polite way to say "my spouse" or "my husband/wife", you can use eşim.
How does it change in a sentence?
When "my husband" is the direct object of a verb, the suffix -ı is added to the possessive form, resulting in kocamı. To express possession or a genitive relationship (e.g., 'my husband's car'), the suffix -ın is added to kocam.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kodʒam/. The sound is like the [c] in "core", the [j] in "jump" and the [m] in "much".
Did you know?
- In traditional Turkish culture, a woman might avoid saying kocam when speaking to her husband's parents. Instead, she might use a more respectful term or refer to him as 'the father of my children'.
- Unlike English, where 'spouse' is a formal term, the Turkish eş (the root of eşim) literally means 'equal' or 'pair'.
- In many Turkish regions, a woman might call her husband beyim, which literally means 'my lord' or 'my master', to show respect.
Examples in context
- Kocamı bana geri ver!Give me back my husband!This sentence is useful for practicing the accusative form kocamı.Tatoeba #2780442 by User20656, translation #631225 by DJ_Saidez
- Kocam kıskanç bir tip.My husband is the jealous type.Tatoeba #4054741 by tornado, translation #4051792 by CK
- Tom benim kocam değil.Tom isn't my husband.Tatoeba #5940045 by duran, translation #5938363 by CK
- Bugün kocamla birlikte sinemaya gittik.Today, my husband and I went to the cinema together.
- 121 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Merve and Burak are talking about Merve's husband during a casual chat.
- MerveKocam bugün çok yorgun.My husband is very tired today.
- BurakNeden acaba?I wonder why?
- MerveKocam bütün gün çok çalıştı.My husband worked a lot all day.
- BurakAnladım, dinlenmesi iyi olur.I see, it would be good for him to rest.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
