kız yeğen
/kɯz jeːn/from spelling rules
The English phrase "niece" is translated into Turkish as kız yeğen.
kız yeğen is used to refer to a niece, whether she is the daughter of your brother (fraternal) or the daughter of your sister (sororal).
Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of kız, meaning girl or daughter and yeğen, meaning niece or nephew.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express possession, such as saying "my niece", you add the first-person singular possessive suffix -im to the end of the phrase to form kız yeğenim.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kɯz jeːn/. The /k/ sound is like the [c] in "core", the /ɯ/ sound is somewhat like the [o] in "ribbon", the /z/ sound is like the [z] in "zone", the /j/ sound is like the [y] in "yes" and the /n/ sound is like the [n] in "not".
Did you know?
- In Turkish culture, yeğen is sometimes used as a slang term of endearment or a way to address a younger person, even if they are not a biological relative.
- The Proto-Turkic root of yeğen is ancient and is shared with other Turkic languages like Azerbaijani and Bashkir, showing the word's deep historical stability in the region.
- In formal writing, you might see yeğen used to describe a person who is much younger than the speaker, even if the exact biological connection is not the primary focus.
Examples in context
- Bir kız yeğenim yok.I don't have a niece.This sentence is useful for stating that you do not have a niece.Tatoeba #2487031 by duran, translation #2361186 by CK
- Sami kız kardeşini ve kız yeğenini öldürdü.Sami killed his sister and niece.This sentence shows how to use kız yeğen when listing relatives.Tatoeba #6119725 by deyta, translation #6119296 by OsoHombre
- Onun kız yeğeni çekici ve yaşına göre olgundur.His niece is attractive and mature for her age.This sentence provides an example of describing a person using kız yeğen.Tatoeba #854355 by duran, translation #287671 by jakov
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Merve are looking at a photo of Merve's family.
- BurakBu fotoğraftaki senin kız yeğenin mi?Is the girl in this photo your niece?
- MerveEvet, o benim kız yeğenim.Yes, she is my niece.
- BurakÇok tatlı görünüyor.She looks very cute.
- MerveTeşekkür ederim, o da çok akıllı.Thank you, she is also very smart.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “niece” translations, 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 kız, yeğen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
