gerçekten mi
/ɟeɾt͡ʃecten mi/from spelling rules
The English phrase "oh really" can be translated into Turkish as gerçekten mi.
gerçekten mi is an expression used to show surprise or to ask for confirmation when someone shares new information.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of gerçekten (really/truly) and the interrogative particle mi (used to form yes/no questions).
Which one should you use?
While gerçekten mi is a question used to confirm information, using just gerçekten without the particle mi functions as an adverb meaning "truly" or "actually" in a statement.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express surprise or seek confirmation, the question particle mi must follow the adverb gerçekten.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɟeɾtʃecten mi/. The sound /ɟ/ is like the [g] in argue, /ɾ/ is like the [t] in American English atom, /tʃ/ is like the [ch] in change, /c/ is like the [k] in skew, /n/ is like the [n] in not, /m/ is like the [m] in much and /i/ is like the [ee] in creek.
Did you know?
- If you want to sound more casual and intense when saying 'oh really!', you can replace gerçekten mi with harbi mi? This is very common in street slang among younger generations.
- The word gerçek means 'truth' or 'reality', but its suffix -ten actually functions as an ablative case, meaning 'from' or 'out of'. So, gerçekten literally translates to 'from truth'.
- The particle mi is a 'floating' question particle in Turkish, meaning it can be attached to almost any word in a sentence to turn that specific part of the sentence into the focus of your surprise.
Examples in context
- "O hastaydı." "Oh gerçekten mi, umarım ciddi bir şey değildir.""He's been sick." "Oh really, I hope it's nothing serious."This example shows how to use gerçekten mi to express concern after hearing someone is sick.Tatoeba #4649979 by duran, translation #1471192 by darinmex
- Gerçekten mi?Oh! Really?This example shows how to express surprise using gerçekten mi.Tatoeba #5229531 by soliloquist, translation #515907 by FeuDRenais
- Aaa gerçekten mi? Harika!Oh really? That's amazing!
- Gerçekten mi? Farkında değildim.Oh really? I wasn't aware.
- E valla mı? Bilmiyordum!Oh, really? I didn't know that!
- Gerçekten mi? Bu harika bir haber!Oh really? That is great news!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Mehmet are talking about a new cafe opening.
- ElifMahallemize yeni bir kafe açılıyormuş.A new cafe is opening in our neighborhood.
- MehmetGerçekten mi? Çok sevindim.Oh really? I am very happy.
- ElifEvet, haftaya açılacakmış.Yes, it will open next week.
- MehmetO zaman mutlaka gitmeliyiz.Then we must definitely go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gerçekten, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
