Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| biber | /bibeɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
| karabiber | /kaˈɾa.bi.beɾ/ |
biber is a general term for pepper. In a culinary context, it often refers to the fresh vegetable or chili peppers rather than the dried spice. If you wish to refer to the specific act of adding pepper to something, you can use the verb biberlemek.
What does it mean word for word?
karabiber is a compound word consisting of kara, meaning black and biber, meaning pepper.
Which one should you use?
While biber can refer to the general category of peppers, it is frequently used for fresh or chili peppers. To be specific about black pepper, use karabiber. To specify hot chili peppers, use the phrase acı biber, which literally means 'bitter/spicy pepper'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form of biber, add the suffix -ler to create biberler.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bibeɾ/. The b sound is like the b in 'about', the i sound is like the ee in 'creek' and the ɾ sound is like the t in the American English pronunciation of 'atom'.
Did you know?
- Turkish cuisine features a specific tradition called biber doldurma, where hollowed out peppers are stuffed with rice and meat.
- In traditional Turkish markets, you will find süs biberi, which are tiny ornamental peppers used as both decoration and intense condiments.
- The word biber shares a common ancestor with the English word 'pepper' through the Greek word piperiá, making them distant linguistic cousins.
Examples in context
- Biraz daha biber ekle.Add a little more pepper.This sentence is useful for learning how to use biber when asking to add something.Tatoeba #603573 by duran, translation #31307 by CK
- Çok fazla biber koydun.You put in too much pepper.This sentence is useful for learning how to use biber when discussing the amount of an ingredient.Tatoeba #1323643 by duran, translation #986432 by CK
- Lütfen biberi bana uzat.Please pass me the pepper.This sentence is useful for learning how to use biber when requesting an item.Tatoeba #1296177 by duran, translation #61553 by CK
- Merhaba, biber var mı?Hello, do you have peppers?
- Bu yemekte acı biber var mı?Is there hot pepper in this dish?
- Siyah biber var mı?Do you have black pepper?
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are making a salad in the kitchen.
- ElifSalata için biber lazım mı?Do we need pepper for the salad?
- CanEvet, biraz taze biber ekleyelim.Yes, let's add some fresh pepper.
- ElifBiberleri yıkadım, hazır bekliyor.I washed the peppers, they are waiting ready.
- CanTamam, hemen kesiyorum.Okay, I am cutting them right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pepper” translations and entries biber, karabiber, 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 biber, karabiber, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
