polis
/poˈlis/
The English phrase 'police' is translated into Turkish as polis. If unsure, use polis. Wiktionary also lists sakçı and kınçal.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| polis | /poˈlis/ |
| sakçı | /sakt͡ʃɯ/ (from spelling rules) |
| kınçal | /kɯnt͡ʃal/ (from spelling rules) |
Polis refers to a local or general law enforcement agency. While you can use polis to refer to the force, the standard way to refer to an individual police officer is polis memuru.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word polis is both singular and plural in Turkish. To create a specific plural form, you can use polisler. If you need to indicate possession or the genitive case, such as 'the police's', add the suffix -in to the word to get polisin.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /poˈlis/. The sounds are similar to the [p] in 'pan', the [ee] in 'creek' and the [s] in 'send'.
Did you know?
- The word polis entered the Turkish language via French rather than directly from English or Greek.
- While polis is used for the agency, the Turkish language uses the word emniyet to refer to the Department of Public Security, the overarching administrative body.
- The term polis memuru literally translates to 'police member' or 'police official', reflecting the bureaucratic nature of the force in Turkey.
Examples in context
- O bir polis memuru.He's a police officer.This sentence is useful for identifying a single police officer using polis.Tatoeba #4438700 by duran, translation #1934827 by Spamster
- Her yerde polis var.Police are everywhere.This sentence is useful for stating that police are everywhere using polis.Tatoeba #4528929 by duran, translation #4494614 by CK
- Polis onu hapse attı.The police locked her up.This sentence is useful for describing the police locking someone up using polis.Tatoeba #3469498 by deyta, translation #2806350 by niceguydave
- Harika! Her şey yolunda mı? Polise haber vermemiz gerekebilir.Great! Is everything alright? We might need to call the police.
- Arkadaşlar! Acele edelim! Emniyet bizi durdurmasın.Friends! Let's hurry up! We shouldn't let the police stop us.
- Istanbul'da polis aracı çok hızlı! Sanırım bir suçlu yakaladılar.The police car in Istanbul is very fast! I think they caught a criminal.
- Ankara'da karakola sordum, kayıp cüzdanımı buldular.I asked the police station in Ankara, they found my lost wallet.
- Polisi aramalı mıyız?Should we call the police?
- Evet, hemen polisi ara.Yes, call the police immediately.
- Kardeşim, emniyete gitmek zorunda mıyız?Brother, do we have to go to the police station?
- 1655 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Zeynep are walking in a quiet park at night.
- EmreSokakta polis gördün mü?Did you see a police officer in the street?
- ZeynepHayır, hiç polis yok.No, there are no police at all.
- EmreO zaman kendimi güvende hissetmiyorum.Then I don't feel safe.
- ZeynepKorkma, ben yanındayım.Don't be afraid, I am with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations and entries polis, sakçı, 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 polis, sakçı, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
