patates
/pa.taˈtes/
The English word 'potato' is translated into Turkish as patates. Wiktionary also lists yerelması and çisil.
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| patates | /pa.taˈtes/ /patˈtes/ |
|
| yerelması | /jeɾelmasɯ/ (from spelling rules) | rare |
| çisil | /t͡ʃisil/ (from spelling rules) | |
| kartof | /kaɾˈtof/ | |
| badadez | /badadez/ (from spelling rules) | Cypriot |
The word refers to the plant tuber eaten as a starchy vegetable. You may see it used in the phrase patates kızartması, which refers to French fries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Cypriot dialect, the word badadez is used to mean potato.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural 'potatoes', use patatesler. To indicate possession or 'of the potato', use the form patatesin. When the potato is a specific direct object of a verb, it takes the suffix -i to become patatesi.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the third syllable. The 'p' sound is like the [p] in pan and the 's' sound is like the [s] in send.
Did you know?
- The Turkish word patates shares a surprising common ancestor with the English word 'sweet potato'. Both languages trace the word back to the Taíno word 'batata'.
- The term yerelması is a more formal or botanical way to refer to a potato, literally translating to 'earth apple'.
- While patates is the standard term, you might hear kartof in certain regions or contexts, which is a direct loanword from Russian.
Examples in context
- O bir patates soydu.She peeled a potato.This sentence shows the verb used for peeling a patates.Tatoeba #5236772 by duran, translation #2879127 by Amastan
- O bir patates buğuladı.She steamed a potato.This sentence shows the verb used for steaming a patates.Tatoeba #4759889 by duran, translation #2880577 by Amastan
- Tom patates cipsi yiyor.Tom is eating potato chips.This sentence shows the use of patates in the context of potato chips.Tatoeba #6848668 by deyta, translation #6664272 by CK
- En sevdiğim yemek patates püresidir.My favorite dish is mashed potatoes.
- Piknik için patates salatası yapalım.Let's make potato salad for the picnic.
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Elif are in the kitchen preparing dinner.
- BurakKaç tane patates lazım?How many potatoes do we need?
- ElifÜç tane patates yeterli olacaktır.Three potatoes will be enough.
- BurakPeki, patatesleri hemen yıkıyorum.Okay, I am washing the potatoes right now.
- ElifTeşekkürler Burak, eline sağlık.Thanks Burak, bless your hands.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations and entries patates, kartof, 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 patates, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
