güzel
/ɟyˈzel/
The English word "pretty" is translated into Turkish as güzel.
güzel is a versatile adjective used to describe something or someone as pretty, beautiful, nice or even good, depending on the context. While it is often used for women and children to mean pleasant or attractive, it can apply to many things. For example, you can add the word çok before it to say çok güzel (very pretty). If you want to express that something is merely "nice" or "pleasant" in other contexts, you might use the word Hoş.
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
While güzel can be used generally to describe anyone as attractive, the specific term yakışıklı is used when you want to say a man is "handsome".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective güzel can take the plural suffix -ler to become güzeller, which refers to "pretty ones" (a group of pretty people or things).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɟyˈzel/. The first sound is like the [g] in ar[g]ue and the second sound is like the [z] in [z]one.
Did you know?
- While güzel describes beauty, the word for 'handsome' yakışıklı comes from the root yakışmak, which means 'to suit' or 'to fit' someone.
- In Turkish music and poetry, güzel is often used as a direct address, similar to calling someone 'my beauty' or 'my beloved'.
- The word güzel is a cognate with the Azerbaijani word gözəl and the Uzbek word goʻzal, showing its deep roots across the Turkic language family.
Examples in context
- O güzel bir ev.It's a pretty house.This sentence shows how to use güzel to describe a house.Tatoeba #2060237 by duran, translation #703133 by papabear
- O güzel kız kim?Who is that pretty girl?This sentence uses güzel to ask about a pretty girl.Tatoeba #1052588 by duran, translation #68706 by CK
- O güzel bir kız.She is a pretty girl.This sentence uses güzel to describe a pretty girl.Tatoeba #1267140 by duran, translation #310694 by CK
- Çok güzelsinizYou are pretty
- Senin kıyafetlerin çok güzel.Your clothes are very pretty.
- Çiçekler bahçede güzel açmış.The flowers have bloomed beautifully in the garden.
- O kadın çok güzel bir sanat eserine benziyor.That woman resembles a very pretty work of art.
- Bu elbise sana çok hoş gidiyor.This dress suits you very nicely.
- Yüzün gülerken çok hoş görünüyorsun.You look very pretty when you smile.
- 345 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Selin are looking at a photo of a child.
- BurakBu bebek çok güzel.This baby is very pretty.
- SelinEvet, gerçekten çok güzel.Yes, she is really very pretty.
- BurakGözleri de çok güzel.Her eyes are also very beautiful.
- SelinKesinlikle, harika bir çocuk.Absolutely, she is a wonderful child.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pretty” translations and entries güzel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries güzel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
