okul
/oˈkuɫ/
okul is the Turkish word for school.
The word okul refers to an institution dedicated to teaching and learning. If you need the related verb meaning to educate, teach or train, use eğitim vermek.
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun okul changes its suffix depending on its role in a sentence. Use okulun to say of the school, okulda to say at school, okula to say to school and okuldan to say from school.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /oˈkuɫ/. The /k/ sound is like the [c] in core, and the /u/ sound is like the [oo] in cool.
Did you know?
- The word okul is derived from the verb okumak, which means 'to read'. In Turkish, saying someone is 'reading' often implies they are pursuing a degree at a university.
- In Turkey, the first day of school in September is celebrated as İlköğretim Haftası, or Primary Education Week, with special ceremonies and parades.
- The creation of okul was likely a phono-semantic match, meaning it was designed to sound similar to the French word école while having a Turkish root.
Examples in context
- O iyi bir okul.That's a good school.This sentence is useful for describing a school using the word okul.Tatoeba #4075058 by duran, translation #3594007 by CK
- Okul 9 'da başlar.School begins at 9.This sentence is useful for stating when school begins using the word okul.Tatoeba #1258660 by duran, translation #266225 by CK
- O, okula gider mi?Does he go to school?This sentence is useful for asking if someone goes to school using the word okul.Tatoeba #4703278 by deyta, translation #3378288 by Jesse
- Hangi okula gidiyorsun?Which school do you go to?
- Arkadaşlarla okula birlikte gidiyoruz.We go to school together with friends.
- Geçen hafta eskiden okuduğum mektebe ziyarette bulundum.Last week, I visited the school I used to attend in the past.
- Okula gitmek zorundayım.I have to go to school.
- Okul sistemi geliştirilmeli.The school system should be improved.
- 3646 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Merve and Emre are talking on the phone about Emre's studies.
- MerveEmre, okul nasıl gidiyor?Emre, how is school going?
- EmreOkul çok yorucu ama güzel.School is very tiring but good.
- MerveHangi okulda okuyorsun?Which school do you study at?
- EmreŞehir merkezindeki okulda okuyorum.I study at the school in the city center.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations and entries okul, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries okul, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
