katletmek
/kɐtʲ.let.mec/
The English verb 'slay' is translated into Turkish as katletmek.
katletmek is used specifically to mean to slay, to murder or to kill.
Meaning: to kill, murder (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of katl (killing/slaughter) and etmek (to do/to make).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
katletmek carries a more formal, heavy or literary tone than the everyday word for killing. In everyday, neutral situations, the more common verb for 'to kill' is öldürmek.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of this verb is katletti (he/she/it slew/murdered). The passive form katledildi (was slain/murdered) is frequently used in news reports and historical accounts to say someone 'was slain'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables. The sounds are /kɐtʲ.let.mec/. The /k/ sound is like the [c] in 'core', the /m/ sound is like the [m] in 'much' and the /c/ sound is like the [k] in 'skew'.
Did you know?
- Unlike the English slang 'slay', which is used to praise someone's fashion or performance, katletmek cannot be used as a compliment and would be taken literally and tragically.
- While katletmek sounds like a purely Turkish word, its core component katl is actually an Arabic loanword. This reflects the heavy influence of Arabic on the legal and formal vocabulary of Ottoman Turkish.
- Because katletmek is so heavy and formal, using it to describe a small animal or a minor accident would sound incredibly absurd or even unintentionally comedic to a native speaker.
Example conversation
Merve and Burak are discussing a dark historical novel.
- MerveKitapta kötü adam herkesi katletmek istiyor.In the book, the villain wants to slaughter everyone.
- BurakEvet, hikaye gerçekten çok karanlık.Yes, the story is really very dark.
- MerveSen olsan böyle bir karakteri yazar mıydın?Would you write such a character if you were him?
- BurakHayır, bu kadar vahşi birini yazamazdım.No, I couldn't write someone so savage.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry katletmek, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries katletmek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
