yılan
/jɯ.ˈɫɑn/
The English word "snake" is translated into Turkish as yılan.
yılan is the standard and most widely used noun in Turkish to refer to a legless reptile.
Meaning: legless reptile (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 2 syllables and the stress is on the second syllable. The pronunciation is /jɯ.ˈɫɑn/. The /j/ sound is like the [y] in "yes", the /ɯ/ sound is somewhat like the [o] in "ribbon" and the /n/ sound is like the [n] in "not".
Did you know?
- Traditional Turkish folklore mentions the ev yılanı or 'house snake', which was believed to bring prosperity if it lived within the walls of a home.
- The word yılan shares a linguistic root with aslan 'lion', kaplan 'tiger' and sırtlan 'hyena'. All these words use the same ancient suffix to denote a wild or predatory animal.
- Turkish uses the expression yılanlar gibi 'like snakes' to describe someone who is perceived as sneaky or treacherous. This matches the English connotation but is a very common way to describe untrustworthy people in daily speech.
Examples in context
- O bir yılan gördü.She saw a snake.This sentence is useful for describing the act of seeing a yılan.Tatoeba #5583888 by duran, translation #2875894 by Amastan
- O yılana ne denir?What's that snake called?This sentence is useful for asking for the name of a specific yılan.Tatoeba #6037689 by duran, translation #6037205 by Adelpa
- Bu ne tür bir yılan?What kind of snake is that?This sentence is useful for inquiring about the species or type of a yılan.Tatoeba #8981364 by soliloquist, translation #8979918 by CK
- Yılan gördümI saw a snake
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Selin and Burak are walking in a forest.
- SelinBak, yerde bir yılan var!Look, there is a snake on the ground!
- BurakGerçekten çok korkutucu görünüyor.It looks really scary.
- SelinHemen buradan uzaklaşmalıyız.We should get away from here immediately.
- BurakHaklısın, dikkatli olalım.You're right, let's be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snake” translations and entries yılan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries yılan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
