Şöyle böyle
/ʃøjle bøjle/from spelling rules
The English phrase "so-so" is translated into Turkish as Şöyle böyle.
Şöyle böyle is used to describe something as neither good nor bad, often serving as an adverbial response to the question Nasıl? (How?) to indicate that something is mediocre or acceptable but not impressive.
Meaning: neither good nor bad (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of two identical adverbs meaning "thus" or "in such a way", which together function as "so-so".
Is it said differently in some regions?
Şöyle böyle can be used in various regions to convey a meaning similar to "so-so".
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike many Turkish adjectives, Şöyle böyle is indeclinable and does not change its form based on the noun it modifies or the grammatical case of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʃøjle bøjle/. The /ʃ/ sound is like the [sh] in "shoe", the /j/ sound is like the [y] in "yes" and the /b/ sound is like the [b] in "about".
Did you know?
- In Turkish, you can express a similar 'middle' feeling by saying orta şekerli, which literally means 'medium sugar' and is typically used for coffee.
- In spoken Turkish, using şöyle böyle can sometimes be perceived as a polite way to avoid giving a negative review without being explicitly rude.
- The phrase şöyle böyle is an example of reduplication, a common feature in Turkish where repeating a word or phrase creates a new, often moderated, meaning.
Examples in context
- Toplantı nasıldı? – Vasattı.How was the meeting? – It was so-so.
- Yemeğin nasıldı? – İdare eder.How was the food? – It's so-so.
- Sınavım şöyle böyle geçti.My exam went so-so.
Example conversation
Can and Zeynep are catching up at a cafe.
- CanYeni işin nasıl gidiyor?How is your new job going?
- ZeynepŞöyle böyle, çok yorucu.So-so, it is very tiring.
- CanAnlıyorum, kolay gelsin.I see, good luck with it.
- ZeynepTeşekkür ederim Can.Thank you, Can.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
