Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| güçlü | /ɟytʃ.ly/ |
| kuvvetli | /kuvvetli/ (from spelling rules) |
| gür | /ɟyɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
The primary way to express being capable of producing great physical force is through the adjective güçlü. For emphasizing someone's physical strength in an informal way, you can use the expression Güçlü kuvvetli.
What does it mean word for word?
The word güçlü is built from the noun güç, which means power or strength and the suffix -lü, which means 'with' or 'possessing'.
Which one should you use?
güçlü is the most common and versatile word for strong in most contexts. kuvvetli is often used in more formal, technical or literary contexts to describe physical force or intensity. The specialized adjective gür is used specifically for the strength of sounds, such as a loud voice or for density, such as thick hair or a lush forest.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of güçlü is /ɟytʃ.ly/. It consists of two syllables.
Did you know?
- While güçlü describes strength, the root güç is also the standard word for 'difficult' in Turkish.
- In Old Turkic, the ancestor of gür was kür, which could mean a 'bully' or someone who is 'valiant'.
Examples in context
- O mert ve güçlü.He's manly and strong.This sentence is useful for describing a person as manly and strong using güçlü.Tatoeba #5174788 by duran, translation #1912025 by Spamster
- O ne kadar güçlü!How strong he is!This sentence is useful for an exclamation about how strong someone is using güçlü.Tatoeba #2019634 by duran, translation #294266 by CM
- O güçlü ve seksi.She's strong and sexy.This sentence is useful for describing a woman as strong and sexy using güçlü.Tatoeba #5221326 by duran, translation #2256824 by Hybrid
- O, gerçekten güçlü kuvvetli, hiç yorulmaz.He is really strong, never gets tired.
- Bu çocuk büyük zorluklarla karşılaştığında bile dayanıklı kalır.This child remains strong even in the face of great difficulties.
- Bu bina yeni güvenlik önlemleriyle güçlendirilmiştir.This building has been strengthened with new security measures.
- 536 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Merve and Emre are at a gym.
- MerveEmre, çok güçlü görünüyorsun.Emre, you look very strong.
- EmreTeşekkürler, çok çalışıyorum.Thanks, I am working hard.
- MerveBu ağırlığı kaldırabilir misin?Can you lift this weight?
- EmreEvet, ben çok güçlü biriyim.Yes, I am a strong person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “strong” translations and entries güçlü, kuvvetli, gür, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gür, güçlü, kuvvetli, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
