Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| bön | /bœn/ |
| ahmak | /ahmak/ (from spelling rules) |
Turkish has several ways to express the concept of being stupid, depending on whether you are describing a lack of intelligence, a blank expression or a lack of knowledge. General terms for being stupid include ahmak, while describing someone as lacking brains or common sense often involves more colorful, informal language.
Which one should you use?
While both words can translate to stupid, bön specifically describes a vacant, blank or mindless expression or state of being. In contrast, ahmak is a more direct and common way to call someone foolish or stupid.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can turn the word ahmak into an adverb meaning 'stupidly' or 'in a stupid manner' by adding the suffix -ça, forming ahmakça.
How do you pronounce it?
The word bön is pronounced /bœn/. The b sounds like the b in about and the n sounds like the n in not.
Did you know?
- Because Turkish is an agglutinative language, a single word based on ahmak can be expanded with multiple suffixes to mean 'they were acting stupidly'.
- The word bön is derived from the Proto-Turkic root *bȫn, meaning it has been used to describe foolishness for thousands of years.
- In Turkish culture, calling someone ahmak can be seen as a critique of their character or judgment rather than just their IQ.
Examples in context
- Sana inanacak kadar ahmak değilim.I'm not stupid enough to believe you.This sentence shows how to use ahmak to deny being foolish enough to believe someone.Tatoeba #5853656 by deyta, translation #5853605 by jollywatt
- Ergenler birçok ahmakça şeyler yaparlar.Teenagers do a lot of stupid things.This sentence uses ahmakça to describe actions performed by teenagers.Tatoeba #5307989 by deyta, translation #1383510 by Spamster
- Neden herkes benim ahmak olduğumu düşünüyor?Why does everyone think I'm stupid?This sentence uses ahmak to express a question about why people perceive someone as stupid.Tatoeba #5451731 by deyta, translation #5157918 by CK
- çok aptalVery stupid
- biraz aptalA bit stupid
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Zeynep are talking about a clumsy character in a movie.
- BurakBu karakter gerçekten çok bön, değil mi?This character is really stupid, isn't he?
- ZeynepEvet, bazen ne yapacağını hiç bilmiyor.Yes, sometimes he doesn't know what to do at all.
- BurakŞu anki bakışı bile çok bön görünüyor.Even the way he is looking now seems very stupid.
- ZeynepBu yüzden film çok komik oluyor.That is why the movie is so funny.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations and entries bön, ahmak, 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 ahmak, bön, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
