güneş
/ɟyˈneʃ/
The English word "sun" is translated into Turkish as güneş.
The word güneş refers to the star around which the Earth revolves. It can also be used to refer to a star when it is viewed as the center of a solar system. When referring to the light and warmth received from the sun, you can use either güneş or gün.
Meaning: the star around which the Earth revolves (name)
Which one should you use?
While güneş is the standard term, the word Şems is occasionally used to describe the sun, particularly in poetic verses.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express "of the sun", add the genitive suffix to the word to get güneşin. If the sun is the direct object of a verb, use the accusative suffix to form güneşi.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɟyˈneʃ/. The sound /ɟ/ is like the 'g' in ar[g]ue, /n/ is like the 'n' in [n]ot and /ʃ/ is like the 'sh' in [sh]oe.
Did you know?
- In the Ottoman era, güneş was written using the Arabic script as گونش, before the transition to the Latin alphabet in 1928.
- The Turkish word for 'day' is gün, which is the root of the word for 'sun' güneş. This reflects a linguistic connection where the sun is the source of the day.
- The word güneş is a cognate with the Chuvash word хӗвел, showing the deep historical links between Turkish and other Turkic languages.
Examples in context
- Güneş az önce doğdu.The sun has just come up.This sentence shows the use of güneş regarding the sun rising.Tatoeba #4047032 by duran, translation #3735407 by CK
- Ne güzel güneş açtı.It's good that the sun came out.This sentence uses güneş to describe the sun coming out.Tatoeba #7341093 by soliloquist, translation #4132556 by CK
- O, güneş kadar güzel.He's as beautiful as the sun.This sentence uses güneş in a comparison.Tatoeba #5175467 by duran, translation #1901579 by Spamster
- Güneş her sabah doğar.The sun rises every morning.
- Bugün müşfik yüzüyle güneş bize gülümsüyor.Today, the sun is smiling at us with its warm face.
- Gün doğduğunda kalbim açılıyor.My heart opens when the sun rises.
- 531 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Can are talking about the weather outside.
- ElifBugün güneş çok yakıcı, değil mi?The sun is very scorching today, isn't it?
- CanEvet, güneş kremi sürmen lazım.Yes, you need to apply sunscreen.
- ElifHaklısın, güneş altında kalmak istemiyorum.You're right, I don't want to stay under the sun.
- CanHadi, gölgeye geçelim.Come on, let's move to the shade.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sun” translations and entries güneş, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries güneş, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
