sevgilim
/sevɟilim/from spelling rules
The Turkish word for sweetheart is sevgilim.
sevgilim is used to refer to a person who is very much liked or loved. This term is almost exclusively used in a romantic context between partners.
Meaning: a person very much liked or loved by someone (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The form sevgilim includes the first-person singular possessive suffix, which means it literally translates to "my sweetheart".
Which one should you use?
While sevgilim is used for a romantic partner, it is more specific to a lover than the more general term canım (my dear/my soul). You may also use aşkım to mean "my love".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /sevɟilim/. It sounds like the [s] in send, the [v] in vase, the [g] in argue, the [ee] in creek and the [m] in much.
Did you know?
- Turkish has many 'organ-based' terms of endearment, such as gözüm (my eye) or ciğerim (my liver), which function similarly to sevgilim in different contexts.
- While English speakers might call a child 'sweetheart', doing so in Turkish with sevgilim would be highly inappropriate and even scandalous, as it is strictly for romantic partners.
- The root of sevgilim comes from the verb sevmek, which means 'to love'. This means the word is fundamentally built from the act of loving rather than an endearment like 'sweet' or 'darling'.
Examples in context
- Ben canım sevgilimi ararım.I call my sweetheart darling.This sentence shows how to use sevgilim when referring to a sweetheart in the third person.Tatoeba #1357754 by duran, translation #262284 by CK
- Nasılsın sevgilim?How are you, my sweetheart?This sentence shows how to use sevgilim as a direct address in a question.Tatoeba #3688763 by deyta, translation #1312589 by Eldad
- Günaydın, sevgilim.Good morning, sweetheart.This sentence shows how to use sevgilim as a direct address in a greeting.Tatoeba #4527494 by duran, translation #1808502 by CK
- Nasılsın, canım?How are you, sweetheart?
- Gel buraya, canım.Come here, my dear.
- Yemeğin hazır, canım.Dinner is ready, darling.
- Sabah kahven hazır, tatlım.Your morning coffee is ready, sweetheart.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Burak and Merve are meeting at a cafe.
- BurakMerhaba sevgilim, seni gördüğüme çok sevindim.Hello sweetheart, I am so happy to see you.
- MerveBen de seni çok özledim Burak.I missed you very much too, Burak.
- BurakHadi, kahvelerimizi sipariş edelim.Come on, let's order our coffees.
- MerveTamam canım, ben kahve istiyorum.Okay dear, I want coffee.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
