lale
/laːˈle/
The English word "tulip" is translated into Turkish as lale.
lale refers to the tulip plant.
Meaning: plant (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/laːˈle/
When do people say it?
The term is associated with the Lale devri, or Tulip Era, which refers to a specific period of prosperity and beauty in Turkish history.
Did you know?
- The lale is a symbol of divine love in Sufi mysticism because its shape resembles the Arabic word for 'Allah'.
- While the world often associates tulips with the Netherlands, the original cultivation and breeding of the lale happened in Central Asia and the Ottoman Empire.
- The Persian word for tulip, lāla, originally meant 'ruby' or 'red-colored' before it became the name of the flower.
Examples in context
- Güzel lalesine baktı.He looked at his beautiful tulip.This sentence is useful for seeing the word lale used in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #6704812 by deyta, translation #6704014 by AlanF_US
- Bahçede kırmızı bir lale var.There is a red tulip in the garden.
- Bu lale çok güzel kokuyor.This tulip smells very nice.
Example conversation
Can and Elif are walking through a flower market.
- CanBak, bu lale çok güzel!Look, this tulip is very beautiful!
- ElifEvet, rengi harika görünüyor.Yes, the color looks wonderful.
- CanSana bu lale yakışır mı?Would this tulip suit you?
- ElifÇok teşekkürler, Can!Thank you very much, Can!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tulip” translations and entries lale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
