Türkisch
/ˈtʏʁkɪʃ/neuter
The English phrase 'turkish' refers to the language 'Türkisch' in German.
Türkisch is the name of the official language of Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is a neuter noun.
Meaning: official language of Turkey, Republic of Cyprus and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (name)
Which one should you use?
The capitalized form Türkisch is used when referring to the language itself as a noun. In contrast, the lowercase form türkisch is used as an adjective to describe something pertaining to Turkey, the Turkish people or the language.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word as an adjective, such as in 'turkish food', it is not capitalized unless it appears at the beginning of a sentence. You may also use the phrase die türkische Sprache to specifically mean 'the Turkish language'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʏʁkɪʃ/
Did you know?
- A common hybrid word in modern German is Kiezdeutsch, a variety of German spoken in urban areas that frequently incorporates türkisch loanwords and syntax.
- In German, you can use the phrase auf Türkisch to say 'in Turkish', mirroring the English preposition 'in' but using the word auf, which normally means 'on'.
- When describing food, Germans use the adjective türkisch, but they often use the noun Döner as a shorthand for the entire experience of 'Turkish fast food'.
Examples in context
- Ißt du gerne türkisch?Do you like Turkish food?This sentence is useful for asking about a preference for Türkisch food.Tatoeba #12541239 by Waldelfe, translation #8417267 by Amastan
- Ich kann kein Türkisch.I can't speak Turkish.This sentence is useful for stating an inability to speak Türkisch.Tatoeba #8110320 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4197231 by cymanteg
- Warum lernst du Türkisch?Why are you learning Turkish?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is learning Türkisch.Tatoeba #7769917 by ruth_tatoeba, translation #13745634 by Adelpa
- Die türkische Kultur hat eine reiche Geschichte.The Turkish culture has a rich history.
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are discussing language courses at a university.
- MaximilianLernst du jetzt Türkisch?Are you learning Turkish now?
- SarahJa, ich finde Türkisch sehr interessant.Yes, I find Turkish very interesting.
- MaximilianIst Türkisch schwer zu lernen?Is Turkish difficult to learn?
- SarahEin bisschen, aber es macht Spaß.A little, but it is fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turkish” translations and entries Türkisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
