turco
/ˈtur.ko/masculine
The English word Turkish translates to Italian as turco.
turco is the name of the official language of Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. When you use the word as a noun to refer to the Turkish language, it is used with the definite article il, as in il turco.
Meaning: official language of Turkey, Republic of Cyprus and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (name)
Which one should you use?
The word turco functions in multiple ways: it can be an adjective, such as in un caffè turco (a Turkish coffee) or it can be a noun referring to a Turkish man.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Sicily, you might hear Turcu instead of turco.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form changes to agree with the gender and number of the noun it modifies. Use turca for feminine singular nouns, like lingua turca (Turkish language). Use turche for feminine plural nouns, such as tradizioni turche (Turkish traditions). Use turchi for masculine plural nouns, such as uomini turchi (Turkish men).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈtur.ko/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the phrase fare i turchi means to play dumb or pretend not to understand something to avoid a responsibility.
- During the period of the Ottoman Empire, the word turco was often used in Italy as a generic term for any Muslim, regardless of whether they were actually from Turkey.
- While turco describes the language, the Italian word for 'Turkey' the country is Turchia, which uses a different suffix entirely.
Examples in context
- Io amo il turco.I love Turkish.This sentence is useful for expressing a love for the language using turco.Tatoeba #13297640 by Guybrush88, translation #10369429 by DJ_Saidez
- Tu parli il turco?Do you speak Turkish?This sentence is useful for asking if someone speaks the language using turco.Tatoeba #1905052 by Guybrush88, translation #634028 by CN
- Non parlo il turco.I don't speak Turkish.This sentence is useful for stating that you do not speak the language using turco.Tatoeba #4422161 by Guybrush88, translation #1566978 by deniko
- Studio la lingua turca.I study the Turkish language.
- Vorrei trovare un corso di turco.I would like to find a Turkish course.
- Conosci la lingua turca?Do you know Turkish?
- Mi piace studiare la lingua turca.I enjoy studying the Turkish language.
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are discussing their language learning goals.
- AlessandroVorrei imparare il turco quest'anno.I would like to learn Turkish this year.
- SofiaIl turco è una lingua difficile?Is Turkish a difficult language?
- AlessandroSì, ma trovo il turco molto affascinante.Yes, but I find Turkish very fascinating.
- SofiaAllora posso aiutarti a studiare, Alessandro.Then I can help you study, Alessandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turkish” translations and entries turco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
