Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| Türkçe | /ˈtyɾc.t͡ʃe/ |
| Türk dili | /tyɾk dili/ (from spelling rules) |
The term is used to name the official language of Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. While Türkçe is the standard way to name the language, the adjective Türk is used to describe things pertaining to the Turkish people, the country.
What does it mean word for word?
Türkçe is composed of the root Türk (Turk) and the suffix -çe, which is used to form the names of languages.
Which one should you use?
Türkçe refers specifically to the language itself. In contrast, use the adjective Türk when you want to describe things related to the people or the country, such as Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The name of the language Türkçe is a noun and does not change its form based on its role in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtyɾc.tʃe/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. The sounds are similar to the following: /ɾ/ as in the American English word 'atom' (using the [t] sound), /c/ as in 'skew' (using the [k] sound) and /tʃ/ as in 'change' (using the [ch] sound).
Did you know?
- The word for 'Turkish' in Hungarian is török, which is an ancient borrowing from the same ancestral root as the word Türk.
- The phrase Türk dili translates literally to 'Turk tongue', using the word dil which means both 'language' and the physical organ in the mouth.
- The term Türkçe is an endonym, meaning it is the name the people used for their own language long before it was adopted into English as 'Turkish'.
Examples in context
- Türkçe zor bir dil.Turkish is a difficult language.This sentence is useful for stating that Türkçe is a difficult language.Tatoeba #5089928 by duran, translation #2006250 by Eldad
- Ana dilin Türkçe mi?Is your native language Turkish?This sentence is useful for asking if someone's native language is Türkçe.Tatoeba #13717074 by vowelharmony, translation #13717563 by terrywallwork
- Bayan Türkçe konuşur mu?Does the lady speak Turkish?This sentence is useful for asking if a lady speaks Türkçe.Tatoeba #3574571 by vvv123, translation #2064580 by halfb1t
- Ben Türkçe öğreniyorum.I am learning Turkish.
- MerhabaHello
- Nasılsın?How are you?
- Teşekkür ederimThank you
- 106 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing language studies at a cafe.
- ElifTürkçe öğrenmek istiyor musun?Do you want to learn Turkish?
- MehmetEvet, Türkçe çok güzel bir dil.Yes, Turkish is a very beautiful language.
- ElifMehmet, bu kurs çok iyi.Mehmet, this course is very good.
- MehmetElif, teşekkürler, hemen başlayacağım.Elif, thanks, I will start immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turkish” translations and entries Türkçe, Türk dili, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Türk, Türk dili, Türkçe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
