düğün
/dyˈ(j)yn/
The Turkish word for wedding is düğün. Wiktionary also lists nikâh.
Meaning: marriage ceremony (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| düğün | /dyˈ(j)yn/ /ˈdyːn/ |
| nikâh | /niˈcɑh/ |
The term düğün is the most common and neutral way to say wedding in Turkish, typically referring to the festive event, reception or party. If you are talking about the physical wedding dress, use gelinlik and if you are referring to a wedding venue or banquet hall, use düğün salonu.
Which one should you use?
düğün refers to the wedding celebration or the party, whereas nikâh specifically refers to the legal or religious marriage ceremony itself, such as the signing of the marriage contract.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make düğün plural, you can add the suffix -ler to form düğünler.
How do you pronounce it?
/dyˈ(j)yn/. The sound /j/ is like the [y] in [y]es, and the sound /n/ is like the [n] in [n]ot.
Did you know?
- At traditional Turkish düğün celebrations, guests often pin gold coins or banknotes to a ribbon worn by the bride and groom to help them start their new life.
- The word düğün shares an ancient root with the word düğüm, which means 'knot'. This connects the idea of a wedding celebration to the physical act of tying a knot.
- In Turkey, the nikâh is the official legal ceremony, but it is common for the couple to have a separate kına gecesi or 'henna night' exclusively for the bride and her female friends before the wedding.
Examples in context
- O küçük bir düğündü.It was a small wedding.Tatoeba #4211802 by duran, translation #3314625 by CK
- O güzel bir düğündü.It was a beautiful wedding.Tatoeba #4591414 by duran, translation #2045785 by CK
- O bir düğün olabilir.It might be a wedding.Tatoeba #1069066 by duran, translation #781135 by CM
- Düğün ne zaman?When is the wedding?
- Bu hafta sonu bir düğün törenine katılacağım.I will attend a wedding ceremony this weekend.
- 303 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mehmet and Zeynep are talking about a friend's upcoming party.
- MehmetHaftaya bir düğün var.There is a wedding next week.
- ZeynepKimin düğünü bu?Whose wedding is this?
- MehmetÇocukluk arkadaşımın düğünü.It is my childhood friend's wedding.
- ZeynepHarika, ben de gelmek isterim.Great, I would like to come too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wedding” translations and entries düğün, nikâh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries düğün, nikâh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
