ne istiyorsun
/ne istijoɾsun/from spelling rules
The English phrase "what do you want" is translated into Turkish as ne istiyorsun.
This phrase is used to ask someone about their desires or what they would like to have.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ne (what) and istiyorsun (you are wanting).
How does it change in a sentence?
To address someone formally or to a group of people, the phrase changes to ne istiyorsunuz.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ne istijoɾsun/. The sounds are similar to the following English sounds: [n]ot for /n/, cr[ee]k for /i/, [s]end for /s/, [y]es for /j/, AmE a[t]om for /ɾ/ and c[oo]l for /u/.
When do people say it?
When you want to be polite and inquire about someone's needs, such as in a service context, it is better to use Size nasıl yardımcı olabilirim? (How can I help you?) rather than asking what they want.
Did you know?
- In Turkish, asking ne istiyorsun can sound aggressive or confrontational depending on the tone. It is often used in arguments to mean 'What is your problem?' or 'What are you trying to achieve here?'
- Turkish is an agglutinative language, meaning it adds suffixes to a root. The word istiyorsun is built from the root iste (want) plus markers for the present continuous tense and the second person singular subject.
- The word ne is used across a vast linguistic geography, appearing in forms from Azerbaijani nə to Uzbek nima and Kazakh не.
Examples in context
- Şu anda ne istiyorsun?What do you want right now?This sentence shows how to use ne istiyorsun when asking about a specific moment in time.Tatoeba #3891051 by duran, translation #3821876 by CK
- O konuda ne istiyorsun?What do you want for that?This sentence shows how to use ne istiyorsun when asking about a specific subject.Tatoeba #5863603 by deyta, translation #5851392 by CK
- Noel için ne istiyorsun?What do you want for Christmas?This sentence shows how to use ne istiyorsun when asking about a specific occasion.Tatoeba #3690119 by vvv123, translation #2014383 by CK
- Ne istiyorsun? Bir şeyler mi yemek istiyorsun?What do you want? Do you want something to eat?
- Nasıl yardımcı olabilirim? Ne istiyorsun?How can I help you? What do you want?
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mehmet and Zeynep are at a cafe deciding on dessert.
- MehmetTatlı olarak ne istiyorsun?What do you want for dessert?
- ZeynepBen dondurma istiyorum.I want ice cream.
- MehmetPeki, başka ne istiyorsun?Okay, what else do you want?
- ZeynepSadece bir kahve istiyorum.I just want a coffee.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
