eş
/ˈeʃ/
The Turkish word for wife is eş. Wiktionary also lists karı and avrat.
Meaning: female partner in a marriage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| eş | /ˈeʃ/ |
| karı | /kaɾɯ/ (from spelling rules) |
| avrat | /avɾat/ (from spelling rules) |
The term is used to refer to a female partner in a marriage.
Which one should you use?
The word eş is gender-neutral and can mean either 'wife' or 'husband'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
eş is the most polite and formal term to use when referring to someone's spouse in official or respectful settings. karı is a common way to say 'wife', but it can sound blunt or slightly disrespectful depending on the context. avrat is a highly colloquial or old-fashioned term for 'wife'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
avrat is often used in rural or traditional settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'his/her wife', you add the third-person possessive suffix -i to eş.
How do you pronounce it?
eş is pronounced /ˈeʃ/. The 'ş' sound is like the [sh] in the word shoe.
Did you know?
- The word eş is used in Turkish to describe any matching pair of objects, such as a pair of socks.
- The term avrat is derived from an Arabic word meaning 'private part' or 'nakedness'.
- While eş is gender-neutral, using karı as a general term for 'woman' is often considered vulgar or insulting in modern Turkish.
Examples in context
- O, onu eşi yaptı.He made her his wife.This sentence shows how to use the form eş to mean 'his/her wife'.Tatoeba #1267089 by duran, translation #302894 by CK
- Bu Tom'un eşi mi?Is this Tom's wife?This sentence uses the form eş to ask if someone is a spouse.Tatoeba #2435178 by User20656, translation #2257320 by Amastan
- Sen iyi bir eşsin.You're a good wife.This sentence uses the form eş to describe someone as a good wife.Tatoeba #6277050 by duran, translation #6274145 by CK
- O, eşimShe is my wife
- Eşiniz nasıl?How is your wife?
- 1453 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep and Can are talking at a coffee shop.
- ZeynepCan, eşin çok iyi bir insan.Can, your wife is a very good person.
- CanTeşekkür ederim, o da seni çok seviyor.Thank you, she likes you a lot too.
- ZeynepEşinle bugün buluşacak mıyız?Are we meeting your wife today?
- CanEvet, akşam yemeğinde buluşabiliriz.Yes, we can meet for dinner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wife” translations and entries eş, karı, avrat, 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 avrat, eş, karı, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
