Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| pencere | /ˈpen.d͡ʒe.ɾe/ |
| cam | /ˈd͡ʒam/ |
Both pencere and cam can be used to mean window, referring to an opening for light and air.
Which one should you use?
While pencere refers to the window structure itself, cam literally means glass and is frequently used in colloquial Turkish to refer to the window as a whole.
How do you pronounce it?
The word pencere is pronounced /ˈpen.dʒe.ɾe/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1 of 3. For the sounds: the /p/ is like the [p] in pan, the /n/ is like the [n] in not, the /dʒ/ is like the [j] in jump and the /ɾ/ is like the [t] in American English atom.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might assume that cam only refers to the material glass, but in the context of a house, it is the most common way to refer to the window itself. For example, you would say camı aç to mean 'open the window'.
Did you know?
- The word cam originally meant 'cup' or 'chalice' in Persian, meaning the word used for a window today shares a historical ancestry with the word for a drinking vessel.
- In historical Ottoman architecture, the pencere was often a complex wooden lattice that filtered light, reflecting the cultural need for privacy in homes.
- If a Turk says they are 'looking through the cam', they are using the same word that describes a mirror, as both are made of the same material.
Examples in context
- Dün camı kıran o.He is the one who broke the window yesterday.This sentence is useful for identifying who broke the cam.Tatoeba #8481262 by Cumle_Kurucu, translation #8481785 by ET
- Bu camı kim kırdı?Who broke this window?This sentence is useful for asking who broke this cam.Tatoeba #1030627 by duran, translation #276210 by CK
- Tom cam açık uyudu.Tom slept with the window open.This sentence is useful for describing sleeping with the cam open.Tatoeba #7496265 by soliloquist, translation #5848118 by CK
- Yan odadaki pencereyi kapatabilir misin?Can you close the window in the other room?
- Pencereden güzel bir manzara görüyorum.I can see a beautiful view from the window.
- Pencereler camdan yapılmış.The windows are made of glass.
- 926 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Can and Merve are in the living room on a hot afternoon.
- CanHava çok sıcak, pencereyi açalım mı?It is very hot, shall we open the window?
- MerveEvet, lütfen pencereyi aç Can.Yes, please open the window, Can.
- CanPencereyi açtım ama hala sıcak.I opened the window but it is still hot.
- MerveBelki de vantilatörü açmalısın.Maybe you should turn on the fan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “window” translations and entries pencere, cam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cam, pencere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
