hem evet hem hayır
/hem evet hem hajɯɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "yes and no" is expressed in Turkish as hem evet hem hayır.
This phrase is used to express that a situation is complex and cannot be categorized by a simple affirmative or negative answer.
Meaning: indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The structure hem … hem … is used to mean "both … and …" in Turkish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the eastern part of Turkey, people may use the word He instead of Evet to say "yes".
How does it change in a sentence?
A common way to add emphasis to the conjunction is by adding the particle de to the second part of the phrase, resulting in hem evet hem de hayır.
How do you pronounce it?
/hem evet hem hajɯɾ/. The sounds are comparable to the English words: [h]ome for /h/, [m]uch for /m/, [v]ase for /v/, [y]es for /j/, somewhat like the vowel in ribb[o]n for /ɯ/ and the American English pronunciation of a[t]om for /ɾ/.
Did you know?
- In Turkey, a common non-verbal way to say hayır is to slightly tilt the head back and make a soft 'tsk' sound with the tongue.
- While you might think hayır means 'no', it actually comes from the Arabic word for 'goodness' or 'well-being'.
- Turkish has two different words for 'no', hayır and yok. While hayır is a direct negation, yok specifically denotes the non-existence of something.
Examples in context
- Siz yarın toplantıya katılıyor musunuz? – Evet, katılıyorum.Are you attending the meeting tomorrow? – Yes, I am attending.
- Müsaitseniz, bu konuyu yarın tartışabilir miyiz? – Hayır, maalesef yarın uygun değilim.If you are available, can we discuss this matter tomorrow? – No, unfortunately I am not available tomorrow.
- Sinem, bu hafta sonu dışarı çıkmak ister misin? – Evet, tabii ki!Sinem, would you like to go out this weekend? – Yes, of course!
- Arkadaşlarımızla dışarıda buluşalım mı? – Yok, bugün yeterince yorgunum.Shall we meet our friends outside? – No, I am already tired enough today.
- Bu soruya hem evet hem hayır diyebilirim.I can say both yes and no to this question.
- Cevabım hem evet hem hayır gibi görünüyor.My answer seems to be both yes and no.
- Durum hem evet hem hayır şeklinde açıklanabilir.The situation can be explained as both yes and no.
Example conversation
Can is asking Merve if she is still working at her old company.
- MerveCan, hala eski şirketinde mi çalışıyorsun?Can, are you still working at your old company?
- CanAslında hem evet hem hayır.Actually, it is both yes and no.
- MerveBu ne demek oluyor?What does that mean?
- CanResmi olarak oradayım ama projelerim bitti.Officially I am there, but my projects are finished.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries evet, hayır, hem, CC BY-SA 4.0.
