A1 · 40 words

The most frequent adjectives in Turkish

Big and small, new and old, light and heavy — the qualities you need every day.

Practise this list

From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

A Turkish adjective does not change: büyük ev, büyük evler, büyük evde. When it is the statement at the end of the sentence, it takes the ending for “to be” — yorgunum “I am tired” — and in the third person usually nothing at all: Bu çanta ağır. “This bag (is) heavy.” Many adjectives double as adverbs without any “-ly”: hızlı means both “fast” and “quickly”. They are easiest to learn in pairs.

The words

Adjective (38)

büyükbig, largeAdjectiveA1

Bu ev bize çok büyük.This flat is too big for us.

Softens: büyüğü.

küçüksmall, little; youngerAdjectiveA1

Küçük kardeşim okula başladı.My little brother has started school.

Softens: küçüğü.

iyigoodAdjectiveA1

Çok iyi bir doktor tanıyorum.I know a very good doctor.

kötübadAdjectiveA1

Hava bugün çok kötü.The weather is very bad today.

güzelbeautiful, nice; tastyAdjectiveA1

Bu şarkı çok güzel.This song is very beautiful.

Also for food: yemek çok güzel “the food is really good”.

çirkinuglyAdjectiveA1

Bu bina biraz çirkin.This building is a bit ugly.

yeninewAdjectiveA1

Yeni telefonun çok güzel.Your new phone is very nice.

eskiold (things); formerAdjectiveA1

Bu araba çok eski.This car is very old.

Only for things; an old person is yaşlı.

gençyoungAdjectiveA1

Öğretmenimiz çok genç.Our teacher is very young.

Softens before a vowel: genci; the plural keeps ç: gençler.

yaşlıold (people)AdjectiveA1

Yaşlı komşumuza yardım ediyoruz.We help our elderly neighbour.

uzunlong; tall (person)AdjectiveA1

Bu film çok uzun.This film is very long.

kısashortAdjectiveA1

Toplantı çok kısa sürdü.The meeting was very short.

darnarrow, tightAdjectiveA1

Bu sokak çok dar.This street is very narrow.

genişwide, broad, spaciousAdjectiveA1

Salonumuz çok geniş.Our living room is very spacious.

kalınthick (things)AdjectiveA1

Kalın bir kitap okuyorum.I am reading a thick book.

For things; a fat person is şişman.

incethin, slimAdjectiveA1

İnce bir ceket yeterli.A thin jacket is enough.

ağırheavyAdjectiveA1

Bu çanta çok ağır.This bag is very heavy.

For weight; “difficult” is zor.

hafiflight (weight)AdjectiveA1

Bu bavul çok hafif.This suitcase is very light.

For weight; “easy” is kolay.

hızlıfast, quickAdjectiveA1

Tren çok hızlı.The train is very fast.

yavaşslowAdjectiveA1

Lütfen biraz yavaş konuşun.Please speak a little more slowly.

kolayeasyAdjectiveA1

Türkçe zor değil, aslında kolay.Turkish is not hard, it is actually easy.

zordifficult, hardAdjectiveA1

Bu soru çok zor.This question is very difficult.

ucuzcheapAdjectiveA1

Pazarda meyve ucuz.Fruit is cheap at the market.

pahalıexpensiveAdjectiveA1

İstanbul'da kiralar çok pahalı.Rents are very expensive in İstanbul.

temizcleanAdjectiveA1

Odan çok temiz.Your room is very clean.

kirlidirtyAdjectiveA1

Kirli tabakları makineye koy.Put the dirty plates in the machine.

dolufull; takenAdjectiveA1

Otobüs çok dolu.The bus is very full.

boşempty; freeAdjectiveA1

Bu sandalye boş mu?Is this chair free?

Of a person: “free, not busy”, bu akşam boşum.

kapalıclosed, shutAdjectiveA1

Banka bugün kapalı.The bank is closed today.

mutluhappyAdjectiveA1

Bugün çok mutluyum.I am very happy today.

üzgünsadAdjectiveA1

Neden üzgünsün?Why are you sad?

yorguntiredAdjectiveA1

Akşam çok yorgunum.I am very tired in the evening.

meşgulbusy; engagedAdjectiveA1

Babam bu hafta çok meşgul.My father is very busy this week.

A loanword with front-vowel endings: meşgulüm, not meşgulum.

hazırreadyAdjectiveA1

Kahvaltı hazır!Breakfast is ready!

önemliimportantAdjectiveA1

Bu çok önemli bir toplantı.This is a very important meeting.

doğruright, correct, trueAdjectiveA1

Cevabın doğru.Your answer is right.

Also “straight” and, after a dative, “towards”: denize doğru.

yanlışwrongAdjectiveA1

Yanlış otobüse bindim.I got on the wrong bus.

sessizquiet, silentAdjectiveA1

Kütüphanede herkes sessiz.Everybody is quiet in the library.

Adverb (2)

erkenearlyAdverbA1

Babam her gün erken kalkıyor.My father gets up early every day.

geçlateAdverbA1

Bugün işe geç kaldım.I was late for work today.

“To be late”: geç kalmak, literally “to stay late”.

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This list belongs to Basic words: numbers, pronouns, verbs — 16 lists and 674 words that can also be practised as a whole.

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