A1 · 45 words

Family and people in Turkish

Parents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, friends and neighbours, and the first jobs.

Practise this list

From these 45 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

Turkish names the family more precisely than English does: there are two uncles (amca on the father’s side, dayı on the mother’s), two aunts (hala, teyze) and separate words for an older sister and an older brother (abla, ağabey). Many of them are also used to address strangers: an older woman quickly becomes teyze, a young man abi. “My, your” is an ending on the noun: annem“my mother”baban“your father” There is no gender, and words like eş “spouse” or öğretmen “teacher” cover men and women alike.

The words

Noun (43)

annemotherNounA1

Annem bir hastanede çalışıyor.My mother works in a hospital.

babafatherNounA1

Babam her sabah gazete okuyor.My father reads the paper every morning.

büyükannegrandmotherNounA1

Büyükannem bizimle yaşıyor.My grandmother lives with us.

anneannegrandma (mother’s mother)NounA1

Anneannem çok güzel börek yapıyor.My grandma makes very good börek.

The father’s mother is babaanne.

dedegrandfather, grandpaNounA1

Dedem bana masal anlatıyor.My grandpa tells me fairy tales.

kardeşbrother or sister, siblingNounA1

Benim iki kardeşim var.I have two brothers and sisters.

Leaves open which; more precisely erkek kardeş, kız kardeş.

ablaolder sisterNounA1

Ablam üniversitede okuyor.My older sister is at university.

Also a friendly way to address a woman a little older than you.

ağabeyolder brotherNounA1

Ağabeyim İstanbul'da çalışıyor.My older brother works in İstanbul.

Pronounced and often written abi; also used to address a slightly older man.

kız kardeşsisterNounA1

Kız kardeşim on beş yaşında.My sister is fifteen.

erkek kardeşbrotherNounA1

Erkek kardeşim çok komik.My brother is very funny.

oğulsonNounA1

Oğlum ilkokula gidiyor.My son goes to primary school.

The second vowel drops before a vowel ending: oğlum, oğlu.

kızgirl; daughterNounA1

Kızımız yedi yaşında.Our daughter is seven.

çocukchildNounA1

Çocuklar okulda, ev çok sessiz.The children are at school, the house is very quiet.

The k softens to ğ: çocuğu, çocuğum.

bebekbabyNounA1

Komşularımızın yeni bir bebeği var.Our neighbours have a new baby.

Softens: bebeği.

eşspouse, husband, wifeNounA1

Eşim öğretmen.My husband is a teacher.

Neutral: the word itself does not say whether husband or wife.

kocahusbandNounA1

Ayşe'nin kocası mühendis.Ayşe’s husband is an engineer.

ailefamilyNounA1

Hafta sonu ailemle kahvaltı yapıyorum.At the weekend I have breakfast with my family.

akrabarelativeNounA1

Bayramda akrabaları ziyaret ediyoruz.At the festival we visit our relatives.

amcauncle (father’s brother)NounA1

Amcam Bursa'da oturuyor.My uncle lives in Bursa.

The mother’s brother is dayı. Also a way to address an older man.

dayıuncle (mother’s brother)NounA1

Dayımın bir lokantası var.My uncle has a restaurant.

teyzeaunt (mother’s sister)NounA1

Teyzem bize sık sık geliyor.My aunt often comes to see us.

The father’s sister is hala. Also a friendly way to address an older woman.

halaaunt (father’s sister)NounA1

Halamın üç çocuğu var.My aunt has three children.

kuzencousinNounA1

Kuzenim bu yaz bize geliyor.My cousin is coming to stay this summer.

torungrandchildNounA1

Dedemin beş torunu var.My grandpa has five grandchildren.

insanhuman being, personNounA1

Bu şehirde çok insan var.There are a lot of people in this city.

No plural after çok: çok insan.

kişipersonNounA1

Kaç kişisiniz?How many people are you?

adammanNounA1

Yaşlı bir adam bana yolu gösterdi.An old man showed me the way.

kadınwomanNounA1

Yan masada iki kadın oturuyor.Two women are sitting at the next table.

erkekman, boy; maleNounA1

Sınıfta on kız, sekiz erkek var.There are ten girls and eight boys in the class.

arkadaşfriendNounA1

Akşam arkadaşlarımla buluşuyorum.This evening I am meeting my friends.

Friendship, not a relationship; a boyfriend or girlfriend is sevgili.

komşuneighbourNounA1

Komşumuz bize tatlı getirdi.Our neighbour brought us something sweet.

sevgiliboyfriend, girlfriend, partnerNounA1

Sevgilim Ankara'da okuyor.My girlfriend is studying in Ankara.

yaşage, year of ageNounA1

Yaşın kaç?How old are you?

“… years old” with yaşında: otuz yaşındayım, literally “I am in my thirty age”.

öğrencipupil, studentNounA1

Kızım üniversite öğrencisi.My daughter is a university student.

öğretmenteacherNounA1

Öğretmenimiz bize her hafta ödev veriyor.Our teacher gives us homework every week.

doktordoctorNounA1

Yarın doktora gidiyorum.I am going to the doctor tomorrow.

hemşirenurseNounA1

Teyzem hastanede hemşire.My aunt is a nurse at the hospital.

mühendisengineerNounA1

Babam bir fabrikada mühendis.My father is an engineer in a factory.

garsonwaiter, waitressNounA1

Garson menüyü getirdi.The waiter brought the menu.

Not the French “boy”: in Turkish it is simply the job.

şofördriverNounA1

Otobüs şoförü çok hızlı gidiyor.The bus driver is going very fast.

AlmanGerman (person); GermanNounA1

Komşumuz Alman ama çok iyi Türkçe biliyor.Our neighbour is German but speaks very good Turkish.

Capitalised but without an apostrophe: Almanım “I am German”. The language is Almanca.

TürkTurk; TurkishNounA1

Eşim Türk, ben Almanım.My wife is Turkish, I am German.

No apostrophe: Türküm. The language is Türkçe.

misafirguestNounA1

Bu akşam misafirimiz var.We have guests this evening.

Adjective (2)

evlimarriedAdjectiveA1

Ablam evli ve iki çocuğu var.My older sister is married and has two children.

bekârsingle, unmarriedAdjectiveA1

Ağabeyim hâlâ bekâr.My older brother is still single.

Back to the quiz ↑

This list belongs to Family, people and feelings — five lists and 210 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Hear and recognise these words in the listening trainer