Terms of Endearment

Love and affection, Turkish Style...

Now with Sound!

The Terms of Turkish Endearment Click below for romantic inspirations! Search the web here... Arkadas (Are-kah-dahsh) Hear it now! -- (2k bytes) -- a friend, possibly a girlfriend, a boyfriend ArkadasIm olmandan gurur duyuyorum ama hislerimizi karanlIkta saklamaktayIz. (ahr-kah-dah-shim ohl-mahn-dahn goo-roor doo-yoo-yoh-room ah-mah hiss-leh-ree-mee-zee kah-rahn-lihk-tah sah-klah-mahk-tah-yihz.) Donate to hear! -- (17k bytes) -- I'm proud that you are my friend, yet we are hiding our feelings in darkness... Ed.5.0 ÂsIk (ah-shihk) Hear it now! -- (5k bytes) -- in love, lover Ed.5.0 ÂsIk oldum. (ah-shihk ohl-doom) Hear it now! -- (5k bytes) -- I fell in love. Ed.5.0 Ask (ahshk) Hear it now! -- (10k bytes) -- love, passion (noun) Ed.5.0 Ben çok utangacIm. (behn chohk oo-tahn-gah-jihm) Hear it now! -- (5k bytes) -- I'm very shy. Ed.5.0 Beni sevdigini bilmem lazIm. (beh-nee sehv-dee-ee-nee beel-mehm lah-zihm) Donate to hear! -- I need to know you love me. [My knowing that you love me is necessary.] Ed.5.0 Beni tanImak ister misin? (beh-nee tah-nih-mahk ee-stehr mih-sihn) Donate to hear! -- Would you like to get to know me? Ed.5.0 Benim için su anda önemli olan tek sey: Birbirimizi sevmemiz. (beh-nihm ee-chin shuu ahn-dah er-nehm-lee oh-lahn tehk shey: beer-beer-ee-mee-zee sehv-meh-meez) Hear it now! -- (11k bytes) -- For me the only thing that's important now: [is that] We love each other. Benimle konus, lütfen. (beh-neem-leh koh-noosh, loot-fehn) Donate to hear! -- Please talk to me. Ed.5.0 Benimle evlenir misin? (beh-nihm-ley ehv-leh-NEER mee-seen) Hear male voice now! -- (7k bytes) (Speaker from Turkey's southeast) Hear female voice! Donate to hear! -- Will you marry me? Can you be the fourth of our site visitors to use this phrase with good effect? (We're still counting...) Biliyorsun erkek arkadasImla [kIz arkadasImla, kocamla, esimle] ayrIlIyoruz. [bosanIyoruz.] (bee-lee-yohr-soon ehr-kehk ahr-kah-dah-shihm-lah [kihz ahr-kah-dah-shihm-lah, koh-jahm-lah, eh-sheem-leh] ahy-rih-lih-yoh-ruz [boh-shah-nee-yoh-ruz]) Donate to hear! -- You know that my boyfriend [girlfriend, husband, mate] and I are breaking up [getting divorced]. Ed.5.0 Bir dilegim var...Biliyorum bir gün gerçek olacak. (beer dee-leh-ihm vahr...bee-lee-yoh-room beer goon gher-chek oh-lah-jahk) Donate to hear! -- I have a wish and I know one day it will come true... Ed.5.0 Bir gün benim hakkImda gördügün rüyalar gerçek olacak. (beer goon beh-neem hahk-kihm-dah gher-dooon roo-yah-lahr ghehr-chek oh-lah-jahk) Donate to hear! -- One day your dreams about me will become reality. Ed.5.0 Bir kaç kez görüsmemizden sonra senin çok özel bir adam [kadIn] oldugunu anladIm. (beer kahch kehz ger-roosh-meh-mihz-dehn sohn-rah seh-neen chohk er-zehl beer ah-dahm [kah-dihn] ohl-doo-oo-noo ahn-lah-dihm) Donate to hear! -- I know after our few [brief] meetings that you are a very special man [woman]. Ed.5.0 Bir tanem[sin] (Beer tah-nihm-[sihn]) Donate to hear! -- [You are] my one and only Birlikte her geçen gün, kalbimde ve hislerimde daha önemli bir yer alIyorsun. (Beer-lick-tay hair getch-ehn goon, kahl-beam-day vey hiss-lair-ihm-day dah-hah ur-nehm-lee beer yair ah-lih-yor-suhn) Donate to hear! -- Every day that we pass together, you take a more important place in my heart and feelings. Biz mecnunuz biz leylayIz. (beez mehj-noo-nooz beez lehy-lah-yihz)  Hear it now! -- (9k bytes) We are madly/crazily in love. (We are Mecnun, we are Leyla.) These legendary lovers were 'featured' in Turkish Pop-singer Kayahan's 1999 hit single, Yine sise bitecek (Another bottle will be emptied). Click here to see the song lyric, and here to hear a song-clip. Or here, to learn more about the couple... and see a great illustrative cartoon! CanIm...(Jen-umm) Donate to hear! -- My dear... Dost (Dawst) Donate to hear! -- a sincere friend, possibly a girlfriend, a boyfriend Dün gece seni geç aradIgIm için üzgünüm. (doon geh-jeh seh-nee ah-rah-dihhm ee-cheen ooz-goo-noom) Donate to hear! -- I'm sorry for calling you so late last night. Ed.5.0 Serial sayings...! Eger sen burada olsaydIn; (eh-yeyr sehn boo-rah-dah ohl-sahy-dihn;) Donate to hear! -- If you were (only) here; 1) Seni hiç üzmezdim; (seh-nee heech ooz-mehz-deem) Donate to hear! -- I would never cause you any worry. (I would never make you sad.). 2) Hep sana bakardIm, gözlerimi senden hiç ayIrmazdIm; (hehp sah-nah bah-kahr-dihm, gerz-leh-ree-mee sehn-dehn heech ah-yihr-mahz-dihm) Donate to hear! -- I'd just watch you, my eyes would never leave you; 3) Hersey bana çok daha güzel görünürdü; (hehr-shey bah-nah chohk da-hah goo-zehl ger-roo-noor-doo) Donate to hear! -- Everything would seem wonderful to me; 4) Ellerini hiç bIrakmazdIm; (eh-leh-ree-nee heech bih-rahk-mahz-dihm) Donate to hear! -- I never let loose of your hands; 5) Sana hep sarIlIrdIm; (sah-nah hehp sah-rih-lihr-dihm) Donate to hear! -- I'd always hug (embrace) you; 6) Seni ne kadar çok sevdigimi kulagIna fIsIldardIm; (seh-nee neh kah-dahr chohk sehv-dee-me koo-lah-ih-nah fih-sihl-dahr-dihm) Donate to hear! -- I'd whisper in your ear just how much I love you; 7) Seni sonsuza kadar öperdim. (seh-nee sohn-soo-zah kah-dahr er-pehr-dim) Donate to hear! -- I'd kiss you endlessly. Flört ... (Flirt) Donate to hear! -- a flirt, a girlfriend, a boyfriend; as in, She's my flirt... Flört etmek ... (Flirt et-mehk) Donate to hear! -- to flirt... Gözlerin karanlIk sihirli parlak iki gölcük gibi -- ve evrenin bütün sIrlarInI açIklar. (gerz-leh-reen kah-rahn-lihk see-heer-lee pahr-lahk ee-kee ghirl-jook ghee-bee -- veh ehv-reh-neen boo-toon sihr-lah-rih-nih ah-chihk-lahr) Hear it now! -- (19k bytes) -- Your eyes are like two dark magical glistening pools -- and they reveal all the secrets of the universe... Güzel kokuyorsun... (goo-zehl koh-koo-yohr-soon) Donate to hear! -- You smell good... Ed.5.0 HayatIm... (Hi-yah-tim) Donate to hear! -- [You are] My life... HayatIma seni almak istiyorum... (Hi-yah-tih-mah seh-nee ahl-mahk ees-tee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I want to take you into my life... HayatImI güzelliklerle doldurdugun için, tesekkür ederim. (hah-yah-tih-mih goo-zehl-leek-lehr-leh dohl-door-doo-oon ee-cheen, teh-shek-kyoor eh-deh-reem) Donate to hear! -- Thank you for filling my life with beauty... Ed.5.0 Her seyim senindir... (Hair shay-ihm sehn-ihn-dihr) Donate to hear! -- My everything is yours... iki elim kanda olsa bile, yine seni kucaklamaya gelecegim... (ee-kee eh-leem kahn-dah ohl-sah bee-leh, yee-nee seh-nee koo-chahk-lah-mah-yah geh-leh-jeh-eem...) Donate to hear! -- Even if my hands are [steeped] in blood, I'll come again to embrace/hug you. (No matter how drastic the situation is, I'll return to your arms.) Ed.5.0 inan bana, o sözler beni daha çok incitti. (ee-nahn bah-nah, oh serz-lehr beh-nee da-hah chohk een-jeet-tee) Donate to hear! -- Believe me, those words [I said] hurt me even more [than they hurt you]... 4.5 insallah beni yanlIs anlamamIssIndIr ve beni görmek için vakit ayIrIrsIn. (een-shah-lah beh-nee yahn-lihsh ahn-lah-mah-mihsh-sihn-dihr veh beh-nee ger-mehk ee-chihn vah-keet ah-yih-rihr-sihn) Donate to hear! -- I hope you're not offended and that you can take some time to see me... 4.5 iyiki varsIn. (ee-yee-kee vahr-sihn) Donate to hear! -- Thank God, you exist. (Fortunately, there's you.) 5.0 Kalbim senin kalbine yakIndIr... (Please note the lack of vowel harmony in the endings affixed to the word 'kalp/kalb' -- heart.) (kahl-beem seh-neen kahl-bee-neh yah-kihn-dihr) Donate to hear! -- My heart is close to yours... KapIn hâla bana açIk mI? (kah-pihn hah-lah ah-chihk mih?) Donate to hear! -- Is your door still open for me? KarasevdalIyIm (kah-rah-save-dah-lih-yihm) Donate to hear! -- I'm passionately and hopelessly in love. Ed 3.51 Kendimi kötü hissediyorum. (kehn-dee-mee ker-too hees-seh-dee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I'm feeling bad [because my feelings are hurt]. Ed.5.0 KIzInIzla evlenmeme müsaade eder misiniz? or KIzInIzla evlenmeme izin verir misiniz? (kih-zih-nihz-lah ehv-lehn-meh-meh moo-sahhh-deh eh-DEHR mee-see-neez?) or (kih-zih-nihz-lah ehv-lehn-meh-meh ee-zeen veh-REER mee-see-neez?) Ed 4.5 Donate to hear! or Donate to hear! -- Would you give permission for me to marry your daughter. {Literally, "Would you give permission (for) my marrying your daughter."} Turkish fathers and mothers are gonna love this! Thanks to Dave Solko, for the inspiration... Kim görecek..? Kim bilecek..? (keem ger-eh-jehk...keem beel-eh-jehk) This is the playfully suggestive song title of one of Zeki Muren's smash hits... Donate to hear! -- Who will see (us)..? Who will know (what we're up to)..? Ed. 5.0 Kocaman öpücük yolluyorum. (koh-jah-mahn er-poo-jook yohl-loo-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I'm sending a big kiss to you. Ed. 5.0 Öp beni ! (erp beh-nee) Donate to hear! -- Kiss me ! [a command]... Ed.5.0 Öptüm canIm... (erp-toom jah-nihm...) Often used as a sign-off to a letter or a telephone call... Donate to hear! -- I kiss you dear (I've kissed you dear) ... Ed.5.0 Sana baktIkça ne kadar mutlu oldugumu bir bilsen? (sah-nah bahk-tihk-chah neh kah-dahr moot-loo ohl-doo-oo-moo beer beel-sen) Hear it now! -- (9k bytes) -- Do you know how happy I am -- the more I see you? 4.5 Sana karsI hislerim çok güzel ve çIlgIn... (sah-nah kar-shih hiss-leh-reem chohk goo-zehl veh cheel-gheen...) Donate to hear! -- My feelings for you are beautiful -- and wild... Ed.5.0 Sana tapIyorum (Sah-nah tah-pih-yoh-ruhm) Donate to hear! -- I adore you, I worship you A 'Pick-up' line... Sen bana Türkçe, ben sana ingilizce ögretirim. O eglenceli olabilir... (Sen bah-nah toork-cheh, behn sah-nah een-ghee-leez-jeh er-reh-tee-reem. oh eh-lehn-jeh-lee oh-lah-bee-leer) Donate to hear! -- You teach me Turkish, I'll teach you English. It could be fun... Sen benim herseyimsin... (Sen ben-uhm hair-shay-ihm-sin) Donate to hear! -- You are everything to me... Sen benim ilk ve son askImsIn... (Sehn beh-neem ihlk vey sohn ash-kihn-sihn) Donate to hear! -- You are my first and last love... Sen benim kalbimde açan gülleri soldurdun, ama ben yinede senden vazgeçemiyorum. (Sehn beh-nihm kahl-beem-deh ah-chan goo-leh-ree sohl-door-doon, ah-mah behn yee-nee-deh sehn-dehn wahz-getch-eh-mee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- You wilted the budding flowers in my heart, but I haven't given up on you yet... Sen çok seksisin... (sehn chohk sek-see-seen) Donate to hear! -- You are sooo sexy... Ed.5.0 Senden sadece haber almak istiyorum. (sehn-dehn sah-deh-jeh hah-behr ahl-mahk ees-tee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I just want to hear from you...4.5 Seni aradIm ve orada degildin. (seh-nee ah-rah-dihm veh oh-rah-dah dey-eel-seen) Donate to hear! -- I called you and you weren't there. Ed.5.0 Seni çok özlemistim... (Seh-nee choke erz-leh-meesh-tihm) Donate to hear! -- I've missed you so much... Seni daima sen istedigin zaman göremem... (seh-nee dye-mah sehn ees-teh-dee-een zah-mahn ger-ey-mehm) Donate to hear! -- I can't always see you when you would like... Seni her zaman düsünüyorum... (seh-nee hehr zah-mahn doo-shoo-noo-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I think about you all the time... Ed.5.0 Seni öpmek istiyorum. (seh-nee erp-mehk ees-tee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I want to kiss you. ... Ed.5.0 Seni seviyorum. (Say-nee-save-ee-yohr-umm) Donate to hear! -- I love you. Seni simdiden özledim... (seh-nee sheem-dee-dehn erz-leh-dehm) Donate to hear! -- I miss you already... A 'Pick-up' line... Seni tanImak istiyorum... fakat lisan sorunumuzun da farkIndayIm. (seh-nee tah-nih-mahk ees-tee-yoh-room... fah-kaht lee-sahn soh-roo-noo-moo-zoon dah fahr-kihn-dah-yihm) Donate to hear! -- I'd like to get to know you, but I realize that our language [difference] presents a problem. Ed.5.0 Seni tekrar görmek istiyorum... (seh-nee tehk-rahr ger-mehk ees-tee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! At normal speed! Donate to hear! In slow-motion! -- I want to see you again... Ed.5.0 Seninle kendimi bütünlesmis hissediyorum. (Sen-in-lay ken-dim-ee boo-toon-lesh-mish hih-seh-dee-yoh-room) Donate to hear! -- I feel myself becoming complete with you. Sensiz hersey bos görünüyor bana. (Sehn-sihz hehr-shey bohsh grrr-ruuu-nuuu-yohr bah-nah) Donate to hear! -- Without you everything seems empty. Sensiz ne yapardIm? (Sehn-sihz ney yah-pahr-dihm) Donate to hear! -- What would I do without you? Sevgili This written greeting is generally followed by someone's personal name, e.g., Sevgili Nursen [a female name] It may be used comfortably in friendly (or loving) written correspondence -- but is not advised for business letters. (sehv-ghee-lee) Donate to hear! -- Dear [Nursen, for example] ... Ed.5.0 Sevgiler[le] This is a written sign-off. It may be used comfortably in friendly (or loving) written correspondence -- but is not advised for business letters. (sehv-ghee-lehr) Donate to hear! -- Love/With love/Lots of love... ... Ed.5.0 Sevgililer günün kutlu olsun. (Save-ghee-lee-lehr guu-nuu kuut-luu ohl-suun) Donate to hear! -- Happy Valentine's Day... Sevgilim... (Save-ghee-lumm) Donate to hear! -- My darling... Seviselim... (seh-vee-sheh-lehm) Donate to hear! Let's make love... Ed.5.0 Son defa söyledigim sözlerimden dolayI üzgünüm. (sohn deh-fah ser-lehy-deem serz-leh-reem dph-lah-yih ooz-goo-noom) Donate to hear! -- I'm sorry for the [unpleasant] words I sent last time...4.5 Sonsuz sevgiler... (sohn-sooz sehv-ghee-lehr) Donate to hear! -- Endless love...4.5 (a letter, or e-mail, or voice-mail sign-off ) Söylediklerin günesin dogusu ve batIsI gibidir. (sery-ley-dik-leh-reen gyuu-neh-sheen doh-uu-shuu vey bah-tih-shih ghee-bee-deer) Donate to hear! -- The sun rises and sets on your every word... Su anda kucaklanmaya ihtiyacIm var. (shoo ahn-dah koo-jahk-lahn-mah-yah ihh-tee-yah-jihm vahr) Donate to hear! -- I need a hug right now... Ed.5.0 Su anda sevgimizin çok güçlendigini hissediyorum. (shuu ahn-dah sehv-ghee-mee-zeen choke gooch-lehn-dee-nee hees-seh-dee-yoh-ruum) Donate to hear! -- At this moment I feel that our love is getting stronger... TanIdIgIm en tatlI kisisin. (tah-nih-dihhm ehn taht-lih kee-shee-seen) Donate to hear! -- You are the sweetest person I have ever met... Ed.5.0 TatlIm... (Taht-lumm) Donate to hear! -- My sweet... UmarIm hersey iyi olacak ve birbirimize kavusacagIz... (oo-mah-rihm hehr-shey ee-yee oh-lah-jahk veh beer-bee-ree-mee-zeh kah-voo-shah-jaah-ihz) Donate to hear! -- I hope everything will turn out well and that we will be reunited with each other... Üzgünüm. (ooz-goo-noom) Donate to hear! -- I'm sorry... Ed.5.0 Yavrum (yah-vroom) Donate to hear! -- darling, honey Yavrum, sImsIkI sarIl bana... (yahv-room, sihm-si-kih sah-rihl bah-nah...) Hear it now! -- (7k bytes) -- Hold me real tight, darling... 4.5 A 'Pick-up' line... Yürüyüse gidebiliriz veya birer kadeh sarap içebiliriz... (yoo-roo-yoo-sheh ghee-deh-bee-leh-rihz veh-yah bee-rehr kah-deh shah-rahp ee-cheh-bee-leh-rihz...) Donate to hear! -- We could go for a walk or we could drink a glass of wine... 4.5

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Using Diminutives to show affection There's also a way to demonstrate affection for someone (or something) by attaching the diminutive '-cigim' [or '-cIgIm', with undotted I (or, even cugum or cügüm)] -- as a suffix to the given name of the dear one (or thing) you are addressing. [The pronunciation of the suffix is something like jee-im for the dotted i version and jih-im for the undotted I version -- and ju-um and ju-oom.] You just need to remember to add the suffix according to the rule of vowel harmony. So, when you add cigim (or cIgIm, etc.) it gives the meaning of 'my dear [little]...' as in... annecigim; my dear [little] mom (mommy) or babacIgIm; my dear [little] dad (daddy) or evcigim; my dear [little] home or PhillipacIgIm; my dear [little] Phillipa (Pippa) As a point of interest, the diminutive of George is not Georgecigim, as you might expect -- according to the vowel harmony rule. No...The affectionate form of George is Georgecugum; my dear [little] George (Georgie). That's because the final 'e' vowel in George is silent -- so, in order to achieve vowel harmony, we have to key off the sounded-vowel 'o'. And therefore, according to the harmony rule for the letter 'o', the only possible suffix of affection for poor ole George is cugum ! And you can achieve almost the same effect with the shorter suffix '-im' [or 'Im', with undotted I (and also, um or üm)]. So that, Jimim would mean 'my [dear] Jim' and Fatmam would mean 'my [dear] Fatma"...oops! Oops is right! Where'd the undotted I go -- from that last example?! Well, it so happens that...if you attach the 'Im' suffix (with undotted I) to a word that already ends in a vowel, then the undotted I disappears! Gone. Outtahere... And the same thing is true for the dotted i version of the suffix (and for um and üm, also). That is, it would be Bellem, not Belleim to mean 'my [dear] Belle'... This points up one of those almost-truisms about Turkish...In general, you don't see two vowels together, but if you do...then it's almost always in a foreign-word borrowing. Based on an idea from JY, April 1997