Visit our website soon and often… It’s dedicated to struggling Turkish language learners just like you -- and it’s loaded with
authentic voice recordings too!!
The Learning Practical Turkish website is located at:
http://learningpracticalturkish.com/index.html
Warning !!!
The language found in this book section may not be for everyone, so tighten your seat belts before proceeding further...
Off Color Turkish
A selection of swear words, vulgarities, and sexual phrases in Turkish...
Mildly Off-color Indecencies...
A
ablacı (ah-blah-jih) -- a lesbian lover, literally, elder sister- practitioner
ablacılık (ah-blah-jih-lick) -- lesbianism Lit. elder-sister-practitioner-ness
açık kapı (ah-chik kah-pah) -- a non-virgin Lit. an open door
ağır işçi (ahr ish-jee) -- a prostitute (who lives among other prostitutes in a 'house of ill-repute')... Lit. a heavy worker
akşamdan kaldı... (ahk-shahm-dahn kal-dih) -- to have a hangover
Allah kahretsin! (ahl-lah kah-ret-seen) -- an all-purpose Turkish swear phrase, meant to convey "Goddammit!"
aşk meleği (ahshk meh-leh-ee) -- a prostitute, lit. a love angel
B
be! (behy) -- Oh you!/Hey you!/Hey! Kimsin be?! Hey, who are you!?
"Eğer bir yaşlı kadınla [erkekle] sevişmişsen beni anlarsın."
(eh-yehr beer yahsh-la kah-dihn-lah [ehr-kehk-leh] seh-veesh-meesh-sehn beh-nee ahn-lahr-sihn) "If you have made love to an older woman, then you know what mean."
bocurgat yapmak (boh-jer-gaht yahp-mahk) -- to pick one's nose
bok (bohk) -- shit...Ex. Bırak şu boku da işine bak! Drop that shit and pay attention to your work!
bok atmak (bohk aht-mahk) -- to smear or slander (someone)...
Lit. to throw shit
boktan (bohk-tahn) -- crappy, shitty...As in English, this word is used to describe a bad situation, a worthless job, a poorly made product, etc.
Its use is rather acceptable in mixed company.
boku yemek (boh-koo yeh-mehk) lit. to eat shit...
-- to meet with a very difficult situation...
-- to get in big trouble...
-- to fall into serious difficulty...
bombok (bohm-bohk) -- "totally full of shit", utterly spoiled, a
completely worthless situation, something that goes from bad to worse.
boynuz takmak (bohy-nooz tahk-mahk) -- to be cuckolded (by someone)
boynuzlamak (bohy-nooz-lah-mahk) -- to cuckold (someone)
bu ayaklar koktu (boo ah-yahk-lahr kohk-too) Lit. these feet stank.
-- Figuratively means something like:
"These ways, these tricks are now well known -- and no one will fall for them anymore..."
büzük (boo-zook) -- the anus, lit. puckered, constricted
C
cartlamak (jart-lah-mahk) – to fart loudly
Cehenneme git! (jeh-hehn-neh-meh geet) -- Go to hell!
cinsel (jin-sehl) [this is quite mild language] -- sexual (as in, Cinsel yoğunluluğunuzu belirleyin; Determine your sexual intensity)
Ç
çaça (chah-chah)
-- the madam of a whorehouse
-- an old experienced whore in a whorehouse -- someone experienced in a certain type of job -- an old, master sailor
çırılçıplak (chih-rihl-chihp-lahk) -- completely naked, starkers
çiş (cheesh) -- pee, piss Example: Çişim geldi; I have to pee.
çük (chook) [this is quite mild language] – a child’s penis
D
"Doksan (90), altmış (60), doksan (90)..."
(dohk-sahn, ahlt-mihsh, dohk-sahn)
-- This is a sexist way of referring to a nicely proportioned female, by her physical measurements. n Turkey, ideal measurements are 90 cm at the breast, 60 cm at the waist, and 90 cm at the hip.
E
eşcinsel (esh-jin-sehl) [this is mild, clinical language]
-- homosexual
eşşoğlu eşek (eh-shoh-loo eh-shehk)
-- "Son of a donkey!" This is the very first offensive remark that pops from a Turkish car-driver's mouth if he (or she) perceives he's been wronged on the road. Since he/she always perceives such wrongdoing, it may be heard on every road at every hour of the day and night, as Turks constantly compete with each other to win the Road Rudeness Award. It is stunning how a people who are so kind and courteous 'on dry land' can become so foul when they get behind the wheel of a car.
Turkey is the only country we know that posts large roadside signs imploring drivers to "Control the Traffic Monster Inside You!" It's Amaazzzing...
F
fıstık! (fss-tkk) [this is quite mild language]
-- literally means "pistachio nut" but also used to praise a woman with a nice, firm body -- especially, butt.
frikik (free-kick)
-- When, for example, a woman exits a car in a skirt and
accidentally (?) opens her legs to expose her undies, the man who observes the event is said to have been awarded a 'frikik'. The term originates from the soccer term, Free Kick -- and is equally applicable if the man catches a glimpse of exposed breast when a woman
accidentally (?) bends over too far in front of him. As an off-shoot of frikik, we also have: frikiğe yatmak -- [for a man] to wait in a
convenient place to get a frikik; lit. to lay down for a free kick; frikik vermek -- [for a woman] to award a frikik, on purpose.
G
genelev (gheh-neh-lehv)
-- a whorehouse, a brothel...Lit. a general house
göt (guurt)
-- ass, bottom, buttocks -- asshole, anus
-- guts, nerve, pluck
-- stupid ass, asshole, idiot, fool
göt lalesi (guurt lah-ley-see) -- an asshole. Literally, an ass tulip.
göt veren (guurt veh-rehn)
-- used as pejorative adjective meaning 'passively homosexual'. For example, Liberace'nin çok fazla göt veren arkadaşları vardı;
Liberace had too many passively homosexual friends.
-- Lit. ass giving...
götlek (guurt-lehk) -- a shit-ass!
götten bacaklı (guurt-tehn bah-jahk-lih) -- short, short-legged (person). Lit. ass legs.
götü yosun tutmak (guur-too yoh-sahn toot-mahk) -- to be very old
-- Lit. for the ass to be covered with moss
götünden anlamak (guur-toon-dehn ahn-lah-mahk) -- To understand or interpret something incorrectly.
Literally, to understand from the ass.
götünü yalamak (guur-too-noo yah-lah-mahk) -- to brown-nose, butter up. Literally, to lick ass.
göz banyosu (gurz bahn-yoh-soo)
-- a nice looking woman (especially if she is undressing or dressing). It may be that the woman is viewed covertly from a secret vantage point or, by chance, from a distance... Lit. an 'eye bath'
H
hafif kadın (hah-feef kah-dihn)
-- a forward-acting (and obviously) 'loose' woman. Lit. a light woman
hasta olmak (hahs-tah ohl-mahk) [this is quite mild language]
-- To have too much interest in the opposite sex. Lit. to be sick.
Hepsi senin mi? (hep-see seh-neen mee?)
-- Is all of that yours? (said, rudely, to a passing beauty who has a nice figure...)
hıyar (hih-yahr) Lit. a cucumber
-- a jerk, an asshole, a prick as in, Hıyar gibi adam; That guy's a [real] asshole.
İ
iki ucu boklu değnek... (ee-kee oo-joo bawk-loo dey-nehk) -- a totally bad situation from which there are no escapes -- a problem that doesn't seem to have a solution
-- Lit. a cane with shit on both ends.
ipsiz (eep-seez) -- [You] Jerk! Lit. ropeless, threadless
K
kamışa su yürümek (kahm-ih-shah soo yoo-roo-mehk)
-- for a lad to enter manhood; Lit. to raise 'sap' (water) in the penis
kargalar bok yemeden (kahr-gah-lahr bohk yeh-meh-dehn) -- Lit. [before] crows [start] eating shit
-- Fig. very early in the morning
kaşık düşmanı (kah-shihk doosh-mah-nih)
-- This is more a term of disrespect than it is off-color.
-- it is used to refer to 'the wife'... Lit. the enemy of [my] spoon...
kıç (kihch)
-- ass, butt
-- also perfect mariner's language for "stern" of a ship
kızlık (kihz-lihk)
-- virginity as in Kızlığımı bir kaza sonucu kaybettim!; I lost my virginity as a result of an accident! [Didn't we all...?]
'Kimin eli kimin sikinde... ' (kee-meen eh-lee kee-meen see-keen-deh) -- Lit. ‘In whose hand, in whose penis...’
-- When people are running around in a panic, this phrase asks 'Who's in charge?"
küfür (kyoo-foor)
-- swearing, using profanity...Note: This word is not in the least off-color, but it is useful to know, and this page is the only logical place we could think to put it!
L
Lanet olsun! (lah-neht ohl-soon)
-- another all-purpose Turkish swear phrase… but it is in such general use that it doesn't have much hard swear "value". Usually used to
express mild vexation as in the various forms of "damn it!" -- including
"goddammit!" and "shit!". In that respect, it has similar usage to
"merde!" in French. Frequently used by Turkish film dubbers when they can't find a Turkish equivalent for the more colorful English swear words and phrases -- or for the sake of modesty. For example, we've seen dubbers replace "Oh, fuck!" on film with Lanet olsun!
M
Masanın altına bak! (mah-sah-nihn ahl-tih-nah bahk)
-- the literal meaning, "Look under the table," can be offered up to your
companion in a [much too] public place, while the real meaning you wish to convey, "Go screw yourself" -- remains neatly concealed under wraps of perfect decorum. The words are often accompanied by a surreptitious hand signal (displayed beneath the table) in which the thumb is inserted between the index and middle fingers. And, of course the whole package is wrapped in a sugary-sweet smile -- to further disguise the intention of this very-private-message-in-a-public-place...
matrakuka (mah-trah-koo-kah) -- penis
meme (mey-mey) -- tit(s)
O
orgazm (ohr-gah-zihm) -- orgasm
orospu (oh-rohs-pooh) -- whore
orospu çocuğu (oh-rohs-pooh choh-joo-oo) -- [You're a] son of a bitch, bastard
osurmak (oh-soor-mahk) -- to break wind, fart (verb);
osuruk (oh-soo-rook) -- a fart (noun)
osuruğu düğümlemek (oh-soo-roo-oo doo-oom-leh-mehk)
-- to scare someone thoroughly. Literally, to tie up [someone's] fart.
P
pezevenk (peh-zeh-vehnk)
-- pimp, bastard, sonofabitch...At times, this is a particularly popular
word in Turkey. For example in June 1997 during run-up to elections, politicians regularly called each other this, military officials used it when referring to the Prime Minister (whose Islamic politics they didn't like at all), and anti-Government Islamic party members shouted it at political rallies.
piç (peech) -- a bastard -- a brat
-- a bratty child
popo (poh poh) [child's language] -- buttocks, bottom
R
radyatör boşaltmak (rahd-yah-toor boh-shahlt-mahk) -- to pee Lit. To empty the radiator
radyatörüm su kaynattı (rahd-yah-too-room soo kay-naht-tih) -- I have to pee Lit. My radiator burst...
S
sevici (seh-vee-jee) -- lesbian
sümük (suu-mook) -- snot, nasal mucus, slime, booger(s).
sürtük (suur-tuuk) -- streetwalker, whore, and sometimes bitch
T
taşak (tah-shahk) -- balls, testicles
tele kız (teh-leh kihz) -- call girl
Y
yumuşak (yoo-moo-shahk) -- Lit. soft
-- Fig. male homosexual
Thanks to Ali Püsküllüoğlu and Erdem Öndoğan whose works provided inspiration for this section.
See our website, for a complete and even ‘bolder’ collection of off-color Turkish terms and phrases.
Visit our website soon and often… It’s dedicated to struggling Turkish language learners just like you -- and it’s loaded with
authentic voice recordings too!!
The Learning Practical Turkish website is located at:
http://learningpracticalturkish.com/index.html