Home and things in Turkish
194 words Turkish words on the topic “home and things”: ev — home, daire — apartment, oda — room, mutfak — kitchen. 194 words can be played from recordings.
194 words on the topic
- evhome"To home" is eve, "at home" is evde. Direction and place take different endings.
- daireapartmentA flat in a building — this is the word in every rental ad. daire is also "a circle" in geometry.
- odaroomThe root of "odalisque" — "the woman of the room". Flats are counted by rooms: "2+1" means two rooms and a living room.
- mutfakkitchenBoth the room and the cuisine: Türk mutfağı is "Turkish cuisine". The k in the middle softens into ğ.
- banyobathroomItalian bagno. Both the room and the washing itself: banyo yapmak is "to take a bath".
- balkonbalconyA French loanword — Turkish has hundreds like it: balkon, asansör, kuaför, şoför.
- katfloor (story)Both a floor of a building and a layer: kat kat is "in layers". The ground floor is usually zemin kat — "on the ground".
- asansörelevatorö with rounded lips, tongue as for "e": a-san-SUR
- merdivenstairsThe staircase in the building and a step ladder alike. merdivenle is "by stairs", on foot.
- masatableFrom Greek. masada is "on the table": the same -da ending as in the familiar evde.
- sandalyechairy as in "yes": san-dal-YE
- yatakbedyatmak is "to lie", and -ak makes a place: "the place where one lies".
- dolapcupboardThe fridge is buzdolabı — "the ice cupboard". Note: the p voices into b before a tail.
- pencerewindowc as "j" in "jam": pen-je-RE
- kapıdoorkapamak is "to close", hence kapalı, "closed". The city gates were a kapı too.
- anahtarkeyFrom Greek. Both the key to a door and "key" as in keyword: anahtar kelime is "a keyword".
- lambalampFrom Italian. Light as a phenomenon is another word, ışık, and it starts with a dotless ı.
- sıcak suhot waterThe modifier stands before the word and never changes: sıcak su, soğuk su — no endings needed here.
- elektrikelectricityThe bill for it is elektrik faturası. In the house people often just say elektrik gitti — "the power went out".
- çöptrashç like "ch", ö with rounded lips: chup
- temizlikcleaningtemiz is "clean", and -lik turns the trait into a thing: cleanliness, cleaning. The same suffix in güzellik, "beauty".
- çamaşırlaundryç like "ch", ş like "sh", ı dotless: cha-ma-SHUHR
- bulaşıkdirty dishesSpecifically the dirty dishes in a pile: bulaşık yıkamak is "to wash the dishes". A single plate is tabak.
- havlutowelhav is "pile, nap": the towel is literally "nap-ful". The Turkish bath wrap peştamal has no nap at all.
- sabunsoapAn Arabic word that spread across the Mediterranean — from Italian sapone onward.
- komşuneighborş is "sh": kom-SHU
- ev sahibilandlordsahip is "owner", and the p voices before the tail: sahip becomes sahibi. Also "the host of the house" who receives guests.
- kirarentKirada oturuyorum is "I rent", literally "I sit in a rent". The renter is kiracı, with the same -cı.
- depozitodepositFrom Italian. Usually one or two months' rent, returned at move-out — if the flat is intact.
- faturautility billAny bill to pay: elektrik faturası, su faturası. The smaller till receipt is a fiş.
- tadilatrenovationA rework of a flat. Fixing a broken thing is another word, tamir, and the repairman comes from there too — tamirci.
- gürültülünoisythree ü in a row, lips rounded throughout: gü-rül-tü-LÜ
- çalışmıyorit does not workThe familiar çalışmak serves people and machines alike. Negation is an -mı- slipped into the middle: çalışıyor becomes çalışmıyor.
- bozulduit brokeThe past tense -du of bozulmak, "to spoil". Beside it stands the already familiar bozuk, "broken".
- sızdırıyorit is leakingthree dotless ı in a row: suhz-duh-RUH-yur
- Tamirci çağırıncall a repairmanğ is silent, it stretches the vowel: cha-uh-RUHN
- Ne zaman gelirsiniz?when will you come?ne zaman is "at what time". The -ir form speaks of an arrangement and a promise, not of what is happening now.
- AçamıyorumI cannot open itaçmak is "to open", the insert -ama- is "cannot": açıyorum ("I open") becomes açamıyorum ("I cannot open").
- ışıklightboth ı dotless, no "ee" anywhere: uh-SHUHK
- sıcak tutmakto keep warmı dotless, c as "j" in "jam": suh-JAK tut-MAK
- buzdolabıfridgebuz 'ice' plus the dolap you know plus a linker: 'ice cupboard'. The final p voices to b before a vowel
- çatıroofçatı — ç "ch", dotless ı: chuh-TUH
- duvarwallfrom Persian. "Duvar gibi" — like a wall — means somebody sturdy and unshakeable
- yatak odasıbedrooma possessive: "the room of the bed". Yatak is bed and bedding, odası the room it owns
- avlucourtyardfrom Greek avli. Apartment blocks and old houses wrap themselves around an avlu
- tavanceilingfrom the same root as çatı, the covering above. "Tavan arası" is the attic — "between ceiling and roof"
- bahçe kapısıgatebahçe kapısı — bah-CHE ka-puh-SUH
- çitfenceçit — one syllable: chit
- garajgarageFrench garage, final j and all — the j is your clue that the word came from abroad
- posta kutusumailboxa possessive: kutu → kutusu, "the box of the post". The same kutu holds tools and tomatoes
- bodrumbasementfrom Italian podere via Greek. The city of Bodrum shares the word — different body, same cellar
- bulaşık yıkamakto do the dishesbulaşık is "soiled dishes" from bulaşmak, "to get smeared"; yıkamak the washing you know
- süpürmekto sweepsüpürmek — ü lip-rounded twice: suu-puur-MEK
- çamaşır yıkamakto do laundryçamaşır is laundry from çamur? no — from "that which is washed"; yıkamak does the washing. The machine: "çamaşır makinesi"
- ütülemekto do the ironingütülemek — ü lip-rounded: uutuu-le-MEK
- akşam yemeği hazırlamakto make dinnerakşam yemeği is "the evening meal" — breakfast is morning's, dinner is evening's. Hazırlamak: to get it ready
- çöpü atmakto take out the trashçöpü atmak — chu-PUU at-MAK
- elektrikli süpürgevacuum cleaner"electric broom": the süpürge you now know plus elektrikli. Named like English named it
- fırçabrushfırça — ı dotless, ç "ch": fuhr-CHA
- kovabucketan old Turkic word. "Kova burcu" is Aquarius — the water-carrier sign, bucket and all
- ütüclothes ironütü — both ü lip-rounded: uut-UU
- yardım etmekto helpyardım is Arabic "aid, assistance"; etmek does it. The shortest plea: "yardım!" — help!
- Kapıyı kapatclose the doorkapıyı kapat — dotless ı twice: ka-puh-YUH ka-PAT
- Pencereyi açopen the windowpencere from Persian plus the accusative -yi: open THE window. The same aç opens lights and laptops
- Bana uzatır mısın?pass mebana uzatır mısın — dotless ı: ba-NA u-za-TUR muh-SUN
- Sessiz olun, lütfenquiet, pleasesessiz "silent" plus olun, the polite plural imperative: "be silent, please". Lütfen came from Greek
- daire kiralamakto rent an apartmentkira is Persian "rent, hire"; kiralamak the renting. The daire you know is the flat
- daire kiraya vermekto rent out an apartmentkiraya is the dative of kira: you give TO the rent. Ver is the giving — the landlord's verb
- kira sözleşmesilease agreementkira sözleşmesi — ki-RA suz-lesh-me-SI
- kira bedelithe rent amountbedel is "price, worth": "the worth of the rent". Landlords raise it yearly
- kira süresilease termkira süresi — ki-RA suu-re-SI
- emlakçıreal estate agentemlakçı — em-lak-CHUH
- ev gösterimiapartment viewingev gösterimi — ev gus-te-ri-MI
- eşyalı dairefurnished apartmenteşyalı daire — esh-ya-LUH da-i-RE
- eve taşınmakto move intaşınmak is "to shift one's stones" — taş, taşımak: moving house is carrying stones. The dative points home
- evden çıkmakto move outevden çıkmak — ev-DEN chuhk-MAK
- taşınmaa movetaşınma — ta-shuhn-MA
- taşınmakto move housefrom taşımak "to carry" (taş, "stone"): carrying your stones elsewhere. Turkish makes it ordinary
- hamalmoverArabic ḥammāl, "carrier": the porter of stations and moves. Strong back, quick count
- paketlemekto box uppaket "package" plus -le: to package. Plates get wrapped in clothes, always
- paketi açmakto unpackpaketi açmak — pa-ke-TI ach-MAK
- yeni adresnew addressadres, the French loan, plus yeni "new": the new address. Update the banks and the subscriptions before the boxes arrive
- eşya taşımacılığımoving serviceeşya taşımacılığı — esh-YA ta-shuh-ma-juh-luhh-UH
- yerleşmekto get settledyerleşmek — yer-lesh-MEK
- yeni yere alışmakto get used to the new placeyeni yere alışmak — ye-NI ye-RE a-luhsh-MAK
- mobilyafurnitureItalian mobilia: the whole set, plural in meaning. "Mobilya satın almak" — to buy furniture — is a grown-up project
- kanepesofafrom French canapé: the same sofa that once held canapés. Where Turkish afternoons go to sleep
- koltukarmchaira single seat with arms — and a seat on a bus or plane is a koltuk too. "Koltuk altı" is literally the armpit
- rafshelffrom Arabic raf. Books, jars and folded laundry all climb it; the plural is "raflar"
- halıcarpethalı — ha-LUH
- aynamirrorold Turkic. "Aynadaki kendin" — the you in the mirror — is a whole philosophical genre
- perdecurtainPersian: curtains and veils alike. The theater curtain is a "sahne perdesi"
- yastıkpillowyastık — yas-TUHK
- yorganduvetan old Turkic quilt-word. "Yorgan düellosu" — the duel of duvets — is how couples fight in their sleep
- avizechandelierItalian vaso through Greek: the hanging lamp. In older speech any ceiling light is an avize
- boyapaintfrom boyamak "to paint, to dye": paint and dye in one word. Hair gets boya too
- duvarları boyamakto paint the wallsduvarları boyamak — doo-var-la-RUH bo-ya-MAK
- duvar kâğıdıwallpaperduvar kâğıdı — doo-VAR kaaa-uh-DUH
- fayanstileDutch faience, the tin-glazed ware: the tile. Bathroom and kitchen walls wear it, grout and all
- tornavidascrewdriverfrom Greek "turn-saw" by folk memory: tornavida. Every drawer owns at least two
- matkapdrillArabic "perforator": the drilling tool. "Matkap ucu" is the bit that does the boring
- borupipeold Turkic. Pipes of water and of smoke: the folk reed flute boru shares the name
- Ampul patladıthe bulb burned outAmpul patladı — am-POOL pat-la-DUH
- kaloriferheatingan old borrowing: once a camphor-scented stove, now the whole radiator system
- tadilat yapmakto renovateArabic "corrections": renovation as fixing what is wrong. Dust included
- sayaçutility metersayaç — sa-YACH
- sayaç okumasımeter reading"the reading of the meter": okuma from okumak, which reads books and meters alike
- su faturasıwater billfatura is Italian fattura: "the bill of water". Every utility has its own
- elektrik faturasıelectricity billelektrik faturası — e-lekt-RIK fa-too-ra-SUH
- Sular kesildithe water was cut offplural "waters" — su takes a plural when it floods or stops. Kesildi: cut, from kesmek
- çöp konteyneridumpsterçöp konteyneri — chup kon-tey-ne-RI
- apartman girişibuilding entranceapartman girişi — a-part-MAN gi-ri-SHI
- diyafonintercomfrom French "parler" sounds worn down by street use: diyafon. Buzzes before the door gives in
- komşu gürültüsünoise from the neighborskomşu gürültüsü — kom-SHOO guu-ruul-tuu-SUU
- apartman kurallarıhouse ruleskural is Arabic "rule"; -ları makes them plural and posted by the entrance
- fırınkitchen ovenfırın — fuh-RUHN
- mikrodalga fırınmicrowavemikrodalga fırın — mik-ro-dal-GA fuh-RUHN
- rendegraterold Turkic, related to rendelemek "to sand smooth": the grater. Cheese fears it
- kepçeladlekepçe — ç "ch": kep-CHE
- kapaklidfrom kapamak "to close": the closer. Pots, jars and manholes all wear one
- kesme tahtasıcutting boardkesme tahtası — kes-ME tah-ta-SUH
- önlükapronönlük — un-LUUK
- masa örtüsütableclothmasa örtüsü — ma-SA ur-tuu-SUU
- blenderblender mixerEnglish wholesale, unharmonized: blenderi. Soups surrender to it
- yemek kabılunch boxyemek kabı — ye-MEK ka-BUH
- tarakcombold Turkic. Beards and hair share it; the tool predates the mirror
- tıraş makinesishavertıraş makinesi — tuh-RASH ma-ki-ne-SI
- şampuanshampooşampuan — sham-poo-AN
- makasscissorsold Turkic, kin to "to cut" words: the cutter. Paper, hair and gift ribbon
- dikiş iğnesisewing needledikiş iğnesi — ş "sh", ğ silent: di-KISH i-ne-SEE
- iplikthreadip "rope" + -lik: rope in the small. Buttons hang by it, kites fly by it
- çöpe atmakto throw awayçöpe atmak — chu-PE at-MAK
- saklamakto storeto hide, to keep, to store: one verb for the attic and the secret. Receipts get stored, secrets get hidden
- çamaşır makinesiwashing machineçamaşır makinesi — cha-ma-SHUHR ma-ki-ne-SI
- bulaşık makinesidishwasherbulaşık makinesi — boo-la-SHUHK ma-ki-ne-SI
- dondurucufreezerthe causative of donmak "to freeze": the freezing thing. The buzluk you met is its drawer inside the fridge
- vantilatörfanvantilatör — van-ti-la-TUR
- ısıtıcıheaterısıtıcı — uh-suh-tuh-JUH
- saç kurutma makinesihairdryersaç kurutma makinesi — sach koo-root-MA ma-ki-ne-SI
- uzatma kablosuextension cord"the stretching cable": uzatma from uzatmak, "to lengthen". Sockets are always a room away
- elektrik düğmesilight switchelektrik düğmesi — e-lekt-RIK duuh-me-SI
- vidascrewvia Greek from Latin vītis, "vine": screws twist like vines. Furniture ships with two extra, always
- İngiliz anahtarıwrenchİngiliz anahtarı — i̇n-gi-LIZ a-nah-ta-RUH
- pensepliersFrench pince, "pinch": the pincher. Wires and stubborn nails fear it
- izole bantinsulating tape"isolation band": izole from French isoler. The fix-all of every household, black and stretchy
- yapıştırıcıglueyapıştırıcı — ya-puhsh-tuh-ruh-JUH
- seloteypscotch tapefrom "Sellotape", a brand that became the word — like bankamatik for ATMs. Boxes yield to it
- ipropeold Turkic, two letters long: the rope. Packages, laundry lines and tug-of-war
- yapıştırmakto stickyapıştırmak — ya-puhsh-tuhr-MAK
- vidalamakto screw invida "screw" + -la: to screw. Shelves hang by it, literally
- ölçmekto measureölçmek — ulch-MEK
- kendim tamir etmekto fix things with your own hands"to repair myself": kendim "myself" + tamir. Faucets fixed by hand, pride included
- duşshowerş like "sh": DUŞ
- çalar saatalarm clockç like "ch": cha-LAR sa-AT
- termometrethermometerBoth the outdoor gauge and the medical one. Taking a sick person’s temperature is ateş ölçmek — with the familiar ateş.
- ekmek kızartma makinesitoasterdotless ı, voiced z: ek-MEK kı-zart-MA ma-ki-ne-SI
- dikiş makinesisewing machineş like "sh": di-KIŞ ma-ki-ne-SI
- temelfoundationTemel is the foundation of a house and the basis of anything: temel bilgiler — basic knowledge. Temel atmak — to lay the foundation.
- ince işçilikfinishing workince is fine, işçilik handwork. On a site everything splits in two: kaba iş, rough work, and ince iş, the finishing.
- indirmekto lowerA causative of inmek — "to make descend". From it also indirim, "discount".
- kımıldatmakto move (something)Without the tail -t it is kımıldamak, "to move by oneself".
- düşürmekto dropFrom düşmek, "to fall". The -ür again means "make it happen".
- yerden almakto pick up (from the floor)yer is the floor, the place and the earth. The case is ablative: yerden.
- asmakto hangaskı, "a hanger", is from the same root.
- raftan almakto take down (from a shelf)A Turk says al, "take", not "take off": indir here would sound odd.
- katlamakto foldFrom kat — "layer, floor". You fold in two, bending.
- yaymakto spread outTo lay out over a surface. yayla, "a highland plateau", is from the same root.
- sarmakto wrapTo wind around. sarma is a dish of wrapped leaves.
- paketi açmakto unwrapThe same açmak as "to open": a parcel is precisely opened.
- açmakto openThe same verb turns on the light and answers the phone: telefonu aç.
- kapatmakto closeFrom kapı, "door". The same verb switches off the light and hangs up the phone.
- kilitlemekto lockkilit is "the lock". Closing and locking are kept apart just as in English.
- kilidi açmakto unlockNo separate verb: the lock is simply "opened".
- ışığı açmakto turn on the lightışık is "light". The opening ı is dotless — not "i" — and the sound is hushed.
- ışığı kapatmakto turn off the lightThe partner of the previous one. söndürmek also means "to put out", but rather about fire.
- basmakto pressTakes the -a/-e case: düğmeye basmak is "to press the button".
- kolu çevirmekto turn the handlekol is an arm, a lever and a door handle.
- kapıya vurmakto knockPeople also say kapıyı çalmak — about the knock and about ringing alike.
- zile basmakto ring the doorbellzil is "a bell". The same basmak with the -a/-e case.
- eşikthresholdWith a tail the k softens: eşik becomes eşiği. To cross the threshold is eşikten geçmek.
- kapı koludoor handleAn izafet: the second word takes the tail -u — "the handle of the door". kol on its own is the arm above the hand.
- kapı kilididoor lockkilit becomes kilidi: the voiceless t voices into d between vowels.
- kapı zilidoorbellzil is any bell: the school bell, the phone's zil sesi, and this one at the door.
- pencere pervazıwindowsillpervaz is the molding around an opening; the izafet adds its -ı.
- tül perdesheer curtainBare perde is the heavy curtain, already in the course; tül is the light see-through fabric.
- gece lambasınight lightAn izafet: lamba plus -sı after a vowel. Set up for children so they fear the dark less.
- lavabosinkFrom Latin through French. The kitchen sink is more often evye.
- küvetbathtubThe room is the banyo; küvet is only the tub you fill with water.
- klozettoilet (bowl)From English closet. The room is the tuvalet; at a visit you ask lavabo nerede.
- hortumhoseThe same word is an elephant's trunk and a whirlwind: one image of a long flexible tube.
- evehome (direction)No separate word: the directional of ev IS "home". "At home" is evde, "from home" is evden.
- salonhallThe living room in a flat and a hall in a public building alike. With the izafet tail it is everywhere: spor salonu, bekleme salonu — the course knows them.
- kilimkilim (flat-woven rug)Easy to tell apart: a kilim has no pile and looks the same from the back.
- apartmanapartment buildingListings announce flats exactly this way: "3+1" tells locals more than square meters do.
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Bizim ev denize yakınOur home is near the sea
- Yeni bir daire arıyorumI am looking for a new apartment
- Odada masa ve sandalye varThere is a table and a chair in the room
- Mutfak küçük ama aydınlıkThe kitchen is small but bright
- Banyoda sıcak su yokThere is no hot water in the bathroom
- Kahvaltıyı balkonda yapalımLet us have breakfast on the balcony
What is worth knowing about these words
ev — home. "To home" is eve, "at home" is evde. Direction and place take different endings.
daire — apartment. A flat in a building — this is the word in every rental ad. daire is also "a circle" in geometry.
oda — room. The root of "odalisque" — "the woman of the room". Flats are counted by rooms: "2+1" means two rooms and a living room.
mutfak — kitchen. Both the room and the cuisine: Türk mutfağı is "Turkish cuisine". The k in the middle softens into ğ.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is ev — home.
- What is this word?
It is asansör — elevator.
- What is this word?
It is kapı — door.
- What is this word?
It is çamaşır — laundry.
- What is this word?
It is depozito — deposit.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “home” in Turkish?
"To home" is eve, "at home" is evde. Direction and place take different endings.
- How do you say “elevator” in Turkish?
From French ascenseur, ö included. In older buildings there may be none at all.
- How do you say “door” in Turkish?
kapamak is "to close", hence kapalı, "closed". The city gates were a kapı too.
- How do you say “laundry” in Turkish?
Both the linen and the washing of it: çamaşır makinesi is "the washing machine", çamaşır yıkamak is "to do the laundry".
- How do you say “deposit” in Turkish?
From Italian. Usually one or two months' rent, returned at move-out — if the flat is intact.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Room, key, water, electricity. You will need them on your first day in a rented flat.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “home” in Turkish?
«ev». "To home" is eve, "at home" is evde. Direction and place take different endings. It is one of 194 words in the set “home and things” — the rest are in the table above.
How many household words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 194 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 194 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.