B1 · 46 words

Relationships and friendship in Turkish

Making and keeping friends, trust and respect, arguing, apologising and making up, breaking up and loneliness.

Practise this list

From these 46 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

In relationships it comes down to the case the verb takes. Whom you make up or argue with takes -le (kardeşimle barıştım “I made up with my brother”), whom you apologise to is in the ablative (senden özür dilerim “I apologise to you”, literally “from you”), and whom you are cross with in the dative (bana küstü “he is not speaking to me”). “Each other” is birbiri with a possessive ending: birbirimizi“each other” (us)birbirlerine“to each other” (them) Much happens aramızda, “between us”.

The words

Verb (13)

boşanmakto get divorcedVerbB1

Komşularımız geçen yıl boşandı.Our neighbours got divorced last year.

From whom: ablative, eşinden boşandı.

barışmakto make upVerbB1

Tartıştık ama akşam barıştık.We argued, but in the evening we made up.

With whom: -le.

Conjugation of barışmak →

kavga etmekto fight, to quarrelVerbB1

Kardeşimle küçükken hep kavga ederdik.When we were small my brother and I were always fighting.

With whom: -le.

küsmekto stop speaking to someone, to sulkVerbB1

Can bana küstü, iki gündür konuşmuyor.Can is cross with me, he has not spoken for two days.

With whom: dative. The silence after a quarrel; aorist küser.

gücenmekto be offended, to take offenceVerbB1

Onu davet etmediğim için bana gücendi.She was offended because I had not invited her.

With whom: dative.

özür dilemekto apologiseVerbB1

Geç kaldığım için arkadaşımdan özür diledim.I apologised to my friend for being late.

To whom: ablative. The fixed phrase: özür dilerim.

affetmekto forgiveVerbB1

Beni affeder misin?Will you forgive me?

Whom: accusative. From af etmek: aorist affeder.

Conjugation of affetmek →

dertleşmekto pour out one’s troubles to each otherVerbB1

Akşam annemle uzun uzun dertleştik.In the evening my mother and I had a long heart-to-heart.

With whom: -le.

tanıştırmakto introduceVerbB1

Seni kuzenimle tanıştırayım.Let me introduce you to my cousin.

Whom: accusative; to whom: -le. To meet someone yourself: tanışmak.

ilgilenmekto look after; to be interested inVerbB1

Annem hafta sonu torunlarıyla ilgileniyor.At the weekend my mother looks after her grandchildren.

Whom, in what: -le, müzikle ilgileniyorum.

Conjugation of ilgilenmek →

yalan söylemekto lie, to tell a lieVerbB1

Bana yalan söyleme, her şeyi biliyorum.Do not lie to me, I know everything.

To whom: dative.

kandırmakto deceive, to trickVerbB1

Satıcı bizi kandırdı, telefon bozuk çıktı.The seller tricked us, the phone turned out to be broken.

Whom: accusative.

Conjugation of kandırmak →

yakınlaşmakto grow closerVerbB1

Aynı projede çalışınca iyice yakınlaştık.Working on the same project we grew really close.

Noun (23)

Grammar for these: No article, no gender · The plural with -ler and -lar

arkadaşlıkfriendshipNounB1

Arkadaşlığımız üniversitede başladı.Our friendship began at university.

The k softens before a vowel: arkadaşlığı.

dostlukclose friendshipNounB1

Aramızdaki dostluk yirmi yıldır sürüyor.The friendship between us has lasted twenty years.

dostclose friendNounB1

Zor günlerde gerçek dostlarını tanırsın.In hard times you find out who your real friends are.

Closer and weightier than arkadaş.

yakın arkadaşclose friend, best friendNounB1

Elif benim en yakın arkadaşım.Elif is my best friend.

çocukluk arkadaşıchildhood friendNounB1

Dün çarşıda çocukluk arkadaşımla karşılaştım.Yesterday I ran into my childhood friend in town.

A compound with -ı; the possessive replaces it: çocukluk arkadaşım.

ilişkirelationshipNounB1

Kardeşimle ilişkim son yıllarda çok düzeldi.My relationship with my brother has got much better in recent years.

ayrılıkseparation, partingNounB1

Ayrılık ikisi için de zor oldu.The separation was hard for both of them.

kavgafight, quarrelNounB1

Dün akşam aramızda küçük bir kavga çıktı.Yesterday evening we had a little quarrel.

Louder than tartışma; also a fight with fists.

güventrustNounB1

Güven bir kez kaybolunca zor geri gelir.Once trust is lost, it is hard to get back.

The verb: -e güvenmek “to trust someone”.

yalnızlıklonelinessNounB1

Yeni şehirde ilk aylarda yalnızlık çektim.I was lonely for the first few months in the new city.

yalnızlık çekmek “to suffer from loneliness”.

desteksupportNounB1

Zor günümde ailem bana çok destek oldu.My family gave me a lot of support in my difficult time.

destek olmak “to support” (dative); the k softens: desteği.

kıskançlıkjealousyNounB1

Kıskançlık ilişkiye zarar verir.Jealousy harms a relationship.

hayal kırıklığıdisappointmentNounB1

Konser iptal olunca büyük bir hayal kırıklığı yaşadık.When the concert was cancelled we were very disappointed.

Literally “breaking of a dream”.

sırsecretNounB1

Bu konu aramızda bir sır olarak kalsın.Let this stay a secret between us.

The r doubles before a vowel: sırrım, sırrını.

derttrouble, worryNounB1

Bana derdini anlat, belki yardım ederim.Tell me what is bothering you, maybe I can help.

The t softens before a vowel: derdi.

ilgiinterest; attentionNounB1

Kitaplara ilgisi küçükken başladı.Her interest in books began when she was little.

In what: dative, müziğe ilgi.

saygırespectNounB1

Büyüklere saygı göstermek önemli.It is important to show respect to older people.

To whom: dative.

iletişimcontact, communicationNounB1

Uzakta yaşasak da iletişimimizi koparmadık.Even though we live far apart, we have stayed in touch.

mesafedistanceNounB1

O tartışmadan sonra aramıza bir mesafe girdi.After that argument a distance grew between us.

evlilikmarriageNounB1

Anneannemle dedemin evliliği elli yıl sürdü.My grandparents’ marriage lasted fifty years.

eski sevgiliex (boyfriend, girlfriend)NounB1

Düğünde eski sevgilisiyle karşılaştı.At the wedding she ran into her ex-boyfriend.

kayınvalidemother-in-lawNounB1

Kayınvalidem pazar günleri bize yemeğe geliyor.My mother-in-law comes to us for lunch on Sundays.

Colloquially also kaynana.

kayınpederfather-in-lawNounB1

Kayınpederim emekli bir öğretmen.My father-in-law is a retired teacher.

Adjective (4)

Grammar for these: The adjective comes first and stays the same · Bigger and biggest: “daha” and “en”

sadıkloyal, faithfulAdjectiveB1

Mehmet sadık bir dosttur.Mehmet is a loyal friend.

To what: dative, sözüne sadık “true to his word”.

samimiwarm, close; sincereAdjectiveB1

Yeni komşularımızla hemen samimi olduk.We got close to our new neighbours straight away.

anlayışlıunderstandingAdjectiveB1

Patronum bu konuda çok anlayışlı davrandı.My boss was very understanding about it.

saygılırespectful, considerateAdjectiveB1

Komşularına karşı her zaman saygılı davranır.He is always considerate towards his neighbours.

Pronoun (1)

Grammar for these: The personal pronouns · sen or siz: familiar or polite you

birbirieach other (with a possessive)PronounB1

Yıllardır birbirimizi tanıyoruz.We have known each other for years.

Always with a possessive: birbirimiz (us), birbiriniz (you), birbirleri (them).

Phrase (5)

sır tutmakto keep a secretPhraseB1

Ayşe sır tutmayı iyi bilir.Ayşe is good at keeping secrets.

değer vermekto valuePhraseB1

Arkadaşlarıma çok değer veririm.I value my friends very much.

Whom, what: dative.

hal hatır sormakto ask how someone isPhraseB1

Dedem her telefonda herkesin hal hatırını sorar.Every time he phones, my grandfather asks how everyone is.

Whose: genitive and possessive, annemin hal hatırını sordum.

arkadaş edinmekto make friendsPhraseB1

Oğlum yeni okulunda kolayca arkadaş edindi.My son made friends easily at his new school.

âşık olmakto fall in lovePhraseB1

Üniversitede birbirlerine âşık oldular.They fell in love at university.

With whom: dative, ona âşık oldum.

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

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