How to Say “How Do You Spell It?” in Turkish
The usual way to say “How do you spell it?” in Turkish is Nasıl yazılıyor? It is neutral: safe in almost any situation. Below are 3 alternatives (formal, informal), how to reply, an example dialogue and the grammar behind it.
In Turkish
Nasıl yazılıyor?
- Literally
- “how is it being written?”
- Register
- Neutralsafe in almost any situation
How Nasıl yazılıyor? is built
- nasılhow
- yaz-write
- -ıl-passive
- -ıyorpresent continuous
Other ways to say “How do you spell it?”
- Nasıl yazılır?Neutral
“how is it written (in general)?”
Aorist passive.
- Harf harf söyler misiniz?Formal
“could you say it letter by letter?”
For names and email addresses.
- Hangi harfle?Informal
“with which letter?”
Checking one letter.
How to reply
Ce, e, me, a, le: Cemal.
C, E, M, A, L: Cemal.
Noktalı i ile.
With a dotted i.
Example dialogue
- A
Soyadınız nasıl yazılıyor?
How do you spell your surname?
- B
Ş ile: Şahin. Şe, a, he, i, ne.
With Ş: Şahin. Sh, A, H, I, N.
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“How do you spell it?” in Turkish: FAQ
How do you say “How do you spell it” in Turkish?
The most common way is Nasıl yazılıyor? (literally “how is it being written?”), which is neutral: safe in almost any situation. You will also hear Nasıl yazılır (“how is it written (in general)?”): aorist passive.
How do you reply to Nasıl yazılıyor?
Typical replies are Ce, e, me, a, le: Cemal. (“C, E, M, A, L: Cemal.”) and Noktalı i ile. (“With a dotted i.”).
What does each part of Nasıl yazılıyor mean?
nasıl = how; yaz- = write; -ıl- = passive; -ıyor = present continuous. Turkish consonants are named with an e: be, ce, çe, de.
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