How to Say “What Does This Mean?” in Turkish
The usual way to say “What does this mean?” in Turkish is Bu ne demek? It is neutral: safe in almost any situation. Below are 3 alternatives (informal), how to reply, an example dialogue and the grammar behind it.
In Turkish
Bu ne demek?
- Literally
- “this what to-say?”
- Register
- Neutralsafe in almost any situation
How Bu ne demek? is built
- buthis
- newhat
- demekto say; to mean
Other ways to say “What does this mean?”
- Bu ne anlama geliyor?Neutral
“what meaning does this come to?”
Slightly more formal.
- … ne demek?Neutral
“what does … mean?”
Put any word first: “Kolay gelsin” ne demek?
- Anlamı ne?Informal
“what is its meaning?”
Short.
How to reply
“Good luck” gibi bir şey.
Something like “good luck”.
Yani …
That is … / I mean …
Example dialogue
- A
“Kolay gelsin” ne demek?
What does “kolay gelsin” mean?
- B
“İşin kolay olsun” demek.
It means “may your work be easy”.
Related phrases
All phrases →More language help
Go deeper
“What does this mean?” in Turkish: FAQ
How do you say “What does this mean” in Turkish?
The most common way is Bu ne demek? (literally “this what to-say?”), which is neutral: safe in almost any situation. You will also hear Bu ne anlama geliyor (“what meaning does this come to?”): slightly more formal.
How do you reply to Bu ne demek?
Typical replies are “Good luck” gibi bir şey. (“Something like “good luck”.”) and Yani … (“That is … / I mean …”).
What does each part of Bu ne demek mean?
bu = this; ne = what; demek = to say; to mean. Demek is both “to say” and “to mean”.
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