Arabic and Persian loanwords: tamamen, halim, maalesef
Many formal Turkish words come from Arabic and Persian and follow their own patterns: adverbs in -en (tamamen, completely), Arabic plurals (eşya, things) and words that break vowel harmony (hal → halim).
| Pattern | Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adverb in -en / -an | tamamen, kısmen, şahsen, aslen | completely, partly, personally, originally |
| Arabic plural | eşya, evrak, ahval | things, documents, conditions |
| prefix bi- / na- | biçare, bitaraf, natamam | helpless, neutral, incomplete |
| against harmony | hal → halim, saat → saatte, kalp → kalbim | my state, at … o'clock, my heart |
| fixed phrases | itibaren, rağmen, maalesef, tabii | from, despite, unfortunately, of course |
What should you know?
- -en makes adverbs from Arabic words: *tamamen*, *kısmen*, *şahsen*.
- Many loanwords have a soft l or a front vowel and take front endings: *halim*, *saatte*, *alkoller*.
- Arabic plurals are now used like singulars and often even take -ler: *eşyalar*.
- Watch the spelling: *maalesef*, *tabii*, and *itibaren* with the ablative: *yarından itibaren*.
Examples
- Bu konuda kısmen haklısın.You're partly right about this.
- Bütün eşyalarımı topladım.I packed all my things.
- Şahsen bu fikri beğendim.Personally, I liked this idea.
- Toplantı maalesef iptal edildi.Unfortunately the meeting was cancelled.
- Pazartesiden itibaren yeni bir işe başlıyorum.From Monday I'm starting a new job.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Tamamca haklısınız.✓ Tamamen haklısınız.English “-ly” is not -ca here; Arabic loanwords form their adverbs with -en: tamamen.
- ✗ Kalbım ağrıyor.✓ Kalbim ağrıyor.Kalp takes front endings against vowel harmony: kalbim.
- ✗ Pazartesi itibaren mağaza kapalı.✓ Pazartesiden itibaren mağaza kapalı.English “from Monday” has no case; itibaren needs the ablative: pazartesiden itibaren.
- ✗ Malesef geç kaldım.✓ Maalesef geç kaldım.The Arabic word has a long a: maalesef, with two a's.
- ✗ Tabi, yardım ederim.✓ Tabii, yardım ederim.“Of course” is spelt tabii with two i's; tabi means “subject to, dependent”.