How to Talk About the Weather and Seasons in Turkish?

Learning to talk about the weather and seasons is a fundamental aspect of mastering any language. In Turkish, understanding how to discuss weather conditions and the passing seasons not only enriches your vocabulary but also helps you engage in everyday conversations. In this blog post, we will cover the essential phrases and words you need to talk about the weather and seasons in Turkish. Hadi başlayalım! 🌧️ ☀️

Weather Vocabulary in Turkish (Hava Durumu Kelimeleri)

First, let’s start with some common vocabulary related to weather:

English	Turkish
Weather	Hava durumu
Temperature	Sıcaklık
Sun	Güneş
Rain	Yağmur
Wind	Rüzgar
Snow	Kar
Cloud	Bulut
Storm	Fırtına
Fog	Sis
Humidity	Nem
Clear	Açık
Cold	Soğuk
Hot	Sıcak
Warm	Ilık
Cool	Serin

Note on Suffix Usage (-li, -lı, -lu, -lü)

In Turkish, when describing weather conditions, it is common to use the suffixes -li, -lı, -lu, or -lü. These suffixes mean “with” or “having” and are added to most of the weather words to form adjectives. The choice of suffix depends on the vowel harmony rule, meaning the suffix vowel must match the last vowel of the root word in harmony.

For example:

• Güneşli (Sunny): “güneş” (sun) + “-li”
• Rüzgarlı (Windy): “rüzgar” (wind) + “-lı”
• Yağmurlu (Rainy): “yağmur” (rain) + “-lu”
• Sisli (Foggy): “sis” (fog) + “-li”

If the word is already an adjectif, no need to add the suffixes -li, -lı, -lu, or -lü. For example: serin, sıcak, soğuk etc.

Example Sentences

• Bugün hava güneşli. (The weather is sunny today.)
• Yarın yağmur yağacak. (It will rain tomorrow.)
• Hava çok soğuk, mont giymelisin. (The weather is very cold, you should wear a coat.)
• Rüzgar çok kuvvetli esiyor. (The wind is blowing very strongly.)

Common Weather Phrases in Turkish (Yaygın Hava Durumu İfadeleri)

Here are some useful phrases to describe the weather in Turkish:

English	Turkish
How is the weather?	Hava nasıl?
It’s sunny.	Hava güneşli.
It’s raining.	Yağmur yağıyor.
It’s snowing.	Kar yağıyor.
It’s windy.	Hava rüzgarlı.
It’s cloudy.	Bulutlu.
It’s stormy.	Fırtınalı.
It’s foggy.	Sisli.
It’s hot.	Hava sıcak.
It’s cold.	Hava soğuk.
It’s humid.	Nemli.
The weather is mild today.	Bugün hava ılık.
It looks like it’s going to rain.	Yağmur yağacak gibi görünüyor.

The Four Seasons in Turkish (Dört Mevsim)

Turkish has four seasons, just like most regions. Each season has its own distinct weather characteristics, and knowing their names is crucial for discussing time and plans.

Season Names in Turkish

English	Turkish
Spring	İlkbahar
Summer	Yaz
Autumn (Fall)	Sonbahar
Winter	Kış

Example Conversations (Örnek Konuşmalar)

Conversation 1: Discussing Today’s Weather

• A: Bugün hava nasıl? (How is the weather today?)
• B: Hava güneşli ve sıcak. (The weather is sunny and hot.)
• A: Harika, plaja gidebiliriz. (Great, we can go to the beach.)

Conversation 2: Talking About the Seasons

• A: En sevdiğin mevsim hangisi? (What is your favorite season?)
• B: Benim en sevdiğim mevsim yaz. Güneşli havaları ve denizde yüzmeyi seviyorum. (My favorite season is summer. I love sunny weather and swimming in the sea.)
• A: Ben sonbaharı seviyorum. Serin hava ve yaprakların renk değişimini izlemek hoşuma gidiyor. (I like autumn. I enjoy the cool weather and watching the leaves change color.)

Funny and Typical Turkish Expressions About the Weather

Turkish language and culture are rich in expressions (deyimler) that use the weather to humorously or wisely reflect on life situations. Below are five weather-related expressions that will add a fun twist to your Turkish vocabulary:

1. Kar yağınca tavuklar horoz olur

• Literal Translation: When it snows, chickens become roosters.
• Meaning: People act braver or tougher than usual when circumstances change in their favor.
• Usage: This funny expression highlights how people who are usually timid or quiet suddenly gain confidence in certain situations, like how chickens act bolder when it snows.
• Example:
  • Normalde sessizdir ama kar yağınca tavuklar horoz olur misali, bugün çok konuştu. (He’s normally quiet, but like chickens becoming roosters when it snows, he talked a lot today.)

2. Yağmurdan kaçarken doluya tutulmak

• Literal Translation: While escaping from the rain, getting caught in hail.
• Meaning: Trying to avoid a problem but ending up in a worse situation.
• Usage: This expression humorously captures the misfortune of trying to escape one problem, only to encounter something even worse.
• Example:
  • Yağmurdan kaçarken doluya tutulduk, tam eve girerken çatı akmaya başladı. (We tried to escape the rain but got caught in hail; just as we got home, the roof started leaking.)

3. Güneş girmeyen eve doktor girer

• Literal Translation: A house where the sun doesn’t enter is visited by the doctor.
• Meaning: Sunlight is essential for health, and homes that are dark and lack sunshine can lead to sickness.
• Usage: This expression emphasizes the importance of sunlight for well-being and is often used to highlight the need for fresh air and natural light.
• Example:
  • Pencereleri aç, güneş girmeyen eve doktor girer derler. (Open the windows, they say that a house without sunlight will be visited by the doctor.)

4. Yağmur yağar, bardak taşar

• Literal Translation: The rain falls, the glass overflows.
• Meaning: Small actions can cause bigger consequences when combined with other factors.
• Usage: This metaphor uses weather to show how an accumulation of events or stress can lead to an overwhelming outcome, similar to how rain causes a glass to overflow.
• Example:
  • Bir sorun daha olursa dayanamayacağım, yağmur yağar bardak taşar. (If one more problem arises, I won’t be able to handle it; the rain falls, and the glass overflows.)

5. Sıcak soğuk demeden

• Literal Translation: Without saying hot or cold.
• Meaning: To persist through any condition, without regard to the difficulties.
• Usage: This expression is used to describe someone who continues their efforts despite challenging weather or other unfavorable conditions.
• Example:
  • O, sıcak soğuk demeden her sabah koşuya çıkar. (He goes for a run every morning, regardless of whether it’s hot or cold.)