Months of the Year in Turkish
The months of the year in Turkish represent a fascinating blend of historical influences, drawing from ancient Turkic words, Arabic, Syriac, and Latin. Learning these terms is essential for booking travel to Istanbul or simply expanding your linguistic horizons.
If you want to strengthen your command of timelines, combining this knowledge with universal metrics like how many weeks in a year and how many days in each month will be incredibly useful.
Quick Answer: All 12 Months
| English | Turkish | Romanisation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Ocak | Ocak | |
| February | Şubat | Şubat | |
| March | Mart | Mart | |
| April | Nisan | Nisan | |
| May | Mayıs | Mayıs | |
| June | Haziran | Haziran | |
| July | Temmuz | Temmuz | |
| August | Ağustos | Ağustos | |
| September | Eylül | Eylül | |
| October | Ekim | Ekim | |
| November | Kasım | Kasım | |
| December | Aralık | Aralık |
How Months Are Named
The Turkish calendar is a linguistic mosaic. "Ocak" (January) and "Ekim" (October) come from native Turkic roots relating to hearth/fire and sowing seeds, respectively. "Mart" (March) and "Ağustos" (August) stem directly from Latin/Roman influence. "Şubat" (February), "Nisan" (April), and "Haziran" (June) have Syriac and Arabic origins, reflecting the geographic and cultural crossroads of Anatolia.
Cultural Notes
Turkish grammar dictates that month names are generally written in lowercase letters (e.g., ocak, şubat). However, if you write an exact specific date, the month is capitalized: "19 Mayıs 1919" (a major national holiday in Turkey). Because Turkish is an agglutinative language, prepositions like "in" are attached as suffixes to the end of the word based on vowel harmony (e.g., "Mart'ta" for "in March").
Frequently Asked Questions
Are months capitalized in Turkish?
No, Turkish months are generally written in lowercase unless they appear in a specific, exact date (e.g., '15 Mayıs 2024') or begin a sentence.
What is the Turkish word for month?
The Turkish word for month is 'ay' (plural: 'aylar').
How do you ask 'What month is it?' in Turkish?
You ask 'Hangi aydayız?'.
How do you say 'in January' in Turkish?
Turkish uses locative suffixes. 'In January' translates to 'Ocak'ta'.