hayır

See also: Hayır

Turkish

Etymology 1

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish خیر (hayr, hayır), ultimately shortened from Classical Persian نَخَیْر (naxayr, “no”), itself from نَه (na, “no”) + Arabic خَيْر (ḵayr, “good, well, wellbeing”). Partially replaced yok, although the latter is still more common.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (standard) /ˈhɑ.jɯɾ/, [ˈhʌ.jɯɾ̞̊], (some speakers) [ˈhɑː.jɯɾ̞̊]
• Hyphenation: ha‧yır

Interjection

hayır

1. no

   Synonym: yok

   Antonym: evet

   Öğretmen misin? — Hayır.

   Are you a teacher? — No.

Usage notes

• The native synonym yok is significantly more common and polite when refusing an offer or expressing disagreement with a positive question.
• Restating the request in negative indicative is slightly more common when refusing a request. For example,

Girebilir miyim? — Giremezsin.

May I come in? — No. ("You may not come in")

Etymology 2

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish خیر (hayır), from Arabic خَيْر (ḵayr, “good, well, wellbeing”), same word as above.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hɑˈjɯɾ̞̊]
• Hyphenation: ha‧yır

Noun

hayır (definite accusative hayrı, plural hayırlar)

1. good; prosperity
2. profit, advantage
3. charity

Descendants

• → Ladino: hayre

References

• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “خیر”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[1], Constantinople: Mihran, page 557
• Avery, Robert et al., editors (2013), The Redhouse Dictionary Turkish/Ottoman English, 21st edition, Istanbul: Sev Yayıncılık, →ISBN

Further reading

• “hayır”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “hayır”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010) “hayır”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı