Body Parts in Turkish

Body parts in Turkish are practical vocabulary: you use them for daily descriptions, polite conversations, and simple phrases that show you understand real Turkish. This page focuses on clear meaning, usable examples, and the suffix patterns that make Turkish feel surprisingly consistent.

Quick Navigation

Core Words grouped by body area
Vocabulary Table with sound hints
Pronunciation Notes for special letters
Suffix Toolkit for “my/your” forms

Suffixes in Turkish often behave like snap-on pieces: once you learn the pattern, many new words become easy to use.

Jump To Vocabulary Table

Core Words by Category

Whole Body

vücut (body)
beden (body / torso in some contexts)

Head and Face

baş (head) • kafa (head, informal)
yüz (face) • saç (hair)
göz (eye) • kulak (ear)
burun (nose) • ağız (mouth)
diş (tooth) • dil (tongue)
dudak (lip) • yanak (cheek)
alın (forehead) • çene (chin/jaw)
kaş (eyebrow) • kirpik (eyelash)

Torso

boyun (neck) • boğaz (throat)
omuz (shoulder) • göğüs (chest)
sırt (back) • bel (waist/lower back)
karın (abdomen) • mide (stomach)
kalp (heart) • kemik (bone)

Arms and Hands

kol (arm) • dirsek (elbow)
bilek (wrist/ankle, depends on context)
el (hand) • parmak (finger)
baş parmak (thumb) • tırnak (nail)

Legs and Feet

bacak (leg) • diz (knee)
ayak (foot) • topuk (heel)
ayak bileği (ankle) • ayak parmağı (toe)

Vocabulary Table

Use this table to learn fast and review later. The sound hints are only a guide; Turkish spelling is quite steady, so reading improves quickly with a little exposure.

English	Turkish	Sound Hint	Simple Example
head	baş	bash	Başım ağrıyor. (My head hurts.)
eye	göz	guhz	Gözlerim kahverengi. (My eyes are brown.)
ear	kulak	koo-lak	Kulaklarım üşüyor. (My ears feel cold.)
nose	burun	boo-run	Burnum küçük. (My nose is small.)
mouth	ağız	ah-uhz	Ağzını kapat. (Close your mouth.)
tooth	diş	dish	Dişlerim hassas. (My teeth are sensitive.)
neck	boyun	bo-yoon	Boynum uzun. (My neck is long.)
shoulder	omuz	oh-mooz	Omuzlarım geniş. (My shoulders are broad.)
arm	kol	kohl	Kolum güçlü. (My arm is strong.)
hand	el	el	Ellerim temiz. (My hands are clean.)
finger	parmak	par-mak	Parmaklarım uzun. (My fingers are long.)
leg	bacak	ba-jak	Bacaklarım yoruldu. (My legs got tired.)
knee	diz	deez	Dizim iyi. (My knee is fine.)
foot	ayak	ah-yak	Ayaklarım rahat. (My feet feel comfortable.)

Pronunciation Notes You Will Actually Notice

ı (dotless i) is a common sound in ağız and sırt. It is not the same as i.
ç sounds like ch in “chair”: çene, saç.
ş sounds like sh in “ship”: diş, kaş.
ö and ü are front vowels. You will hear them in göğüs and yüz.
ğ often lengthens the previous vowel more than it makes a strong consonant sound: ayağım, kulağım.

If you want one habit that helps immediately, read Turkish words out loud the way they are written. That simple approach fixes most pronounciation issues faster than memorizing long rules.

Suffix Toolkit for Body Parts

Body-part words appear constantly with possessive suffixes. English says “my hand”; Turkish often says elim. The ending changes with vowel harmony, which is a core pattern in Turkish.

Possessive Endings

Meaning	Pattern	Example
my	-(ı)m / -(i)m / -(u)m / -(ü)m	elim (my hand), gözüm (my eye)
your (singular)	-(ı)n / -(i)n / -(u)n / -(ü)n	elin (your hand), burnun (your nose)
his/her	-(s)ı / -(s)i / -(s)u / -(s)ü	eli (his/her hand), gözü (his/her eye)

Small Changes That Look Big

ayak + -ım → ayağım (k → ğ)
kulak + -ım → kulağım (k → ğ)
dudak + -ın → dudağın (k → ğ)
kalp + -im → kalbim (p → b)

These shifts are normal. They keep Turkish sounding smooth, almost like the word is choosing the most comfortable path through your mouth.

Common Compounds for Precision

Turkish often builds specific body terms with short compounds. Many follow a pattern where the second noun carries a small ending (often -i), which is why these phrases look “longer” than English.

ayak bileği (ankle) • literally “foot’s wrist”
el bileği (wrist) • useful because bilek alone can be broad
baş ağrısı (headache) • a common daily phrase
karın ağrısı (stomachache/abdominal pain)
diş ağrısı (toothache)

Ready-to-Use Phrases

Bu benim elim. (This is my hand.)
Şu benim ayağım. (That is my foot.)
Gözlerin çok güzel. (Your eyes are very beautiful.)
Saçın kısa. (Your hair is short.)
Omuzlarım rahat. (My shoulders feel relaxed.)
Boynum biraz gergin. (My neck is a bit tense.)

Notice the -ım/-im pattern in ayağım, elim, boynum. Once that clicks, your vocabulary starts to “move” on its own.

Practice Without Overthinking

30-Second Drill (speaking)

Point to something and say: Bu benim + (body part). Then switch: Bu senin + (body part).

el → elim / elin
göz → gözüm / gözün
burun → burnum / burnun

Describe a Person Politely (writing)

Saçı uzun/kısa. (His/Her hair is long/short.)
Gözleri mavi/yeşil/kahverengi. (His/Her eyes are blue/green/brown.)
Yüzü yuvarlak/ince. (His/Her face is round/slim.)