Turkish · The Basics
Ayıp!
ah-YUHP · /aˈjɯp/
Shame on you! / That's not on!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"Shame / disgrace"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The load-bearing word of Turkish social control. "Ayıp" invokes shame — of behaving badly in front of others — and it's wielded constantly, from mothers to strangers on the bus. "Ayıp be", "çok ayıp", "ayıp değil mi?" Not profane at all, but understanding it unlocks the culture: a huge amount of Turkish life is organized around not being ayıp.
Heard in the wild
Yaşlı adama yer vermedin, ayıp!
You didn't give the old man your seat — shame on you!
Where it lands
Turkey-wide; universal
Quick answers
- What does "Ayıp!" mean?
- In Turkish, "Ayıp!" means "Shame on you! / That's not on!". Literally it's "Shame / disgrace". The load-bearing word of Turkish social control. "Ayıp" invokes shame — of behaving badly in front of others — and it's wielded constantly, from mothers to strangers on the bus. "Ayıp be", "çok ayıp", "ayıp değil mi?" Not profane at all, but understanding it unlocks the culture: a huge amount of Turkish life is organized around not being ayıp.
- Is "Ayıp!" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Ayıp!"?
- Say it "ah-YUHP" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: aˈjɯp.
Related in Turkish
Lan LAHN Man / dude / hey — a rough vocative that dials the whole sentence up or down Hadi be! hah-DEE BEH Get outta here! / No way! / Yeah right! Aman! ah-MAHN Oh come on / whatever / good grief Siktir git! sik-TEER GEET Fuck off / piss off Salak sah-LAHK Idiot / dummy Allah belanı versin! ah-LAH beh-lah-NUH ver-SEEN Damn you / God curse you
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