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Turkish · Rejection & Catcalls

Bana bak güzelim

bah-NAH BAHK gew-zeh-LEEM · /baˈna bak ɟyzeˈlim/

Hey gorgeous, look here — (a classic unwanted street opener)

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"Look at me, my beauty"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Filed under catcalls-to-recognize-and-avoid: the smarmy street opener a woman may hear, sometimes as faux-friendly "abla/güzelim" (sister/beautiful). Not a phrase to deploy — it's here so you clock it and know it's unwelcome. The correct response menu: ignore, "rahat bırak," or a withering "yürü git." For men: never the opener.

Heard in the wild

Bana bak güzelim, bir dakika! — (görmezden gel)

Hey gorgeous, one second! — (keep walking)

Where it lands

Turkey-wide; urban streets

Quick answers

What does "Bana bak güzelim" mean?
In Turkish, "Bana bak güzelim" means "Hey gorgeous, look here — (a classic unwanted street opener)". Literally it's "Look at me, my beauty". Filed under catcalls-to-recognize-and-avoid: the smarmy street opener a woman may hear, sometimes as faux-friendly "abla/güzelim" (sister/beautiful). Not a phrase to deploy — it's here so you clock it and know it's unwelcome. The correct response menu: ignore, "rahat bırak," or a withering "yürü git." For men: never the opener.
Is "Bana bak güzelim" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "Bana bak güzelim"?
Say it "bah-NAH BAHK gew-zeh-LEEM" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: baˈna bak ɟyzeˈlim.

Related in Turkish

Defol! deh-FOL Get lost! / Get out! / Piss off! Yürü git! yew-REW GEET Get outta here / off you go / do one Laf atma! LAHF at-MAH Quit catcalling / stop making comments Bomba gibi! bom-BAH gee-bee Amazing / smoking hot / in top form Çapkın chap-KUHN Player / smooth operator / flirt Lan LAHN Man / dude / hey — a rough vocative that dials the whole sentence up or down

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Get lost".

how to say "Get lost" →

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