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Turkish · Rejection & Catcalls

Laf atma!

LAHF at-MAH · /ɫaf atˈma/

Quit catcalling / stop making comments

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

Literally

"Don't throw words"

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

How to use it

"Laf atmak" is the street harassment Turkish has a precise verb for — men lobbing "comments" at women passing by. "Laf atma!" is the sharp shut-it-down; useful to recognize and, for men, a thing never to do. This entry is here so you understand the dynamic and can name it, not so you practice the catcall. A firm "rahat bırak beni" (leave me alone) belongs in the same toolkit.

Heard in the wild

Laf atıp durma, rahat bırak beni!

Stop with the comments — leave me alone!

Where it lands

Turkey-wide; urban streets

Quick answers

What does "Laf atma!" mean?
In Turkish, "Laf atma!" means "Quit catcalling / stop making comments". Literally it's "Don't throw words". "Laf atmak" is the street harassment Turkish has a precise verb for — men lobbing "comments" at women passing by. "Laf atma!" is the sharp shut-it-down; useful to recognize and, for men, a thing never to do. This entry is here so you understand the dynamic and can name it, not so you practice the catcall. A firm "rahat bırak beni" (leave me alone) belongs in the same toolkit.
Is "Laf atma!" offensive?
It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
How do you pronounce "Laf atma!"?
Say it "LAHF at-MAH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ɫaf atˈma.

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 Bana bak güzelim bah-NAH BAHK gew-zeh-LEEM Hey gorgeous, look here — (a classic unwanted street opener) Bomba gibi! bom-BAH gee-bee Amazing / smoking hot / in top form Çapkın chap-KUHN Player / smooth operator / flirt Kahretsin! kah-ret-SEEN Damn it! / Dammit!

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Get lost".

how to say "Get lost" →

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