"Mean" (behaviour) in Turkish

By Emine Ö. On Mar 14, 2025

In Turkish, "Mean" (the adjective, in the future, present, and past tense) when used before a noun is written as:

Kaba

And when used after the subject is:

(I) Kabayım

(You) Kabasın

(You, formal) Kabasınız

(You, plural) Kabasınız

(He, She, It) Kaba

(We) Kabayız

(They) Kabalar

Listen to these words pronounced (audio)

Examples in sentences or statements

"Hey, don’t be mean!"

Hey, kaba olma!

"That was a mean comment."

Bu kaba bir yorumdu.

"He’s not usually so mean."

Genellikle böyle kaba değil.

"She can be mean sometimes."

Bazen kaba olabiliyor.

"I didn’t mean to be mean."

Kaba olma niyetim yoktu.

In other Mediterranean languages and dialects

“Mean” (behaviour) in Tunisian Arabic

Emine Ö. 395 posts 0 comments

Emine is a Turkish citizen who has lived in Türkiye for over 20 years. Her favourite Turkish-based movie is Kış Uykusu (written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan); her favourite Turkish food is Keşkek; and her favourite place in Türkiye is Denizli, where she lives. She writes of the city in southwestern Türkiye, "It's small, yet it has everything I need. It's not crowded and it's green. It is close to well-known destinations such as Alaçat and Bodrum. Pamukkale, the world's eighth wonder, is located in Denizli."

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