der
Türke
🌍 Who or What is 'der Türke'?
The word der Türke refers to a male person who comes from Turkey (die Türkei) or is of Turkish descent. It's the masculine form of the nationality term.
The feminine form is die Türkin (the female Turk).
Important Note 🚨: As with many nationality terms, using it broadly can sometimes be perceived as stereotyping. It's often better to use more specific or individual descriptions when possible (e.g., “ein Mann aus Istanbul” - a man from Istanbul, “mein Nachbar türkischer Herkunft” - my neighbor of Turkish origin).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
🧐 Grammar of 'der Türke' in Detail
Der Türke is a masculine noun and belongs to the weak declension (N-Deklination). This means it takes the ending -n in all cases except the nominative singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Türke |
| Genitive | des | Türken |
| Dative | dem | Türken |
| Accusative | den | Türken |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Türken |
| Genitive | der | Türken |
| Dative | den | Türken |
| Accusative | die | Türken |
Example Sentences
- Der Türke, den ich getroffen habe, spricht sehr gut Deutsch. (The Turk I met speaks German very well.)
- Das Auto des Türken steht vor dem Haus. (The Turk's car is parked in front of the house.)
- Ich habe mit dem Türken über seine Reise gesprochen. (I talked to the Turk about his trip.)
- Kennst du den Türken, der neu in der Firma ist? (Do you know the Turk who is new at the company?)
- Viele Türken leben seit Generationen in Deutschland. (Many Turks have been living in Germany for generations.)
🗣️ How to Use 'der Türke'
The term der Türke is used to refer to a male person who is a citizen of Turkey (die Türkei) or identifies culturally or ethnically as Turkish.
- Origin/Nationality: „Mein Kollege ist Türke.“ (My colleague is Turkish.)
- Cultural Context: Discussions about Turkish culture, history, or society.
- Avoid generalizations: It's important not to generalize. Not every Turkish citizen or person of Turkish origin is the same. Individual descriptions are often more precise and respectful.
Compared to other terms like „Person aus der Türkei“ (person from Turkey), „der Türke“ is more direct but, as mentioned, can be perceived as insensitive in some contexts, especially when used for categorization or stereotyping.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Türke'
Remembering the Article: Imagine DER Mann (the man) standing at the door (Tür) to Turkey (Türkei). The word ends in -e and is masculine, often indicating N-declension (like der Junge - the boy, der Kollege - the colleague).
Remembering the Meaning: Think of the geographical location of Turkey 🇹🇷 and the key (Tür) to the country. The term derives directly from the country's name.
🔄 Synonyms & Related Terms
Synonyms (depending on context):
- Mann aus der Türkei (Man from Turkey)
- Türkischer Staatsbürger (Male Turkish citizen)
- Person türkischer Herkunft (Male person of Turkish origin)
Antonyms:
- There are no direct antonyms for nationality terms. One could at most refer to other nationalities (e.g., der Deutsche - the German, der Italiener - the Italian), but this doesn't form a true pair of opposites.
- The feminine form is die Türkin (the female Turk).
Similar Terms (Caution ⚠️):
- Türkischstämmig: Refers to descent/origin, not necessarily citizenship.
- Anatolier: Refers to the geographical region of Anatolia, not necessarily modern Turkey or Turkish identity.
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt ein Tourist einen Türken in Istanbul: „Sprechen Sie Deutsch?“ Antwortet der Türke: „Ein bisschen.“ Fragt der Tourist: „Wo haben Sie das gelernt?“ Sagt der Türke: „In der Schule – in Berlin!“
(A tourist asks a Turk in Istanbul: "Do you speak German?" The Turk replies: "A little bit." The tourist asks: "Where did you learn it?" The Turk says: "At school – in Berlin!")
✍️ A Little Poem
Ein Türke, stolz und mit Bedacht,
hat Gastfreundschaft stets mitgebracht.
Mit Tee und einem Lächeln breit,
zeigt er Herzlichkeit, weit und breit.
Ob aus Izmir, Trabzon, Kars,
er teilt Geschichten, wunderbars'.
(A Turk, proud and thoughtful,
Has always brought hospitality.
With tea and a broad smile,
He shows cordiality, far and wide.
Whether from Izmir, Trabzon, Kars,
He shares wonderful stories.)
❓ A Little Riddle
Ich bin ein Mann, mein Land liegt auf zwei Kontinenten.
Meine Sprache klingt für manche fremd, doch hat viele Akzente.
Die weibliche Form endet auf „-in“.
Mit „der“ steh ich im Duden drin.
Wer bin ich?
... Der Türke
(I am a man, my country lies on two continents.
My language sounds foreign to some, yet has many accents.
The female form ends in "-in".
With "der" I am listed in the dictionary.
Who am I?
... The Turk (male))
💡 Other Info & Trivia
- Etymology: The word „Türke“ derives from the country name „Türkei“ (Turkey), which in turn comes from the Turkic peoples.
- Cultural Diversity: Turkey is a country with great regional and cultural diversity. The term „der Türke“ encompasses people with very different backgrounds.
- N-Declension: As mentioned, „der Türke“ is a classic example of a masculine noun following the N-declension pattern in German.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Türke?
The word 'Türke' is a masculine noun referring to a male person from Turkey or of Turkish descent. It always takes the article 'der' (der Türke) and follows the N-declension (des Türken, dem Türken, den Türken).