The Turkish verb çık- may look simple, meaning “to go out,” but it’s one of the richest verbs in the language. According to TDK, it has 54 meanings! From çıkış (exit) signs you see every day to words like çıktı (printout) or çıkar (interest), this little verb is everywhere. Once you notice it, you’ll realize you already know more Turkish than you thought.

If you’ve been learning Turkish for a while, you’ve probably come across the word “can.” It might seem like a simple word, but it carries a weight that’s hard to translate. At some point, I’m sure you’ve found yourself wondering, “What does can mean in Turkish?”, because it pops up everywhere, yet never quite means just one thing. In Turkish, can (pronounced john) means life, soul, spirit, or inner self (my personal favorite definition).