When we say something kokmak, we mean it has a smell. This smell can be good or bad.
For example, if you cook something delicious, you can say “Yemek güzel kokuyor” (The food smells good).
But if there’s a bad odor, you might say “Çöpler kokuyor” (The trash smells).
It’s a versatile verb for talking about scents!
§ Understanding 'kokmak'
Alright, let's talk about 'kokmak'. This is an A1 verb, which means it's super common. It means 'to smell'. Simple enough, right? Well, not always. Turkish works a bit differently than English when it comes to smells. In English, we often say 'it smells good' or 'it smells bad'. In Turkish, 'kokmak' can cover both, but it's crucial to understand how to use it correctly to avoid sounding unnatural or even rude.
- DEFINITION
- To smell (can be good or bad, depending on context or additional words).
Çiçekler güzel kokuyor.
Translation hint: 'The flowers smell beautiful.'
Bu yemek çok kötü kokuyor.
Translation hint: 'This food smells very bad.'
§ Common Mistakes with 'kokmak'
Here are the main pitfalls you'll encounter and how to get it right.
Mistake 1: Confusing 'kokmak' with 'koklamak'.
This is probably the most common mistake. 'Kokmak' means 'to smell' (intransitive, the thing itself smells). 'Koklamak' means 'to smell something' (transitive, you actively sniff something). It's like the difference between 'the flower smells good' and 'I smell the flower'.
Kahve kokuyor (Coffee smells).
Kahveyi kokluyorum (I am smelling the coffee).
Mistake 2: Not using an adverb for 'good' or 'bad' smells.
While 'kokmak' *can* imply a bad smell if no other adjective is present and the context is negative, it's best to be explicit. Just saying 'Bu kokuyor' (This smells) without 'güzel' (beautiful/good) or 'kötü' (bad) can sometimes imply 'This smells bad'. To avoid ambiguity, always add an adverb.
Çiçekler güzel kokuyor. (The flowers smell beautiful/good).
Buzdolabı kötü kokuyor. (The fridge smells bad).
Mistake 3: Trying to use 'to smell like' directly.
In English, we say 'it smells like roses'. In Turkish, you use the ablative case (-den/-dan) with 'kokmak' to express 'smelling of' or 'smelling like'.
Güllerden kokuyor. (It smells of roses / It smells like roses).
Parfümüm vanilyadan kokuyor. (My perfume smells of vanilla).
Mistake 4: Overusing 'kokmak' for 'sense of smell'.
If you want to say 'I can smell' or 'I have a good sense of smell', you wouldn't directly use 'kokmak'. You'd use phrases like 'koku almak' (to perceive a smell) or talk about your 'koku alma duyusu' (sense of smell).
Yemek kokusunu aldım. (I smelled the food / I perceived the smell of food).
§ Summary for Success
To sum it up, 'kokmak' is straightforward once you grasp these key points:
- It's for when something *itself* has a smell.
- Always use 'güzel' or 'kötü' to specify the quality of the smell.
- Use the ablative case (-den/-dan) for 'smelling of/like'.
- For actively smelling something, use 'koklamak'. For perceiving a smell, use 'koku almak'.
Keep these distinctions in mind, and you'll be smelling like a native speaker in no time! Practise these sentences and pay attention to how Turks use 'kokmak' in daily conversations. You'll get the hang of it.
Aussprachehilfe
- pronouncing the 'o' like in 'go'
- not fully articulating the 'k' sounds
Beispiele nach Niveau
Bu çiçekler çok güzel kokuyor.
These flowers smell very beautiful.
Present continuous tense for a general characteristic.
Çöplerin kokusu bütün sokağı sarmış.
The smell of the garbage has enveloped the whole street.
Noun + possessive suffix + verb 'kokmak' in a descriptive sense.
Yemek yanmış, mutfak kötü kokuyor.
The food is burnt, the kitchen smells bad.
Direct use of 'kokuyor' with an adverb.
Deniz kenarında yosunlar kokar.
Seaweed smells by the seaside.
General truth, present simple tense.
Bu peynir biraz garip kokuyor, bozulmuş olabilir mi?
This cheese smells a bit strange, could it be spoiled?
Asking a question about the quality of the smell.
Parfümüm o kadar güzel kokuyor ki herkes soruyor.
My perfume smells so good that everyone asks about it.
Emphasizing the positive quality of the smell.
Sabahleyin taze ekmek kokusu beni uyandırır.
In the morning, the smell of fresh bread wakes me up.
Referring to a pleasant, recurring smell.
Eski ayakkabılarım bazen çok kötü kokar.
My old shoes sometimes smell very bad.
Describing an unpleasant, occasional smell.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
Bu çiçekler ne güzel kokuyor!
These flowers smell so beautiful!
Çöp kutusu kötü kokuyor.
The rubbish bin smells bad.
Yemek çok lezzetli kokuyor.
The food smells very delicious.
Burası yanık kokuyor, bir şey mi yandı?
It smells burnt here, did something burn?
Dolaptan kötü bir koku geliyor, sanırım süt kokuyor.
A bad smell is coming from the fridge, I think it's the milk smelling bad.
Yeni yıkanmış çamaşırlar çok hoş kokuyor.
The freshly washed laundry smells very nice.
Onun parfümü çok güzel kokuyor.
Her perfume smells very nice.
Bu ayakkabılar biraz ter kokuyor.
These shoes smell a bit of sweat.
Evin içinde taze ekmek kokuyor.
It smells like fresh bread inside the house.
Ne kokuyor burada? Çok kötü bir koku var.
What smells here? There is a very bad smell.
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
"Burnu koku almak"
To smell a rat / To suspect something
Bir işler koktuğunu burnum kokusu alıyor.
neutral"Kokuya gelmek"
To come to a place because of a smell (usually food)
Fırından gelen poğaça kokusuyla mutfağa geldim.
neutral"Kokusu çıkmak"
To become known (a secret or something bad)
Er ya da geç bu işin kokusu çıkacaktı.
neutral"Kokusu üzerinde olmak"
To still have the scent of something (like new clothes, or a fresh meal)
Yeni aldığım elbisenin kokusu hala üzerinde.
neutral"Koku almak"
To detect a smell, or to get a hint of something
Yemek kokusu alıyorum, galiba pişiyor.
neutral"Leş gibi kokmak"
To stink like a corpse / To smell absolutely terrible
Çöp kutusu leş gibi kokuyor, hemen boşaltmalıyız.
informal"Burnuna kötü kokular gelmek"
To have a bad feeling about something, to smell trouble
Bu anlaşmada burnuma kötü kokular geliyor.
neutral"Gül kokmak"
To smell like a rose / To smell pleasant
Bahçe mis gibi gül kokuyor.
neutral"Kötü kokmak"
To smell bad
Bu balık kötü kokuyor, bozuk sanırım.
neutral"Ağzı kokmak"
To have bad breath
Dişlerini fırçalamadığı için ağzı kokuyordu.
neutralTeste dich selbst 30 Fragen
You are at a market. Describe something that smells good and something that smells bad. Use 'kokmak' at least once for each.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Peynir çok kötü kokuyor. Çiçekler güzel kokuyor.
Write two simple sentences. In the first, describe something that smells good. In the second, describe something that smells bad. Use 'kokmak' in both sentences.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ekmek güzel kokuyor. Balık kötü kokuyor.
Imagine you are cooking. Write a sentence about a food that smells good and a sentence about a food that might smell bad if it's old. Use 'kokmak'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Kahve güzel kokuyor. Eski yumurta kötü kokuyor.
What is the smell like?
Read this passage:
Evde bir koku var. Mutfaktan geliyor. Yemek yanık kokuyor. Çok kötü bir koku.
What is the smell like?
The passage says 'Yemek yanık kokuyor. Çok kötü bir koku.' which means 'The food smells burnt. A very bad smell.'
The passage says 'Yemek yanık kokuyor. Çok kötü bir koku.' which means 'The food smells burnt. A very bad smell.'
Where is the person and how do the flowers smell?
Read this passage:
Parkta yürüyordum. Çiçekler her yerdeydi. Çok güzel kokuyordu. Havada hoş bir koku vardı.
Where is the person and how do the flowers smell?
The passage states 'Parkta yürüyordum. Çiçekler her yerdeydi. Çok güzel kokuyordu.' meaning 'I was walking in the park. Flowers were everywhere. They smelled very good.'
The passage states 'Parkta yürüyordum. Çiçekler her yerdeydi. Çok güzel kokuyordu.' meaning 'I was walking in the park. Flowers were everywhere. They smelled very good.'
What should Ali do?
Read this passage:
Ali'nin ayakkabıları kirli. Çok kötü kokuyorlar. Ali onları temizlemeli.
What should Ali do?
The passage says 'Ali'nin ayakkabıları kirli. Çok kötü kokuyorlar. Ali onları temizlemeli.' which translates to 'Ali's shoes are dirty. They smell very bad. Ali should clean them.'
The passage says 'Ali'nin ayakkabıları kirli. Çok kötü kokuyorlar. Ali onları temizlemeli.' which translates to 'Ali's shoes are dirty. They smell very bad. Ali should clean them.'
Odaya girdiğimde bir şeylerin yandığını ___. (When I entered the room, I ___ something burning.)
The context implies sensing an odor, which is 'koktum' (I smelled).
Çiçekler güzel ___. (The flowers ___ beautifully.)
Flowers are known for their scent, so 'kokuyor' (smells) is the correct verb.
Buzdolabında unuttuğum yemek ___. (The food I forgot in the fridge ___.)
Food that has gone bad often has a bad smell, so 'kokmuş' (smelled bad/stank) fits.
Mangalda pişen etin kokusu bütün mahalleyi ___. (The smell of the meat cooking on the barbecue ___ the whole neighborhood.)
'Kapladı' means 'covered' or 'enveloped', which is appropriate for a smell filling an area. While 'doldurdu' (filled) could work, 'kapladı' is a more common and natural fit for smells.
Eski ayakkabılarım çok kötü ___. (My old shoes ___ very bad.)
Old shoes, especially if worn a lot, can have a bad smell, so 'kokuyor' (smell) is correct.
Bu parfüm çok güzel ___. (This perfume ___ very good.)
Perfume is designed to smell good, so 'kokuyor' (smells) is the correct verb.
Pazardan aldığım balık taze değildi, eve gelince hemen ___ başladım.
The infinitive form of the verb 'kokmak' (to smell) is used with '-maya' or '-meye' to indicate the beginning of an action, meaning 'started to smell'.
Eski ayakkabılarım o kadar kötü ___ ki onları atmak zorunda kaldım.
The past perfect tense 'kokmuştu' (had smelled) is appropriate here to describe an action that happened before another past action (had to throw them away).
Bu parfüm gerçekten çok güzel ___, sana çok yakışır.
The present continuous tense 'kokuyor' (is smelling) is used to describe an ongoing state or characteristic of the perfume.
Bir şeyin güzel koktuğunu ifade etmek için 'güzel kokmuyor' diyebiliriz.
'Güzel kokmuyor' means 'it doesn't smell beautiful', which is the opposite of expressing a pleasant smell. You would say 'güzel kokuyor'.
'Çok kötü kokmak' bir şeyi atmaya neden olabilir.
If something 'smells very bad' ('çok kötü kokmak'), it's a common reason to throw it away.
Türkçede 'kokmak' fiili sadece hoş olmayan kokular için kullanılır.
'Kokmak' can be used for both pleasant and unpleasant smells. For example, 'güzel kokuyor' means 'it smells good'.
This sentence means 'The dog smells very bad.' In Turkish, the subject usually comes first, followed by adverbs/adjectives, and the verb at the end.
This sentence means 'Flowers smell nice.' The structure follows the typical Turkish S-O-V (Subject-Object-Verb) pattern.
This sentence means 'This food smells amazing!' 'Bu yemek' is the subject, 'harika' is the adverb, and 'kokuyor' is the verb.
The correct order forms the sentence 'The wet dog smells.'
This arrangement creates the sentence 'I think this food smells.'
This order creates the exclamation 'How beautiful the roses smell!'
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
Verwandte Inhalte
Verwandte Redewendungen
Mehr daily_life Wörter
acaba
A2I wonder, used to express curiosity or doubt
acıkmak
A2to become hungry
ad
A1name
adeta
B1almost, as if, practically
adres
A1Address
aksilik
B1mishap, setback, or bad luck
akış
B1Flow, stream, or course of events
akşam
A1evening
akşamüstü
B1Late afternoon or early evening
almak
A1to take, to buy
