Signification
Very surprised
Contexte culturel
The 'karış' is still used informally in Turkey to measure things like the size of a fish or the height of a child, keeping the idiom's imagery very much alive. Turkish culture, like many Mediterranean cultures, values high-intensity emotional expression. Being 'cool' and 'unfazed' is less common than showing genuine, visible surprise. In Ottoman times, measurements were based on the human body (Arşın, Kulaç, Karış). This idiom is a linguistic fossil from that era. In Turkish social media, the 😲 emoji is often used as a digital equivalent of this phrase.
Master the Possessive
Always check who is surprised. If it's you, use 'ağzım'. If it's them, use 'ağızları'.
Don't over-measure
Stick to 'bir karış'. Saying 'iki karış' or 'üç karış' doesn't make it more surprising; it just sounds like you're making a mistake.
Signification
Very surprised
Master the Possessive
Always check who is surprised. If it's you, use 'ağzım'. If it's them, use 'ağızları'.
Don't over-measure
Stick to 'bir karış'. Saying 'iki karış' or 'üç karış' doesn't make it more surprising; it just sounds like you're making a mistake.
Body Language
When saying this, Turks often widen their eyes slightly to mimic the shock they are describing.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
Onun piyano çalışını duyunca hepimizin ______ bir karış açık kaldı.
Since the subject is 'hepimizin' (of all of us), the possessive suffix must be 1st person plural (-ımız).
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Aşağıdaki cümlelerin hangisinde deyim doğru kullanılmıştır?
Winning the lottery is a shocking event, and 'kalmak' is the correct verb.
Match the situation to the most likely reaction.
Situation: You see a 5-year-old child solving a complex physics problem.
A child solving physics is extremely surprising, making 'ağzım bir karış açık kaldı' the perfect reaction.
Complete the dialogue.
Ali: 'Dün akşamki sihirbazlık gösterisini gördün mü?' Ayşe: 'Evet, kart numarasını yapınca ______.'
Magic tricks cause surprise, so the 'jaw-dropped' idiom is the only one that fits.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesOnun piyano çalışını duyunca hepimizin ______ bir karış açık kaldı.
Since the subject is 'hepimizin' (of all of us), the possessive suffix must be 1st person plural (-ımız).
Aşağıdaki cümlelerin hangisinde deyim doğru kullanılmıştır?
Winning the lottery is a shocking event, and 'kalmak' is the correct verb.
Situation: You see a 5-year-old child solving a complex physics problem.
A child solving physics is extremely surprising, making 'ağzım bir karış açık kaldı' the perfect reaction.
Ali: 'Dün akşamki sihirbazlık gösterisini gördün mü?' Ayşe: 'Evet, kart numarasını yapınca ______.'
Magic tricks cause surprise, so the 'jaw-dropped' idiom is the only one that fits.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, it's not rude. It's a very common way to describe surprise. However, it is informal.
Yes, it works for both amazing surprises and shocking bad news.
It's a hand span—the distance from the thumb to the little finger.
'Kalmak' implies that you were frozen in that state, which is how shock works.
Only if the meeting is casual. In a formal presentation, use 'çok şaşırtıcı'.
Yes, 'ağzı açık kalmak' is also very common and means the same thing.
No, it's purely figurative to show the scale of the surprise.
You can say 'Ağızları bir karış açık bırakan bir olaydı'.
Yes, it's a timeless idiom used by all generations in Turkey.
Forgetting the possessive suffix and saying 'Ağız bir karış açık kaldı'.
Expressions liées
küçük dilini yutmak
similarTo be extremely surprised or terrified.
gözlerine inanamamak
similarTo not believe one's eyes.
donup kalmak
builds onTo freeze in place.
hayretler içinde kalmak
synonymTo be in a state of wonder/astonishment.
