Signification
Excessive amount.
Contexte culturel
In Turkish bazaars, 'biraz fazla' is the 'magic phrase'. It signals to the seller that you are a serious buyer who knows the value of money, but you are also polite enough to continue the conversation. When visiting a Turkish home, the host will often try to give you 'biraz fazla' food. If you say 'biraz fazla' to them, they might take it as a challenge to give you even more! Use it carefully with grandmothers. In Turkish offices, subordinates use 'biraz fazla' to tell their bosses they are overwhelmed. It's a way to complain without sounding like you are refusing to work. On Turkish Twitter/X, 'biraz fazla' is often used sarcastically to describe 'cringe' behavior or political scandals that are beyond belief.
The Understatement Rule
If something is 'way too much', still say 'biraz fazla' to sound like a native. It's the ultimate Turkish understatement.
Avoid with Compliments
Never say 'Sen biraz fazla güzelsin' unless you are being sarcastic or playful, as it implies her beauty is a problem.
Signification
Excessive amount.
The Understatement Rule
If something is 'way too much', still say 'biraz fazla' to sound like a native. It's the ultimate Turkish understatement.
Avoid with Compliments
Never say 'Sen biraz fazla güzelsin' unless you are being sarcastic or playful, as it implies her beauty is a problem.
Bargaining Starter
When bargaining, use a slightly concerned facial expression while saying 'biraz fazla' to get a better price.
Word Order
Always keep 'biraz' before 'fazla'. Reversing them makes no sense in Turkish.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank to say 'This soup is a bit too salty'.
Bu çorba ______ ______ tuzlu.
'Biraz fazla' is the correct way to say 'a bit too much'.
Which sentence is a polite way to tell a shopkeeper the price is too high?
Pazarlık yaparken hangisini söylersiniz?
This is the standard polite phrase for bargaining.
Complete the dialogue.
Ayşe: Film nasıldı? Mehmet: Güzeldi ama ______ ______ uzundu.
Mehmet is giving a slightly negative critique of the film's length.
Match the situation to the sentence.
Situation: You are at a party and the music is hurting your ears.
'Yüksek' means loud/high in this context.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Degree of Excess
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesBu çorba ______ ______ tuzlu.
'Biraz fazla' is the correct way to say 'a bit too much'.
Pazarlık yaparken hangisini söylersiniz?
This is the standard polite phrase for bargaining.
Ayşe: Film nasıldı? Mehmet: Güzeldi ama ______ ______ uzundu.
Mehmet is giving a slightly negative critique of the film's length.
Situation: You are at a party and the music is hurting your ears.
'Yüksek' means loud/high in this context.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes, but it usually describes their behavior or a specific trait (e.g., 'biraz fazla konuşkan' - a bit too talkative).
No, it is actually the most polite way to complain about food in Turkey.
'Çok' means 'very' or 'a lot'. 'Biraz fazla' means 'a bit too much'. The latter implies a limit has been crossed.
Yes, 'biraz fazla zaman' means 'a bit too much time'.
No, it is an adverbial phrase and does not take plural suffixes.
It is neutral. It's safe to use with your boss, your friends, or a stranger.
No, 'biraz çok' is grammatically incorrect. Use 'biraz fazla' instead.
You can say 'aşırı fazla' or 'çok çok fazla'.
Yes, many Turkish pop songs use it to describe overwhelming love or pain.
Rarely. It almost always implies that the 'extra' is slightly undesirable.
The opposite would be 'biraz az' (a bit too little) or 'yetersiz' (insufficient).
You can just say 'fazla', but 'biraz fazla' is more common in spoken Turkish to soften the tone.
Expressions liées
çok fazla
similarToo much / Way too much
gereğinden fazla
specialized formMore than necessary
bir tık fazla
informalA tiny bit too much
aşırı
synonymExtreme / Excessive
epey
similarQuite a lot
fazlasıyla
builds onMore than enough / Amply
