Meaning
Sold for a very low price.
Cultural Background
In traditional Turkish markets, 'yok pahasına' is the ultimate goal of the buyer and the ultimate fear of the seller. It represents the extreme end of the bargaining spectrum. Due to high inflation in recent years, 'yok pahasına' is frequently used in news reports to describe the plight of producers whose selling prices don't keep up with rising costs. On apps like Dolap or Letgo, sellers use 'yok pahasına' in their titles to attract quick buyers, even if the price isn't actually that low. It's a marketing tactic. The term 'paha' comes from Persian 'bahā', which was the standard word for price in the Ottoman era. The idiom reflects centuries of trade history.
Use with 'Elden Çıkarmak'
If you want to sound like a native when talking about selling something quickly and cheaply, use 'yok pahasına elden çıkardım'.
Don't use for people
Never say a person is 'yok pahasına'. It only applies to things, labor, or prices.
Meaning
Sold for a very low price.
Use with 'Elden Çıkarmak'
If you want to sound like a native when talking about selling something quickly and cheaply, use 'yok pahasına elden çıkardım'.
Don't use for people
Never say a person is 'yok pahasına'. It only applies to things, labor, or prices.
The 'Regret' Nuance
If you use it with 'satmak' (sell), people will assume you are sad about it. If you use it with 'almak' (buy), they will assume you are happy!
Evening Markets
In Turkey, 'akşam pazarı' is the best time to find things 'yok pahasına' as sellers want to go home.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
İflas eden adam, dükkanındaki tüm malları ______ sattı.
'Yok pahasına satmak' is the standard collocation for selling something very cheaply due to necessity.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly to mean 'I got a great deal'?
Hangi cümle 'Harika bir fırsat yakaladım' anlamındadır?
Using 'almak' (to buy) with 'yok pahasına' indicates the speaker got a bargain.
Match the situation with the most appropriate use of 'yok pahasına'.
Bir çiftçi domateslerini maliyetinin altına satıyor.
Selling below cost is the classic 'yok pahasına' scenario.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Yeni telefonun çok güzel! Çok mu para verdin? B: Hayır, arkadaşım acil paraya sıkışmış, ______.
The context of a friend needing cash quickly explains why the price was so low.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Price Spectrum
Practice Bank
4 exercisesİflas eden adam, dükkanındaki tüm malları ______ sattı.
'Yok pahasına satmak' is the standard collocation for selling something very cheaply due to necessity.
Hangi cümle 'Harika bir fırsat yakaladım' anlamındadır?
Using 'almak' (to buy) with 'yok pahasına' indicates the speaker got a bargain.
Bir çiftçi domateslerini maliyetinin altına satıyor.
Selling below cost is the classic 'yok pahasına' scenario.
A: Yeni telefonun çok güzel! Çok mu para verdin? B: Hayır, arkadaşım acil paraya sıkışmış, ______.
The context of a friend needing cash quickly explains why the price was so low.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it's a standard idiom. However, telling a seller 'This is yok pahasına' might be seen as a compliment to their price, while asking for it 'yok pahasına' might be rude.
Yes! 'Steam indiriminde oyunları yok pahasına aldım' (I bought games for a song during the Steam sale) is very common.
'Kelepir' is a noun (a bargain), 'yok pahasına' is an adverb (for a song). You buy a 'kelepir' item 'yok pahasına'.
Usually, yes. It implies the seller didn't get the full value. But in a clearance sale, it's just a business strategy.
People will understand you, but it's not the correct idiom. Stick to 'yok pahasına' or 'ölü fiyatına'.
Yes, especially in news articles about the economy or human interest stories.
It's like the 'e' in 'the' when spoken quickly. It's a neutral, soundless vowel.
Yes, 'yok pahasına çalışmak' means to work for a very low wage.
No, it's a fixed adverbial phrase.
'Ateş pahası' (fire price), which means extremely expensive.
Related Phrases
ölü fiyatına
synonymAt a dead price
bedavadan biraz pahalı
similarA bit more than free
su fiyatına
similarAt the price of water
kelepir
builds onA steal/bargain
canı pahasına
specialized formAt the cost of one's life
