When used with a negative verb, 'kimse' means 'nobody' or 'no one'. For example, 'Kimse gelmedi' means 'Nobody came'.
It can also be used with a positive verb to mean 'anyone' or 'somebody', often in questions or conditional sentences. For instance, 'Kimse var mı?' means 'Is there anyone?'
Practice tip: Pay attention to the verb's polarity (positive or negative) when you see 'kimse' to correctly understand its meaning.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
Burada kimse yok.
Nobody is here.
Kimse sana inanmaz.
Nobody will believe you.
Onu kimse sevmiyor.
Nobody loves him/her.
Partiye kimse gelmedi.
Nobody came to the party.
Kimseye bir şey sormadım.
I didn't ask anyone anything.
Kimse beni aramadı.
Nobody called me.
Bu konuyu kimse bilmiyor.
Nobody knows about this topic.
Kimseye zarar vermek istemiyorum.
I don't want to harm anyone.
Kapıyı kimse açmadı.
Nobody opened the door.
Kimse beni anlamıyor.
Nobody understands me.
Grammar Patterns
Idioms & Expressions
"Kimse Bilmez"
Nobody Knows (a common phrase often used as a song title)
Bu sırrı kimse bilmez. (Nobody knows this secret.)
neutral"Kimseye Sorma"
Don't Ask Anyone
Kimseye sorma, kendin bul. (Don't ask anyone, find it yourself.)
neutral"Kimsenin Haberi Yok"
Nobody Has Any Idea / Nobody Knows (about something)
Onun gittiğinden kimsenin haberi yok. (Nobody knows that he left.)
neutral"Kimse Yok Mu?"
Is Anyone There?
Kapıyı çaldım ama kimse yok mu? (I knocked on the door but is anyone there?)
neutral"Kimseye Zararı Yok"
Harmless / Doesn't Harm Anyone
Bu hayvan kimseye zararı yok. (This animal is harmless.)
neutral"Kimsenin Kılına Dokunmamak"
Not to Harm a Hair on Anyone's Head (to not hurt anyone at all)
O, kimsenin kılına dokunmaz. (He wouldn't harm a hair on anyone's head.)
neutral"Kimsenin İşine Karışmamak"
To Mind One's Own Business / Not to Interfere in Anyone's Affairs
Ben kimsenin işine karışmam. (I mind my own business.)
neutral"Kimseye Muhtaç Olmamak"
To Be Independent / Not to Need Anyone
Hayatta kimseye muhtaç olmak istemiyorum. (I don't want to need anyone in life.)
neutral"Kimseyi Takmamak"
To Not Care About Anyone / To Disregard Everyone (often in a defiant way)
O, kimseyi takmaz, bildiğini okur. (He doesn't care about anyone, he does what he wants.)
informal"Kimseye Eyvallahı Olmamak"
To Not Be Indebted to Anyone / To Be Fiercely Independent (literally 'to not have 'thank you' for anyone')
Benim kimseye eyvallahım yok. (I'm not indebted to anyone.)
informalSentence Patterns
Kimse yok.
There is nobody.
Kimse gelmedi.
Nobody came.
Kimse bilmiyor.
Nobody knows.
Beni kimse anlamıyor.
Nobody understands me.
Kimse sana yardım edemez.
Nobody can help you.
Burada kimse Türkçe konuşmuyor mu?
Doesn't anybody here speak Turkish?
Dün gece kimse aramış mıydı?
Did anyone call last night?
Oraya kimse gitmek istemiyor.
Nobody wants to go there.
How to Use It
Kimse is typically used in negative sentences. It refers to 'nobody' or 'no one'. When used with a negative verb, it reinforces the negative meaning.
A common mistake is to use 'kimse' in a positive sentence when trying to say 'someone'. For 'someone', you would typically use 'biri' or 'birisi'. For example, 'Biri beni aradı.' (Someone called me.)
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
When talking about not seeing anyone.
- Kimseyi görmedim. (I didn't see anyone.)
- Dışarıda kimse yoktu. (There was nobody outside.)
- Toplantıya kimse gelmedi. (Nobody came to the meeting.)
When emphasizing the absence of anyone.
- Evde kimse kalmadı. (Nobody stayed at home.)
- Bana kimse inanmadı. (Nobody believed me.)
- Bu sorunu kimse çözemedi. (Nobody could solve this problem.)
When expressing that a specific action was done by no one.
- Bunu kimse yapamaz. (Nobody can do this.)
- Kimse bana yardım etmedi. (Nobody helped me.)
- Kimse kapıyı açmadı. (Nobody opened the door.)
When talking about a general lack of people or a single person.
- Kimse beni anlamıyor. (Nobody understands me.)
- Bu partide kimse eğlenmiyor. (Nobody is having fun at this party.)
- Kimse mükemmel değildir. (Nobody is perfect.)
When using 'kimse' with the negative form of a verb.
- Kimse gelmedi. (Nobody came.)
- Kimse konuşmuyor. (Nobody is speaking.)
- Kimse bilmiyor. (Nobody knows.)
Conversation Starters
"Bugün seni ziyaret eden kimse oldu mu? (Did anyone visit you today?)"
"Partide kimseyle konuşabildin mi? (Could you talk to anyone at the party?)"
"Yeni film hakkında kimse bir şey dedi mi? (Did anyone say anything about the new movie?)"
"Tatil planların hakkında kimseyle konuştun mu? (Did you talk to anyone about your holiday plans?)"
"Yemekten sonra kimse bulaşıkları yıkadı mı? (Did anyone wash the dishes after dinner?)"
Journal Prompts
Bugün seni güldüren kimse oldu mu? Kim ve neden? (Did anyone make you laugh today? Who and why?)
Hayatta seni en çok motive eden kimse kim? (Who is the person who motivates you the most in life?)
Geçmişte seni çok etkileyen kimse var mıydı? (Was there anyone in the past who greatly influenced you?)
Hayalindeki işi yaparken etrafında kimse olmasaydı ne yapardın? (What would you do if there was nobody around you when you were doing your dream job?)
Sence bir insanı gerçekten anlamak için ne gerekiyor? Kimse seni tamamen anlayabilir mi? (What do you think it takes to truly understand a person? Can anyone completely understand you?)
Test Yourself 12 questions
Which word means 'nobody'?
'Kimse' directly translates to 'nobody' or 'no one' in Turkish.
Choose the correct translation for 'There is nobody here.'
To express 'nobody' or 'no one' in a sentence, 'kimse' is used with the negative form of the verb. 'Yok' means 'there isn't/aren't'.
What is the opposite of 'kimse'?
'Herkes' means 'everyone' or 'everybody', which is the opposite of 'nobody' ('kimse').
The word 'kimse' is used to talk about 'somebody'.
'Kimse' means 'nobody' or 'no one', not 'somebody'.
In the sentence 'Evde kimse yok.', 'kimse' means 'nobody'.
'Evde kimse yok.' translates to 'There is nobody at home.', so 'kimse' correctly means 'nobody'.
You can use 'kimse' to ask 'Who is there?'
'Kimse' is used for negative statements like 'nobody is there'. To ask 'Who is there?', you would use 'Kim var?'
This sentence structure expresses 'nobody seemed to love him/her'. In Turkish, 'kimse' (nobody) often comes at the beginning of the sentence.
This sentence means 'Nobody came to the party'. 'Kimse' (nobody) typically precedes the verb.
This sentence means 'There was nobody at the door'. 'Kimse' (nobody) is used with 'yoktu' (there wasn't/weren't).
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
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