üstelik / ayrıca

Moreover

Level 5

Both ayrıca and üstelik mean 'moreover' or 'additionally,' but they carry different emotional weights. Ayrıca is a neutral connector for adding facts, while üstelik adds emphasis, often signaling that the new information is surprising or makes a situation more extreme.

How It Works

Turkish uses several ways to add information, but ayrıca and üstelik are among the most common for connecting full ideas.

1. Ayrıca (Additionally / Also)
This is the standard, neutral way to add a point. It is used in both formal writing and daily speech. It simply says, 'Here is one more thing.'
Example: Toplantı bitti, ayrıca kararlar alındı. (The meeting ended; additionally, decisions were made.)

2. Üstelik (Moreover / What's more)
This word is more expressive. It is used when the speaker wants to emphasize that the second point is even more significant than the first. While often used to 'pile on' negative points (e.g., 'It's raining, and what's more, I forgot my umbrella'), it can also be used for positive surprises.
Example: Bu telefon çok ucuz, üstelik kamerası da harika! (This phone is very cheap, and what's more, its camera is great!)

3. Sentence Position
Both usually start the sentence or clause. However, in inverted sentences or colloquial speech, üstelik can sometimes appear at the end for extra punch. Unlike ve (and), they cannot be used to list simple nouns (e.g., you cannot say 'elma ayrıca armut').

Examples (5)

  1. Dışarı çıkmak istemiyorum; çok yorgunum, üstelik hava da karardı.

    I don't want to go out; I'm very tired, and what's more, it has gotten dark.

    Word by Word: Outside to-go I-do-not-want; very tired-I-am, moreover weather also darkened.

    Here, 'üstelik' adds a second reason that makes the situation more 'extreme' or final.

  2. Yeni bir ev aldık; ayrıca mobilyaları da yeniledik.

    We bought a new house; additionally, we renewed the furniture.

    Word by Word: New a house we-bought; additionally furniture-plural-acc also we-renewed.

    A neutral use of 'ayrıca' to add a related piece of information to the first statement.

  3. Bu araba çok az yakıyor, üstelik çok da hızlı.

    This car uses very little fuel, and moreover, it is very fast.

    Word by Word: This car very little burns, moreover very also fast.

    This shows 'üstelik' used in a positive context to emphasize a surprising benefit.

  4. Sınav çok zordu, ayrıca süre de yetmedi.

    The exam was very difficult; besides, the time wasn't enough.

    Word by Word: Exam very difficult-was, additionally duration also sufficed-not.

    A neutral addition of a secondary problem using 'ayrıca'.

  5. Bize yalan söyledi, üstelik hiç utanmadı!

    He lied to us, and what's more, he wasn't ashamed at all!

    Word by Word: To-us lie he-told, moreover at-all he-was-ashamed-not!

    Using 'üstelik' to express indignation or surprise at someone's behavior.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ayrıca' or 'üstelik' to join two nouns in a simple list.

    Pazardan elma ayrıca portakal aldım.
    Pazardan elma ve portakal aldım.

    These words connect clauses or sentences, not individual nouns. Use 've' or 'ile' for simple lists.

  • Using 'üstelik' for a boring, non-emphatic addition.

    Ekmek aldım, üstelik süt de aldım.
    Ekmek aldım, ayrıca süt de aldım.

    Unless buying milk was a shocking or extreme event, 'üstelik' sounds too dramatic here. 'Ayrıca' is the natural choice for simple additions.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

üstelik / ayrıcaLevel 5Moreover

Learn This First

The patterns 'üstelik' and 'ayrıca' are additive discourse markers used to provide additional information or emphasis. To use them correctly, a learner should already be comfortable with basic sentence structures and simpler conjunctions that link ideas, such as 've' (and), 'de' (also), and 'ama' (but).

Words in This Pattern

üstelikayrıca