ne
What
Ne is the basic Turkish word for 'what'. It can stand alone as a pronoun, act as an adjective before a noun, or be doubled (ne... ne...) to mean 'neither... nor'.
How It Works
The word ne is versatile but follows specific rules for clarity:
- Indefinite vs. Definite: Use ne for general objects (Ne aldın?). Use the accusative case neyi for specific items (Neyi aldın?).
- Plural 'Neler': If you expect a list of items rather than a single thing, use neler (e.g., Neler yaptın? - What [all] did you do?).
- Quantity and Price: To ask 'how much', use ne kadar. For countable items ('how many'), you must use kaç or kaç tane.
- The 'Why' Meanings: While you usually use neden or niçin for 'why', ne itself can mean 'why' when expressing annoyance or surprise (e.g., Ne bakıyorsun? - Why are you looking?).
- Exclamations: Use ne before an adjective to mean 'how' or 'what a'. If a noun is included, the word bir must be placed between the adjective and the noun (e.g., Ne büyük bir ev! - What a big house!).
- Neither... Nor: The pair ne ... ne means 'neither... nor'. In Turkish, the verb must stay in the positive form because the 'ne' words already provide the negative meaning.
Social Note: Saying just 'Ne?' when you don't hear someone is blunt. Use 'Efendim?' (Pardon?) to be polite.
Examples (6)
- Bu akşam ne yiyeceğiz?
What will we eat this evening?
Word by Word: This evening what we-will-eat?
Here, 'ne' is used as an indefinite object. You are asking generally about food.
- Neler aldın?
What (things) did you buy?
Word by Word: What-plural you-bought?
The plural form 'neler' is used when you expect the answer to be a list of multiple items.
- Bu kitap ne kadar?
How much is this book?
Word by Word: This book what until?
The phrase 'ne kadar' is used to ask about price, quantity, or duration.
- Ne güzel bir gün!
What a beautiful day!
Word by Word: What beautiful a day!
In exclamations, 'ne' means 'what a'. Note that 'bir' must come after the adjective.
- Ne çay ne kahve içiyorum.
I am drinking neither tea nor coffee.
Word by Word: Neither tea nor coffee I-am-drinking.
The ne ... ne structure means 'neither... nor'. Crucially, the verb remains positive even though the meaning is negative.
- Niye gelmedin?
Why didn't you come?
Word by Word: Why you-did-not-come?
'Niye' is a common synonym for 'neden' and 'niçin', all meaning 'why'.
Common Mistakes
Using a negative verb with 'ne... ne'.
Ne elma ne muz sevmiyorum.Ne elma ne muz seviyorum.In Turkish, 'ne... ne' already makes the sentence negative. Adding a negative verb suffix creates a double negative which is grammatically incorrect in this context.
Adding the question particle 'mi' to a 'ne' question.
Ne yapıyorsun mu?Ne yapıyorsun?You cannot use the question particle 'mi' in the same clause as a question word like 'ne'.
Using 'ne' instead of 'hangi' for specific choices.
Ne kitabı istiyorsun?Hangi kitabı istiyorsun?Use 'ne' for general 'what' questions. Use 'hangi' when asking 'which' one out of a specific group.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use the question word 'ne' (what) in its most common context, you need to understand demonstrative pronouns and how to form simple sentences without verbs.
- bu / şu / oDemonstratives
The demonstrative 'bu' is frequently paired with 'ne' to form the most basic Turkish question: 'Bu ne?' (What is this?).
Level 1 - Sentences Without a Verb
Understanding how Turkish forms sentences without verbs is essential for using 'ne' as a predicate in nominal questions.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- hangiWhich
'Hangi' (which) is often confused with 'ne' (what); 'ne' is for open inquiries while 'hangi' is for selecting from a set.
Level 1 - neden / niçinWhy
'Neden', 'niçin', and 'niye' are all ways to ask 'why'. 'Neden' is literally the ablative form of 'ne'.
Level 1 - ne ... neNeither ... nor
This is the correlative conjunction form of 'ne' used to mean 'neither... nor', requiring a positive verb.
Level 3 - -y-Buffer Consonant -y-
'Ne' is an exception among pronouns because it uses the -y- buffer instead of the -n- buffer when taking case endings.
Level 1 - kaç tane / ne kadarHow Many and How Much
'Ne kadar' uses 'ne' to ask about quantity (how much) or price.
Level 2 - -ler/-larPlural Suffix
The plural suffix can be added to 'ne' to form 'neler' when asking about multiple things.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ne in Bubblegum
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