What is a common mistake with “Bakarız”?

✗ Göreceğiz → ✓ Bakarız: Göreceğiz means "we will see (something)"; the soft no is Bakarız.

Phrase 441 of 500

How to say “We'll see. (usually means no)” in Turkish

Q: How is “Bakarız” used in a conversation?

Çocuk: Anne, oyuncak alalım mı? (Mom, shall we buy a toy?) Anne: Bakarız. (We'll see.)

Bakarız.

bah·kah·ruhz

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Meaning: We'll see. (usually means no)
Pronunciation: bah·kah·ruhz

What “Bakarız” really means

Bakarız literally means "We'll look", that is, "We'll see". In practice it very often means a polite "no". Parents say it to children asking for toys, friends say it to invitations they don't want.

💬 Example dialogues

ÇocukAnne, oyuncak alalım mı?Mom, shall we buy a toy?

AnneBakarız.We'll see.

MertCumartesi maça gelir misin?Will you come to the match on Saturday?

CanBakarız, belli değil.We'll see, it's not sure.

🚫 When NOT to use it

If you really mean "maybe yes", say "Belki" or "Büyük ihtimalle gelirim". Do not answer an important business question with Bakarız.

🇹🇷 Culture note

There is a famous joke: "Bakarız" from a Turkish mom is a definite no. Fatih has a short video on it.

⚠️ Common mistakes

✗ Göreceğiz → ✓ BakarızGöreceğiz means "we will see (something)"; the soft no is Bakarız.

Culture tip

Turkish moms have a secret code: Bakarız (we'll see) usually means no, and Sen bilirsin (you know best) means don't you dare!

Letters to watch in this sentence

I ı no dot: a relaxed “uh”, like the e in “open”