Turks can describe almost anything by likening it to an animal, body part, or object. You’ve probably heard “Kurt gibi açım!” (I’m hungry like a wolf!) from a really hungry person. If you’ve come across a relative you haven’t seen since your childhood, “Seni son gördüğümde el kadar bebektin!” (You were a little baby when I last saw you!) might’ve been used and caused immense cringe. Hearing such phrases often, most probably begs the question "What does gibi/kadar mean?" and "how can one use them?".
These comparisons, which use the postpositions gibi and kadar, are essential to colloquial speech, so learning how to use them will make you sound more natural.
How to use Gibi
Simply put, gibi (like/the same way) is a postposition for likening one thing to another by pointing out a quality that is common (or not) in two things.
It can be used in both positive and negative sentences, either with or without an adjective or verb after it. Preceding nouns must be in the nominative, while pronouns must be in the genitive.
In positive sentences, gibi not only shows a common trait, but also that it's equally present in both parties.
Zehra arkadaşları gibi çalışkan. - Zehra is hard-working like her friends. (→ Zehra is as hard-working as her friends.)
Saçın benimki gibi kıvırcık. - Your hair is curly like mine. (→ Your hair is as curly as mine.)
In negative sentences, it shows that one party completely lacks a quality the other party has.
Kardeşim benim gibi şarkı söyleyemez, ancak iyi bir ressamdır. - My sibling can’t sing (well) like I can, but he is a good artist. (→ My sibling cannot sing well at all.)
En azından Melih, Yağız gibi kıskanç değil. - At least Melih isn’t envious like Yağız is. (→ Melih isn’t envious at all.)
If there’s no adjective or verb after gibi, the compared quality is the most defining feature(s) of whatever is preceding gibi.
Baban riyakâr ve kaba biriydi. Sen de aynı onun gibisin. - Your father was a hypocritical and rude person. And you’re just like him. (→ You’re also hypocritical and rude.)
O kadın yılan gibi. - That woman is like a snake. (→ That woman is sly and deceitful.)
Gitti dağ gibi adam. - The mountain-like man passed away. (→ The resilient and burly man passed away.)
How to use Kadar
Kadar (as much as), on the other hand, is a postposition for showing (in)equality between two things when it comes to a certain characteristic.
It can be used in both positive and negative sentences, either with or without an adjective or verb after it. Preceding nouns must be in the nominative, while pronouns must be in the genitive.
In positive sentences, kadar shows that a trait is equally present in two parties (similar to gibi).
Yusuf yaşıtları kadar zeki. - Yusuf is as smart as his peers.
Tokyo, İstanbul kadar büyük. - Tokyo is as large as Istanbul.
In negative sentences, kadar not only shows inequality, but also implies inferiority of the subject compared to the other party unless mentioned otherwise.
Orkun, işini meslektaşları kadar önemsemiyor. - Orkun doesn’t care about his job as much as his colleagues. (→ Orkun cares about his job less than his colleagues do.)
Türkiye, İspanya kadar sıcak değil. - Turkey is not as hot as Spain. (→ Turkey is less hot than Spain.)
Sen benim kadar güzel değilsin, benden de daha güzelsin! - You’re not as beautiful as me, you’re even more beautiful than me!
Oğlum, sen benim kadar iyi sürmüyorsun, benden daha iyi sürüyorsun! - Bro, you’re not driving as well as me, you’re driving even better than me!
When used after a unit of volume, weight, or size, kadar adds an approximately/about/around meaning. This is often seen in recipes.
Şimdi, karışıma bir çay kaşığı kadar kabartma tozu ekliyorum. - Now, I’m adding about one teaspoon of baking powder to the mixture.
If there is no adjective or verb after kadar, the subject is compared to the dimensions of whatever is before kadar.
Bacak kadar çocuktan ne istiyorsun? - What do you want from a leg-sized (little) child?
Dağ kadar bulaşık birikmiş yine. - A mountain of dishes has piled up again.
Bu oda göt kadar, buraya hiçbir şey sığmaz. - This room is butt-sized (small), nothing will fit here.
Common Metaphorical Comparisons
In Turkic culture, some animals, body parts and elements of nature are associated with certain characteristics - foxes are cunning, snakes are sly, bears are big and hefty. This could stem from or be supported by the pagan elements of Tengrism (the original religion of the Turkic tribes) such as nature worship and animal totems, which have left their mark on modern Turkish culture.
Here are some of the most common metaphorical comparisons used today (click on a translation to see an example of how the phrase is used!):
Arı gibi (bee-like) - hard-working, industrious
Aslan gibi (lion-like) - strong, fearless
Ateş gibi (fire-like) - very hot
Ayı/at gibi (bear/horse-like) - well-built, hefty,
Bacak/el/parmak kadar (leg/hand/finger-sized) - (for a kid) little, short
Bal gibi (honey-like) - used for emphasizing verbs, jolly well
Bebek gibi (baby-like) - (for skin) smooth, soft
Bit kadar (louse-like) - tiny
Buz gibi (ice-like) - very cold
Cin gibi (genie-like) - quick-witted
Dağ gibi (mountain-like) - tough, resilient, bulky
Dağ kadar (mountain-sized) - (for an object) a lot, accumulated to a large quantity
Eşek gibi çalışmak (to work like a donkey) - to bust one's ass
Fıstık gibi (nut-like) - good, nice, great; (for a woman) beautiful
Gamlı baykuş gibi (like a sorrowful owl) - pessimistic
Göt kadar (butt-sized) - (for rooms and other spaces) cramped, not spacious
Kabak gibi ortada (sticking out like zucchini) - obvious, easy to notice
Keçi gibi (goat-like) - stubborn
Kömür gibi (coal-like) - pitch-black
Kurbanlık koyun gibi (like a sheep for slaughter) - obedient, docile, inactive towards upcoming danger
Kurt gibi aç - very hungry (hungry like a wolf)
Leş gibi - (carcass-like) - dirty or disgusting (taste or smell)
Mis gibi - (originally misk* (musk*) musk-like) - sweet, excellent, fragrant
Ruh gibi (spirit-like) - (for a person) bovine and stagnant; (for complexion) pale, lifeless
Saman gibi (hay-like) - (for food) tasteless and dry
Su gibi akmak/akıp gitmek (to flow like water) - (for time) to pass very quickly
Taş gibi (rock-like) - durable, hard
Tilki gibi (fox-like) - cunning
Turp gibi (radish-like) - healthy, fit as a fiddle
Tüy/kuş gibi (feather/bird-like) - very lightweight
Yılan gibi (snake-like) - sly, deceitful
Zehir gibi (poison-like) - (for food and drink) very bitter or foul; (for a person) very smart and skilled
Zift gibi (pitch-like) - (for drink) very bitter
There's a funny example of "gibi" usage that highlights how idiomatic expressions can sometimes seem counterintuitive to non-native speakers.
For instance, when you want to say that a mirror is squeaky clean, you would use the phrase "cam gibi," which literally translates to "like glass." Here, "cam" (glass) is used to emphasize the clarity and cleanliness of the mirror.
Conversely, when you want to describe a window as squeaky clean, you would say "ayna gibi," which means "like a mirror." In this case, "ayna" (mirror) is used to highlight the spotless and reflective quality of the window.
These expressions showcase how "gibi and kadar" function to create vivid and culturally specific comparisons in Turkish. Understanding these idiomatic uses can add a nuanced layer to your grasp of the language, especially when delving into expressions of cleanliness and clarity.
Comment below with other 'gibi/kadar' phrases that you know.
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