Sunday in Turkish: Pazar
Pronounced pah-ZAHR — literally “bazaar / market (day)”.
Sunday in Turkish at a Glance
| Turkish word | Pazar |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | pah-ZAHR (Pa·zar) |
| Literal meaning | bazaar / market (day) |
| Abbreviation | Paz |
From Persian bāzār — the same word that gave English “bazaar”. Sunday was the big weekly market day, so the market simply became the day's name.
How to Pronounce Pazar
pah-ZAHR — syllable by syllable: Pa·zar.
- Turkish ı (no dot) is a deep “uh” sound — different from dotted i, which sounds like English “ee”.
- c sounds like English “j” (Cuma = “JOO-mah”), while ç is “ch” and ş is “sh”.
- Stress generally falls lightly on the last syllable.
Example Sentences with Pazar
How to Say “Happy Sunday” in Turkish
Turkish pluralizes its day greetings: “İyi pazarlar!” is literally “good Sundays!” — wishing you not just this one, but all of them. On Fridays the religious greeting “Hayırlı cumalar!” is by far the most common.
All 7 Days of the Week in Turkish
The Turkish week is a linguistic time capsule: Persian numbers (Çarşamba “4th”, Perşembe “5th”), Arabic religion (Cuma, the day of gathering for prayer), and Turkish market-day logic (Pazar “bazaar”, Pazartesi “after the bazaar”, Cumartesi “after Cuma”). The week starts on Monday.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pazartesi | pah-zahr-teh-SEE |
| Tuesday | Salı | sah-LUH |
| Wednesday | Çarşamba | char-shahm-BAH |
| Thursday | Perşembe | pehr-shem-BEH |
| Friday | Cuma | joo-MAH |
| Saturday | Cumartesi | joo-mahr-teh-SEE |
| Sunday | Pazar | pah-ZAHR |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Turkish.
Cultural Notes: Sunday in Turkish-Speaking Countries
Pazar still means both “Sunday” and “market” — the weekly pazar (open-air market) is a Turkish institution, though it sets up on different days in different neighborhoods. Sunday closes the Turkish weekend.
Did You Know?
From Persian bāzār — the same word that gave English “bazaar”. Sunday was the big weekly market day, so the market simply became the day's name. Curious how English got its name for Sunday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use Pazar in a Sentence
Turkish usually adds günü (“its day”) after the day name: pazar günü = on Sunday. “Every Sunday” is her pazar. There are no grammatical genders or articles to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Sunday in Turkish?
Sunday in Turkish is Pazar, pronounced “pah-ZAHR”. It literally means “bazaar / market (day)”.
What does Pazar mean in English?
From Persian bāzār — the same word that gave English “bazaar”. Sunday was the big weekly market day, so the market simply became the day's name.
How do you pronounce Pazar?
It's pronounced “pah-ZAHR” — broken into syllables: Pa·zar.
How do you say “Happy Sunday” in Turkish?
İyi pazarlar!. Turkish pluralizes its day greetings: “İyi pazarlar!” is literally “good Sundays!” — wishing you not just this one, but all of them. On Fridays the religious greeting “Hayırlı cumalar!” is by far the most common.
How is Sunday abbreviated in Turkish?
Sunday (Pazar) is abbreviated Paz on Turkish calendars and schedules.
Is Pazar capitalized in Turkish?
In running text it's lowercase (pazar); it's capitalized when written as part of a full date, e.g. “15 Haziran 2026 Pazar”. That's why you see both forms.
How do you say “on Sunday” in Turkish?
Pazar günü — literally “Sunday its-day”. The word günü (from gün, “day”) is usually added: “pazar günü görüşürüz” = see you on Sunday.
How do you say “today is Sunday” in Turkish?
Bugün pazar. Turkish needs no verb “to be” here — literally just “today Sunday”.