A garden hose carries water; an elephant has a trunk.

The idea

Hortum means hose and also an elephant’s trunk. The definite object is hortumu; hortumla or hortum ile means “with a hose”. In filin hortumu, it means the elephant’s trunk.

Examples

  • Hortumu sabah bahçeye taşıdık.We carried the hose into the garden in the morning.
  • Bahçıvan hortumla çiçekleri suladı.The gardener watered the flowers with a hose.
  • Hortumumuz kapının yanında duruyor.Our hose is by the door.
  • Bu hortum çok uzun.This hose is very long.
  • Filin hortumu suya uzanıyor.The elephant’s trunk reaches toward the water.
  • Hortumun ucundan su akıyor.Water flows from the end of the hose.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not assume one meaning everywhere: a garden suggests a hose, while an elephant suggests a trunk. Hortum can also mean tornado in weather reports.

Try it yourself

  1. We carried the hose into the garden. (specific object) ___ bahçeye taşıdık.

    Show answer or example answer

    hortumu

    hortumu: the definite object takes the accusative -u.

  2. The gardener watered the flowers with a hose. (instrument, ile) Bahçıvan ___ çiçekleri suladı.

    Show answer or example answer

    hortumla / hortum ile

    hortumla or hortum ile: both express the instrument used.

  3. The elephant’s trunk reaches toward the water. (its trunk) Filin ___ suya uzanıyor.

    Show answer or example answer

    hortumu

    hortumu: after filin, possessive -u means its trunk.

Use it today

Describe how a hose is used in a garden and name an elephant’s trunk.