turn
gb/tˈɚn/ us/tˈɚn/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 1100
Maana
maana 0
Kitenzi
A1
action
1
Rotate around a point or axis
To move in a circle or make something move in a circle.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to turn [something]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'turn' with 'spin'; 'spin' is faster and continuous, while 'turn' can be slower or partial.
Visawe
rotate (More formal and technical; often used in scientific contexts.)
Vinyume
stay still (Means not moving or rotating at all.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
turn the wheel
|turn left
|turn the page
|turn a knob
Mada
daily life
|movement
|core_vocabulary
|science
Mifano
- She turned the key in the lock.
- The earth turns on its axis.
- Turn the handle to open the door.
- He turned his head to look at her.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Turn the chair to face me.
- Please turn the page.
- The car turned left.
- I turn my head to see you.
Kitenzi
A1
action
2
Change direction or course
To go in a different direction.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to turn [left/right/around]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes say 'make a turn' when giving simple directions; 'turn' alone is usually enough.
Visawe
veer (Implies a more sudden or uncontrolled change of direction.)
Vinyume
continue straight (Means to keep going without changing direction.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
turn right
|turn left
|turn around
Mada
travel
|movement
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- Turn left at the traffic lights.
- The road turns sharply after the bridge.
- She turned around to see who called her.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Turn right at the school.
- The bus turns here.
- He turns around to wave.
Kitenzi
A2
action
3
Change into a different state
To become different, or make something different.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to turn [adjective/noun]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse 'turn' with 'become'; 'turn' is often used for more sudden or noticeable changes.
Visawe
become ('Become' is more formal and general; 'turn' is often used for sudden or visible changes.)
Vinyume
remain (Means staying in the same state without change.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
turn red
|turn cold
|turn into
Mada
change
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The leaves turn yellow in autumn.
- His face turned pale when he heard the news.
- Milk turns sour if left out too long.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The sky turns dark at night.
- Water turns into ice when it is cold.
- Her face turns red when she runs.
Nomino
A2
entity
4
Chance to act in order
Your time to do something when people take turns.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'turn' with 'round'; 'round' is more common in British English for games.
Visawe
chance ('Chance' is broader and not necessarily sequential.)
Vinyume
interruption (Breaking the sequence so someone doesn't get their chance.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
take turns
|your turn
|wait your turn
Mada
games
|social interaction
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Mifano
- It's your turn to roll the dice.
- We take turns cooking dinner.
- Please wait your turn in line.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- It is my turn now.
- We take turns to speak.
- She waits for her turn.
Nomino
B1
event
5
Change in direction or state
A move to go in another way, or a change in something.
Visawe
bend ('Bend' usually refers to physical curves; 'turn' can be physical or abstract.)
Vinyume
straight path (A route without changes in direction.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sharp turn
|wrong turn
|take a turn
Mada
travel
|change
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The car made a sudden turn to avoid the dog.
- Take the next turn on your left.
- There was an unexpected turn in the conversation.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The road has many turns.
- Take the first turn on the right.
- The talk took a happy turn.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
turn
IPA
GB/tˈɚn/
US/tˈɚn/
Silabi na mkazo
turn (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (turn)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: turn
- Plural: turns
Verb
- Base: turn
- 3rd Person Singular: turns
- Present Participle: turning
- Past: turned
Familia ya neno
Semi
take turns
1/tˈeɪk tˈɚnz/
fixed phrase
Alternate doing something with others
When people do something one after another, not at the same time.
Mifano
- We take turns driving on long trips.
- The children took turns using the swing.
turn on
1/tˈɚn ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Switch on a device or system
To start a machine, light, or device working.
Mifano
- Please turn on the TV.
- He turned on the light when it got dark.
turn up
1/tˈɚn ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Increase level of device output
To make sound, heat, etc. stronger from a machine or device.
Mifano
- Can you turn up the music?
- He turned up the heat because it was cold.
turn down
1/tˈɚn dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Lower level of device output / refuse offer
To make sound, heat, etc. less strong from a machine OR to say no to an offer.
Mifano
- I had to turn down their invitation.
- Please turn down the volume.
- She turned down the job offer.
- She turned down his invitation.
turn off
1/tˈɚn ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Switch off a device or system
To stop a machine, light, or device from working.
Mifano
- Please turn off the lights when you leave.
- Turn off the oven before leaving.
- He turned off the engine before getting out.
- She turned off her phone during the meeting.