Nemli

Nemli is a Turkish adjective meaning moist, damp, or humid. It is used to describe air, surfaces, or substances that contain noticeable moisture, but are not soaking wet. The term conveys a sense of moisture without the heaviness implied by wetness.

Common usages include nemli hava (humid air), nemli toprak (moist soil), and nemli bir kek (a moist cake). In contrast, ıslak typically refers to something wet or soaked with liquid, while kuru or kurak means dry. The choice of nemli versus ıslak depends on whether the moisture is natural or only lightly present.

Etymologically, nemli is formed from nem, meaning moisture, with the Turkish suffix -li, which denotes “having” or “possessing.” It is a native Turkish word and does not inflect for gender or number; the adjective generally precedes the noun (nemli hava, nemli toprak) and can be used predicatively as in Hava nemli.

In daily language and meteorology, nemli also relates to relative humidity. The noun nem refers to moisture or humidity, and nem oranı is the humidity level. A “nemli ortam” or “nemli hava” often implies conditions that can feel damp or uncomfortable, especially in enclosed spaces or during certain seasons.

See also: humidity, moisture, Turkish vocabulary on weather and climate.