hafta

Hafta is a Turkish noun meaning “week.” It denotes the seven‑day period used for calendars, scheduling, and time calculation. In Turkish, common phrases include bu hafta (this week), geçen hafta (last week), and hafta sonu (the weekend). The adjective haftalık means “weekly,” as in haftalık rapor (weekly report). The term is widely used in everyday speech and in formal writing.

Etymology and cognates: The word is of Persian origin, transmitted to Ottoman Turkish and modern Turkish, and is cognate with Urdu and Hindi haftā/hafta, also meaning “week.” The root is linked to the word for seven in these languages, reflecting the traditional seven‑day cycle.

Usage notes: Turkish typically uses iki hafta to mean two weeks, and haftalık compounds describe durations or recurring events (e.g., iki haftalık plan). In official contexts, the week is generally aligned with ISO 8601, which designates Monday as the first day of the week; everyday usage can vary by region.

Cross-linguistic usage: In Urdu and Hindi, haftā/hafta is used with the same sense of “week,” due to Persian influence, and is common in calendars, schedules, and news reporting. Similar cognates appear in other languages shaped by Persian and Arabic vocabulary for time periods.

See also: hafta sonu.