siyah

Siyah is the Turkish word for the color black. In Turkish, it functions as both an adjective and a noun and is used to describe objects, surfaces, and materials as well as to refer to the color itself.

As an adjective, siyah typically comes before the noun it describes, for example siyah elbise (black dress), siyah saç (black hair), or siyah renk (black color). It is also used in phrases such as siyah-beyaz, meaning black and white. As a noun, siyah can stand for the color or the concept of black, depending on the context.

In Turkish color terminology, siyah coexists with kara, another common term for black. Kara is found more often in poetic, idiomatic, or specialized phrases (for example kara gece, kara bulutlar) and in certain compounds with broader or metaphorical meanings, such as kara para (money used in illicit activity). Overall, siyah is the more neutral, everyday color term in modern Turkish, while kara carries additional semantic nuances in some uses.

Cultural associations with siyah in Turkey align with broader global symbolism: black is linked with formality and elegance in fashion and design, and with mourning in social contexts. The color remains a prevalent choice in Turkish art, media, and consumer goods, reflecting both practical and symbolic uses of color in everyday life.