tamam

Tamam is a widely used word in Turkish that functions primarily as an interjection meaning okay, all right, or done. It appears in everyday conversation to express agreement, confirmation, or readiness, and can be used in both informal and formal contexts. In Turkish, tamam can stand alone as a response or be combined with other elements, such as tamam mı? meaning is that all right? or tamam, anlaşıldı meaning okay, understood.

The word has cross-linguistic roots. It derives from the Arabic تمام (tamam), which carries the sense of completeness, perfection, or being finished. Because of historical language contact and trade, tamam has been borrowed into several languages in the region, including Persian, Urdu, Azerbaijani, and other Turkic languages. In these languages, as in Turkish, it commonly conveys agreement or a sense of completion. Variants and spellings may occur due to script differences, but the meaning remains broadly aligned with “okay” or “complete.”

In use, tamam is versatile. It can indicate consent to a plan, acknowledgment of instructions, or that a task is finished. In written communication and online chat, it functions similarly to the English “OK.” While most often neutral and practical, the tone can shift with context, from casual to emphatic, depending on accompanying words or intonation. Beyond Turkish and some neighboring languages, tamam is recognized in multilingual settings as a familiar term for “okay.”