Fractions and percentages (yüzde, -de)

When discussing statistics, research, or data in Turkish, you will frequently need to express fractions and percentages. Instead of using complex new vocabulary, Turkish handles this using a logical approach with a grammar tool you already know: the locative case (-de/-da/-te/-ta).

Nobody understands the statistics of this research.
Kimse bu araştırmanın istatistiklerini anlamıyor.

Percentages

In Turkish, the word for "percent" is yüzde. This is simply the number yüz (one hundred) combined with the locative suffix -de. It literally means "in a hundred."

To state a percentage, say yüzde followed directly by the number.

The unemployment rate decreased by ten percent last year.
İşsizlik oranı geçen yıl yüzde on azaldı.
Is the success rate on this graph ninety percent?
Bu grafikte başarı oranı yüzde doksan mı?
The company's share in this success is fifty percent.
Bu başarıda şirketin payı yüzde elli.

Fractions

Fractions follow the exact same logic as percentages. While English reads the numerator (top number) first and the denominator (bottom number) second, Turkish does the reverse.

To say a fraction, attach the appropriate locative case suffix to the denominator, then state the numerator. You are literally saying "in [bottom number], [top number]."

For example, "two-thirds" (2/3) is üçte iki ("in three, two"). "One-tenth" (1/10) is onda bir.

The majority's share in the company is two-thirds.
Şirkette çoğunluğun payı üçte iki.
The company's income decreased by one-tenth.
Şirketin geliri onda bir azaldı.

Demographics and Data

When presenting data, you will often combine these numbers with demographic terms like çoğunluk (majority) and azınlık (minority). Notice how fractions and percentages pair naturally with this vocabulary to describe populations.

According to the new research, the majority is lonely.
Yeni araştırmaya göre çoğunluk yalnız.
In the city, the minority is one-fifth of the population.
Şehirde azınlık nüfusun beşte biri.
The unemployment rate among the minority is forty percent.
Azınlıkta işsizlik oranı yüzde kırk.