Makul Sözlük is selecting the “Word of the Year” for the second time. As you may remember, based on suggestions received from our readers in 2024, the word “Umyt” (Hope) was selected as the Word of the Year. Recently, we announced a new competition and stated that we would award a 1,000-manat cash prize to the reader who first proposed the selected word.
The suggestion submitted by our TikTok reader named “Salam” was chosen by the editorial team, and in the final days of the concluding year 2025, we announce that “Yhlas” has been selected as the Word of the Year.
What does “Yhlas” mean?
Let us first turn to dictionaries.
In the Explanatory Dictionary of the Turkmen Language published in 2015, the word yhlas and related forms are defined as follows:
YHLAS [yhla:s], noun.
Devotion, enthusiasm, or a sincere and wholehearted attitude toward a person or a task.
YHLASLY [yhla:sly], adjective.
Someone who commits wholeheartedly to a person or a task and performs their work with devotion.
To work with dedication.
To pursue one’s studies with dedication.
A devoted person.
YHLASLYLYK [yhla:slylyk], noun.
The state of having dedication; being devoted.
“Dedication advances work.” (A. Salyh)
In the Dictionary of Old Turkmen Language, yhlas is explained as follows:
yhlas I [yhla:s اِخْلاص، اخلاص]
Loyalty, devotion, sincerity:
“Trust and devotion on the path of truth” (KB, 480–13).
“Out of devotion and faith, he made a vow to me…” (SB, 127a–32).
“Through devotion and faith, he became respected among the people” (SB, 127a–33).
“I recognized your devotion and intent” (BD, 74b–5).
<> kem yhlas – cold, indifferent, insincere:
“How can one who lacks devotion understand the fire of separation?” (ND, 39b–18).
yhlas II [yhla:s اخلاص]
Yhlas, the name of one of the chapters of the Quran:
“Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, affirming the essence of existence” (ND, 13a–15).
In Makul Sözlük, the English equivalent of the word “Yhlas” is given as sincerity. Although yhlas may appear when translating some other English words into Turkmen, sincerity conveys the closest meaning.
In the Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1961, 2,662 pages), sincerity is defined as:
sin·cer·i·ty \sən-ˈser-ə-tē, ˈsin-, -ˈsir-ˌtē\ noun
-
The quality or state of being sincere
a) A sincere feeling
b) An expression of a sincere feeling
In short, this word refers to a feeling that comes from the heart. In Turkmen, there is a proverb: “If you cry with sincerity, tears will come even from a blind eye.” As noted above, Yhlas is also the name of a chapter of the Quran, which many of us know by heart.
Why did we choose the word “Yhlas”?
In our view, no matter what task you undertake, if you approach it with sincerity and a pure heart, there is no work that cannot be accomplished. We consider yhlas to be a broad concept that includes faith, hope, patience, effort, and gratitude.
As is known, we selected “Umyt” (Hope) as the Word of the Year for 2025. Without hope, a person has little motivation to act. Therefore, it is especially important for young people to remain hopeful about life and the future—not empty or imaginary hope, but active hope that can be put into practice.
For such hopeful young people, pursuing their goals with dedication is essential. As a result of hope grounded in genuine belief, young people who plan their future will commit to their work with sincerity, exert active and intelligent effort, overcome difficulties with active patience, and ultimately express gratitude when they achieve success.
May the number of our young people increase—those who work with dedication, stay away from greed, and reach success not by trampling others or showing off, but through honest effort and a truly pure heart.
Happy New Year!
May 2026 and all the years to come be filled with faith, hope, patience, abundance, dedication, and gratitude.
May our homeland be peaceful and prosperous.
Note:
To receive the 1,000-manat cash prize, the TikTok reader named “Salam” must visit the Makul Hyzmat Translation Center office in Ashgabat and agree to a video recording confirming receipt of the prize, as stated in our earlier announcement. At present, the identity of the reader named “Salam” is unknown to us. If it turns out that this person is a close relative of mine or any of our staff members, or if they refuse to consent to video recording, the prize will be awarded to the second reader who proposed the word “Yhlas.” The reader must log into and display their TikTok account at our office.