I was wondering what the word Lan means when put on the end of a sentance. My friends always say it and when I asked them to explain they couldnt.... Or is that they didnt want too    

My dictionary says it means ´hey,you´   ´say,man´  ´listen,buster´  but a Turkish speaker will probably help.

According to www.tureng.com lan is something like man, mate. I think it´s the same as ulan, which according to the dictionary is something like "bud, buddy, twerp".

These are just dictionary definitions, I´m sure the natives can elaborate on the colloquial use better.

 It´s generally a word used between men/boys - you can look it up on the dictionary on this site

here - ´lan´ directs you to ´ulan´  It´s not particularly polite but then again I don´t think it´s that rude - I hear it used a lot.

Thanks, someone did say to me that this may be the case but then when my boyfriend and me were messing about he told me to souslan (excuse me if I have spelt that wrong) a female friend at the table said that he was telling me to shut up b@tch and I was concerned that he had been saying this to me infront of people, he however said that this was not the case! 

dont worry maureen hes not calling you a bitch, I say this all the time to my close turkish friends, maybe its not that ladylike but im not that ladylikehes just joking with you.and its SUS LAN, like, be quiet you

Yeah, that is what he said!

I think that she was trying to make trouble because he got quite annoyed with her.

And althought we bicker and he can seem a bit off sometimes he is never blatently rude to me. I did think that it was a bit strong! thanks for clearing that up for me.   

It may be a dangerous word when one use it for someone who he doesn´t know. I remember I wrote something about this topic in this forum, but I can´t find it easily right now. But I will try to say a short story of the word.

"lan" is not a normal word indeed. It comes from "oðlan". It becomes "ulan" sometimes. But ulan and lan are not used for normal conversations. Ulan might be bit more dangerous than lan. If you are talking to someone who you know closely, as a "buddy", someone like bestfriend (and generally it is used between guys), this might be a mischief conversation. Or you might be between friends, and no one gets the words offensive, then it can be acceptable or normal or ok. But it is a vulgar approach, so you shouldn´t use it for those who you don´t know much or who you must show some respect.

Other usage is; if someone is angry, then he may use this word against to with whom he angry is. That is not a friendly approach. That is the vulgar one.

I remember I was about to be fighted when I was a kid, since I called a guy "lan" as a habit of the childhood, not as anger. Then I realized it is a dangerous word.

i know for lan different in english word turkish lan mean in english lad if i´m not made a mistake

 I don´t think so because ´lad´ is always used in an affectionate, friendly way as far as I know.

"lan" is slang 

The origin of the slang word LAN goes back to the Ottoman times.

LAN comes from OGLAN, which means ´boy.´ Precisely for this reason LAN also takes the form of ULAN, which is a derivative of OGLAN. In the Ottoman times, when you attached the word LAN/ULAN at the end of your statement, it usually had a dregatory term in the sense that you called the other person a ´boy´, or a ´rookie´, still wet behind the ears.

Over the years, the use of LAN/ULAN in Modern Turkish lost its original meaning, and the word became less dregatory but still somewhat aggressive and certainly slang.

NABER LAN GOT, as vulgar as it is, could be heard among close male friends as a form of greeting.

In Modern Turkish, the use of LAN/ULAN is extremely idiomatic, and can only be learnt by paying attention to its use among native speakers. There are no textbook directions as to its proper use in daily life.

However, its etymological roots are burried in the word OGLAN ´young male/boy´, which goes all the way back to the Ottoman times, or perhaps earlier.

I hope this helps.

Nice to see you back on TC cynicmystic

Thanx for the welcome lady in red

it is nice to see you too

IAN in english is a male name

No way... you don´t say.

Ian Johan John Eeyan Jon

Are you sure it is an English name cause it also has Biblical connotations not to mention that the name itself was uttered way before English was a language as we know it.

  - not sure what that´s  got to do with Lan?  Ian was originally a Gaelic name not English btw.

Sorry Christine - just realised you must have misread ´lan´ as ´Ian´

 evet i agree with you.  I remember when i requested for a translation regarding the diologues of my two friends, here it goes (the translation someone gave me)

SUS LA – Shut up bro
NE GÜLÜYON LAN – what u laughin at bro

I dont know what ´lan´ or ´len´ means in English, the closest thing I could think of was ´bro´. Basically its a slang word that young men use to address each other (usually men who speak Turkish badly and swear alot)

Anyway, it´s a word that you would never be expected to use if you are a female.

(Okay maybe this answer is too late)

But Lan is when you are having a conversation between FRIENDS

and it´s somehow similar to : Dude, Man,..

Like :

Napiyon lan?

(Ne yapiyorsun lan?)

Translation :

Whatcha doin, dude?

(What are you doing, dude?)

 Yes i did think it was IAN and not LAN, so no problem

I always  thought it was like dude...dude, naber lan? etc.