Turkish Basic Words
We Turks love to chat with strangers. Do not be surprised if you receive intense attention when you go to Turkey! When they realize that you are a stranger, they will stop you and try to chat with you. In this way, you can find yourself learning Turkish even if you don’t have an intention!
Turks must be assuming that Turkish can only be understood if spoken loudly, because they will most likely be shouting when speaking to you lol. Don’t be afraid if you see someone walking down the road and coming towards you speaking loud Turkish. He’s probably trying to be friends with you haha.
So you will leave a great impression on the people of Turkey by just learning a few words in Turkish. For example, by simply putting your right hand on your chest and saying Eyvallah, you will definitely impress the Turks and be the apple of their eyes!
So, let’s take a look at some basic Turkish words and phrases in order to surprise people on your next trip to Turkey.
Basic Turkish Words: Greeting
As in most languages, we say ”hello” in different ways on the phone and during face-to-face conversation in Turkish.
Normally we say “merhaba” which means “hello” when greeting. But we answer the phone by saying alo or efendim. Interestingly, “efendim” means “sir” in English, but we use this word in many different ways.
For example, when we do not understand something and ask the other party to repeat what was said, we say “efendim?” with question intonation. In this case, the other person realizes that we do not hear or understand him and repeats what she/he says.
In addition, when we don’t like what is said, we use a special intonation to say “efendim!?”. This means “I heard what you said, but I don’t like it.” The other person will then realize that we are not happy with what she/he said and they will correct what they said.
Finally, if someone calls our name, we can respond by saying “efendim?”. It’s a polite way of saying ”what?”.
Other greeting phrases
- Selam. Hi
- Günaydın. Good morning.
- İyi günler. Good day.
- İyi akşamlar. Good evening.
- İyi geceler. Good night.
As you can see, there is no such thing as “good afternoon” in Turkish; instead we say “İyi günler”.
A few more phrases;
- Tatlı rüyalar. Sweet dreams.
- İyi şanslar. Good luck.
- Hoş geldin (samimi) / Hoş geldiniz (resmi veya çoğul). Welcome.
- Hoş geldin‘e cevap olarak Hoş bulduk diyoruz .
Basic Turkish Words: Talking with Acquaintances
You don’t need to be formal when speaking Turkish! You can be sure that no one will judge you, especially if you are a stranger. However, I will state the following patterns for you, both officially and informally. However, I will write the following phrases for you both formally and informally.
- Adın ne? (informal) / Adınız ne? (formal or plural) What is your name?
- Adım Kate. My name is Kate.
- Nasılsın? (samimi) / Nasılsınız? (resmi veya çoğul) How are you?
- İyiyim. I’m fine.
- İdare eder. So so.
- Fena değil. Not bad.
- İyi değilim. I’m not fine.
- Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum. Nice to meet you.
- Memnun oldum. I’m pleased.
- Teşekkür ederim. Thank you.
- Teşekkürler. Thanks.
- Rica ederim. You’re welcome.
- Bir şey değil. It’s nothing.
- Önemli değil. No problem.
- Hoşça kal. Goodbye.
- Güle güle. Bye bye.
Basic Turkish Words: Celebrations
Celebrations have an important place in Turkish culture. In the past, weddings were held for forty days and forty nights! Today, weddings, birthdays and holidays are celebrated, but they are not how they used to be.
- Doğum günün kutlu olsun ya da İyi ki doğdun. Happy Birthday.
- Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun. Happy New Year.
- Hayırlı Bayramlar. Eid Mubarak.
- Mutlu Noeller. Merry Christmas.
- İyi tatiller. Have a nice holiday.
- Afiyet olsun. Enjoy your meal.
- Tebrikler. Congratulations.
Basic Turkish Words: Condolences
In Turkey, people often mourn for forty days after someone dies. You can wish condolences in the following ways.
- Başın sağ olsun. My condolences.
- Toprağı bol olsun. Rest in peace.
- Allah rahmet eylesin. May god rest her/his soul.
Basic Turkish Words: Questions
- Gerçekten mi? Really?
- Ne? What?
- Nasıl? How?
- Kim? Who?
- Neden? Why?
- Ne zaman? When?
- Hangisi? Which one?
- Bu ne? What’s this?
- Ne kadar? How much?
- Kaç tane? How many?
- Ne demek? What does it mean?
Other Useful Turkish Words and Phrases
- Evet. Yes.
- Hayır. No.
- Belki. Maybe.
- Bilmiyorum. I do not know.
- Anlamıyorum. I do not understand.
- Geçmiş olsun. Get well soon.
- …istiyorum. I want…
- … istemiyorum. I don’t want…
- Affedersiniz / pardon. Pardon me.
- Lütfen. Please.
- Hesap lütfen. Check, please.
- Çok yaşa. Bless you.
This last one means “live long”. Some people also say iyi yaşa (live well) or sağlıklı yaşa (live healthy) instead of saying çok yaşa. In response to that, we say sen de gör (you see it too) or hep beraber (all together).
- Buyurun. Help yourself.
This word has more than one meaning. If you visit Turkey, you can hear this word all the time! Sometimes it means hoş geldiniz (welcome), sometimes içeri girin (come in) and sometimes alın, alabilirsiniz (take it, you can take it). When you pass by a restaurant, they will invite you in by saying buyurun and when your order is ready, they will serve it by saying buyurun.
If you really love Turkish, you already know what a beautiful language it is. Also, Turkish is a regular language and there are very few exceptions. This will help you a lot in your Turkish learning journey.
All you need is the desire to learn Turkish, the rest will come automatically!
İyi şanslar (bol şans)!
For other articles about learning Turkish, please check here.
If you want to check articles about other languages, click here.
Don’t forget to comment if you have any questions and let me know how your Turkish studies are going!
İyi yolculuklar – Have a good journey!
