Are you planning on going on vacation to the beautiful country of Turkey?
If yes, you must learn some basic Turkish words and phrases to have a better travel experience. Not because Turkish people can’t speak English, but so that you can get to know the Turkish culture better and communicate with people directly! It’s time to take that leap and learn Turkish!
Table of Contents
A Quick Introduction To The Turkish Language
Before we jump into the basic Turkish words and phrases, let’s get to know the Turkish language better.
The Turkish language adopted the Latin alphabet in 1928. Up until that time, Turkish used the Arabic alphabet.
The Turkish alphabet consists of 8 vowels and 21 consonants. The vowels are A, E, I, İ, O, Ö, U, and Ü. Keep in mind that it doesn’t include the letters Q, W, and X. The sentence structure in Turkish also follows a subject-object-verb order.
Turkish is an agglutinative language. In other words, there is a root word, and you basically add a suffix at the end to form new words. As a result, you might end up with some pretty long words.
Fun Fact: The longest word in Turkish has 70 characters, and it’s spelled muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine.
Turkish Pronunciation
Though there are some exceptions, most of the letters in the Turkish alphabet are similar to English in terms of pronunciation. Let’s look at some exceptions:
- C is always pronounced as j (ex. jar)
- Ç is pronounced as ch (ex. chat)
- Ğ is pronounced silent as k (ex. know)
- I is pronounced as e (ex. oven)
- İ is always pronounced as i (ex. bit)
- Ö is pronounced as i (ex. dirt)
- Ş is pronounced as sh (ex. she)
- Ü is pronounced as ew (ex. brew)
Once you know how to pronounce these letters, learning Turkish words will be a piece of cake!
The Most Basic Turkish Words
Here are some of the most common Turkish words for daily life. After learning these words, we’ll go on to Turkish phrases.
Yes – Evet
Pronunciation:
Evet means “yes” in English. You can respond with evet to simple yes/no answers in Turkish, or you can say it when you agree with someone.
No – Hayır
Pronunciation:
Hayır means “no” in English. Just say hayır when you want to turn down an offer or state that something did not happen.
Remember not to say no to someone who is offering you food. Otherwise, Turkish people will feel hurt that you don’t want to share their food with them.
Okay – Tamam
Pronunciation:
Tamam means “okay” in English. You can say tamam to accept an offer or when you’re told to do a task. This word indicates that you understand what you have to do and you are going to do it.
Hello – Merhaba
Pronunciation:
Merhaba means “hello” in English, and it is the most commonly used Turkish greeting. You should say merhaba when you enter any kind of place in which there are other people. Otherwise, you will be considered impolite. In order to sound more casual, you can say “selam“.
Thank You – Teşekkürler
Pronunciation:
Teşekkürler means “thanks” in English and is the quickest way to thank someone in Turkish. If you want to sound more formal and serious, you can say teşekkür ederim.
To emphasize it even more, you can say çok teşekkür ederim, which means “thank you very much”.
Please – Lütfen
Pronunciation:
Lütfen means “please” in English. You can use this word whenever you want to sound more polite. It is generally used when requesting something from a person or insisting on something.
You may even hear many children say lütfen when they want their parents to buy them a toy.
How Are You? – Nasılsınız?
Pronunciation:
Nasılsınız means “how are you” in English and is generally used to ask about someone. It is also a must-have part of small talks in Turkish.
Nasılsınız (formal) can be said to someone who is older than you or senior to you, whereas nasılsın (informal) can be used for family and friends in casual conversations.
To learn more, read my previous blog post where I share more ways to ask how are you in Turkish!
I’m Fine – İyiyim
Pronunciation:
İyiyim means “I’m fine” in English. It is used as a positive answer to the previous question in Turkish.
See You – Görüşürüz
Pronunciation:
Görüşürüz means “see you” in English. You can use this phrase to say goodbye to someone that you will see again. You can also say sonra görüşürüz which means “see you later”.
Excuse Me – Pardon
Pronunciation:
Pardon means “excuse me” in English. You can use this word to get the attention of someone you don’t know before asking something.
You can also use this word when you do something bad by accident. For example, if you bump into someone on the street.
Sorry – Üzgünüm
Pronunciation:
Üzgünüm means “I’m sorry” in English. You can use this word to show your sadness and sympathy for someone.
To learn more phrases to say sorry, read my previous blog post where I teach you how to apologize in Turkish!
The Most Basic Turkish Phrases
Since you’ve learned the basic Turkish words, now it’s time to learn some basic Turkish phrases. Learning these basic words and phrases will be a lifesaver if you visit Turkey, so don’t underestimate their power.
What’s Your Name? – Adınız Ne?
Pronunciation:
Adınız ne means “what’s your name” in English. It’s a formal phrase to ask someone’s name. If you’re asking a child, you can say the informal way of “adın ne“.
Tanıştığımıza Memnun Oldum
Pronunciation:
Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum means “nice to meet you” in English. You can say this phrase after someone introduces themselves to you. You can also shorten this sentence to just “memnun oldum”.
You can say ben de in return. This phrase means “me too”, in English.
Have A Good Day? – İyi Günler
Pronunciation:
İyi günler means to “have a good day” in English. You’ll hear this phrase a lot from cashiers in shops and restaurants because they really want to see you off in the best way possible.
Good Morning – Günaydın
Pronunciation:
Günaydın means “good morning” in English. You can use this word when you get up in the morning and for both formal and informal situations.
Goodnight – İyi Geceler
Pronunciation:
İyi geceler means “good night” in English. You can use this phrase before going to bed or late time of night. Again, it is appropriate for both formal and informal situations.
Bon Voyage – İyi Yolculuklar
Pronunciation:
İyi yolculuklar means “bon voyage” in English. You can hear this phrase from every travel agency employee in Turkey. The phrase means that they’re wishing you an amazing and comfortable journey.
You’re Welcome – Rica Ederim
Pronunciation:
Rica ederim means “you’re welcome” in English. You can use this phrase as a response to teşekkürler.
Bon Appetit – Afiyet Olsun
Pronunciation:
The closest meaning to afiyet olsun is “enjoy your meal” in English. It is one of the most frequently used phrases in Turkish and is generally used by the person who cooked the meal.
Thanks For The Food – Ellerinize Sağlık
Pronunciation:
There is no exact equivalent to ellerinize sağlık in English, but Turkish people use this phrase to express their respect and appreciation for the person who cooked their meal.
May It Be Easy – Kolay Gelsin
Pronunciation:
Turkish people say this phrase when they see someone is busy with something or working. It has a meaning similar to wishing that their work gets easier.
How Do You Say “Basic Words” In Turkish?
“Basic words” in Turkish is temel kelimeler. For example, “Merhaba ve teşekkürler, Türkçedeki temel kelimelerdir,” means “Hello and thank you are basic words in Turkish.”
Final Words
In conclusion, mastering basic Turkish words and phrases can significantly enhance your travel experience in Turkey, fostering better communication and deeper cultural appreciation. Whether greeting locals with merhaba or expressing gratitude with teşekkürler, these basic words pave the way for meaningful conversations with the locals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Basic Turkish Words
1. What Are The Basics Of Turkish?
Turkish is an agglutinative language with a Latin-based alphabet. It uses vowel harmony and has a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) sentence structure.
2. How Do You Greet In Turkish?
Common greetings include merhaba (Hello), nasılsın? (How are you?), and iyi günler (Good day).
3. What Is The Basic Word Order In Turkish?
The basic word order in Turkish is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). For example, ben kitap okurum (I read book).
4. How Many Turkish Words Do You Need To Know To Be Fluent?
There’s no fixed number, but around 3,000 to 5,000 words can provide a good foundation for fluency in Turkish, covering most everyday topics and conversations.
Want To Learn More Turkish Words?
If you are interested in learning the Turkish language starting from basic Turkish words, then you should try Ling!
Ling is a language-learning app designed to help all learners as they venture out on their language-learning journeys. With so many engaging activities to choose from, such as writing and listening exercises, mini-games, quick quizzes, and an AI chatbot to converse with, it is a perfect all-in-one language learning app. Learn to speak Turkish, or any other language, now by using the Ling app today!
