Vowel harmony
Endings change their vowels to match the word: ev becomes evler (houses), but kitap becomes kitaplar (books). Talvo explains the pattern every time it comes up.
Turkish course · 27 languages in one app
Learn Turkish by speaking it
Turkish is spelled exactly the way it sounds, and its grammar is famously regular. The challenge is building long words from endings in real time. Talvo's tutor gives you that practice: order a Turkish coffee, bargain at a market stall, chat with a new friend.
First lesson free · iPhone and Mac, one subscription
Turkish · First phrasesMerhaba!
MEHR-hah-bah
Hello!
WaiterHoş geldiniz! Ne alırsınız?Welcome! What would you like?
Your first Turkish phrases
Twelve phrases for cafés, shops and meeting people, with a guide to how they sound.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Merhaba! | MEHR-hah-bah | Hello! |
| Nasılsın? / Nasılsınız? | nah-SUHL-suhn / nah-SUHL-suh-nuhz | How are you?To a friend / polite |
| İyiyim, teşekkürler. | ee-YEE-yeem, teh-shek-kewr-LEHR | I'm fine, thanks. |
| Adım Sam. | ah-DUHM sam | My name is Sam. |
| Memnun oldum. | mem-NOON ohl-DOOM | Nice to meet you. |
| Bir çay, lütfen. | beer CHAI, LEWT-fen | A tea, please. |
| Ne kadar? | NEH kah-dahr | How much? |
| Hesap, lütfen. | heh-SAHP, LEWT-fen | The check, please. |
| Tuvalet nerede? | too-vah-LET NEH-reh-deh | Where's the restroom? |
| Anlamadım. | ahn-LAH-mah-duhm | I didn't understand. |
| Daha yavaş konuşur musunuz? | dah-hah yah-VAHSH koh-noo-SHOOR moo-soo-nooz | Could you speak more slowly? |
| Teşekkür ederim. | teh-shek-KEWR eh-deh-REEM | Thank you. |
ı without a dot is a short sound like the e in taken, written uh here. ü is like the French u, written ew. ç is ch and ş is sh.
A conversation you'll practice
Ordering a Turkish coffee in Istanbul. The tutor plays the waiter and asks the question every coffee order comes with: how sweet?
WaiterHoş geldiniz! Ne alırsınız?Welcome! What would you like?
YouBir Türk kahvesi, lütfen.A Turkish coffee, please.
WaiterNasıl olsun? Şekerli mi, sade mi?How would you like it? Sweet or plain?
YouOrta şekerli, lütfen.Medium sweet, please.
WaiterTabii, hemen getiriyorum.Of course, I'll bring it right away.
Mistakes Talvo helps you fix
The verb goes last
Türkçe öğreniyorum is literally Turkish I'm-learning. Sentences usually end with the verb, and endings do the job of English prepositions: İstanbul'da (in Istanbul).
ı and i are different letters
Dotless ı and dotted i are separate vowels: ılık means lukewarm and ilik means bone marrow. Their capitals are I and İ.
Sen or siz
Sen is for friends and family, siz for strangers, elders and anyone serving you. Nasılsın? is casual and Nasılsınız? is polite.
How Talvo teaches Turkish
- Lessons explain vowel harmony and the order of endings in plain English whenever they come up
- Every unit, from beginner (A1) to advanced (C1), is written around your interests and the words you already know
- Role-play a café, a market, a taxi or meeting someone new. The tutor speaks first, waits for your answer and corrects you with the reason
- Use the live interpreter when you're talking with a native speaker for real
- Every new word goes into your review deck and comes back right before you'd forget it
Questions about learning Turkish
Is Turkish hard for English speakers?
The grammar is very regular: endings stack one after another and hardly ever have exceptions. Turkish uses the Latin alphabet and is spelled the way it sounds. What takes practice is speaking at speed, which is what the tutor is for.
Can I learn Turkish with Talvo for free?
Yes, to start. Your first lesson, three live-interpreter exchanges, your reviews and your deck are free. Talvo Pro unlocks unlimited lessons and conversations, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
How is Talvo different from Duolingo?
Duolingo is built around short tap-and-match exercises and daily streaks. Talvo is built around speaking: lessons written around your interests, a tutor you talk to out loud, and a live interpreter for real conversations. Plenty of learners use both.
Can I use Talvo on my Mac?
Yes. Talvo is a native app for iPhone and Mac, and one subscription covers both.
More language guides
Say your first Turkish sentence today.
The first lesson is free. It takes about five minutes.