Tea is an invitation
Shopkeepers often offer çay while you browse. Saying yes is polite, and it doesn't mean you have to buy.
Phrase guide · Turkish
Turkish phrases for travelers
43 phrases for greeting people, bargaining in bazaars, taking taxis and ordering food in Turkey. Every one comes with an easy pronunciation guide, so you can say it, or point to it.
How to read the pronunciation
- uh is the dotless ı, a short sound like the a in about
- ew is ü: say ee with rounded lips. ur is ö, like the u in fur
- ç is ch, ş is sh and c is j. ğ is silent and makes the vowel before it longer
- Capital letters show the stressed syllable
Turkish · Travel phrasesTeşekkür ederim.
teh-shek-KEWR eh-DEH-reem
Thank you.
YouMerhaba! Bu ne kadar?Hello! How much is this?
Greetings and goodbyes
Turkish greetings are warm, and even a simple merhaba gets a smile.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Merhaba! | MEHR-hah-bah | Hello! |
| Günaydın! | gew-nai-DUHN | Good morning! |
| İyi akşamlar! | ee-YEE ahk-shahm-LAHR | Good evening! |
| Nasılsınız? | NAH-suhl-suh-nuhz | How are you?Polite. To a friend: Nasılsın? |
| İyiyim, teşekkürler. | ee-YEE-yeem, teh-shek-kewr-LEHR | I'm fine, thanks. |
| Hoşça kalın! | HOSH-chah KAH-luhn | Goodbye!Said by the person leaving |
| Güle güle! | gew-LEH gew-LEH | Goodbye!Said by the person staying |
Please, thank you and other basics
Short words you'll use dozens of times a day.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Lütfen. | LEWT-fen | Please. |
| Teşekkür ederim. | teh-shek-KEWR eh-DEH-reem | Thank you. |
| Rica ederim. | ree-JAH eh-DEH-reem | You're welcome. |
| Evet. / Hayır. | EH-vet / HAH-yuhr | Yes. / No. |
| Tamam. | tah-MAHM | OK. |
| Affedersiniz. | ahf-feh-DEHR-see-neez | Excuse me.To get someone's attention or squeeze past |
| Özür dilerim. | ur-ZEWR dee-LEH-reem | I'm sorry. |
| Sorun değil. | soh-ROON deh-eel | No problem. |
When you don't understand
Nobody expects a visitor to be fluent. These keep the conversation going.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| İngilizce biliyor musunuz? | een-gee-LEEZ-jeh bee-lee-YOHR moo-soo-nooz | Do you speak English?Literally “Do you know English?” |
| Anlamadım. | ahn-LAH-mah-duhm | I didn't understand. |
| Daha yavaş, lütfen. | dah-hah yah-VAHSH, LEWT-fen | Slower, please. |
| Tekrar eder misiniz? | tek-RAHR eh-DEHR mee-see-neez | Could you say that again? |
Shopping and bargaining
In bazaars like Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, haggling is part of the fun. Shops with price tags have fixed prices.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bu ne kadar? | boo NEH kah-dahr | How much is this? |
| Çok pahalı. | CHOHK pah-hah-LUH | That's too expensive. |
| Biraz indirim olur mu? | bee-RAHZ een-dee-REEM oh-LOOR moo | Can I get a small discount? |
| Son fiyat ne kadar? | SOHN fee-yaht NEH kah-dahr | What's your final price? |
| Sadece bakıyorum. | sah-DEH-jeh bah-kuh-YOH-room | I'm just looking. |
| Bunu alıyorum. | boo-noo ah-luh-YOH-room | I'll take this. |
| Hayır, teşekkürler. | HAH-yuhr, teh-shek-kewr-LEHR | No, thank you.Polite and firm with a persistent seller |
Taxis and getting around
Taxis run on the meter. Say where you're going, and check the meter is on.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ... nerede? | NEH-reh-deh | Where is ...? |
| Tuvalet nerede? | too-vah-LET NEH-reh-deh | Where's the restroom? |
| Havalimanına, lütfen. | hah-VAH-lee-mah-nuh-nah, LEWT-fen | To the airport, please. |
| Taksimetreyi açar mısınız? | tahk-see-met-reh-yee ah-CHAHR muh-suh-nuhz | Could you turn on the meter? |
| Düz gidin. | DEWZ GEE-deen | Go straight. |
| Sağa / Sola | sah-AH / soh-LAH | To the right / To the left |
| Burada durabilir misiniz? | BOO-rah-dah doo-rah-bee-LEER mee-see-neez | Can you stop here? |
Food and drink
Tea is offered everywhere, often for free in shops. Turkish coffee is made with the sugar already in, so say how sweet you want it.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bir çay, lütfen. | beer CHAI, LEWT-fen | A tea, please. |
| Su, lütfen. | SOO, LEWT-fen | Water, please. |
| Orta şekerli, lütfen. | ohr-TAH sheh-kehr-LEE, LEWT-fen | Medium sweet, please.For Turkish coffee. Sade is no sugar, şekerli is sweet |
| Vejetaryen yemek var mı? | veh-zheh-tahr-YEN yeh-MEK VAHR muh | Do you have vegetarian food? |
| Çok lezzetli! | CHOHK lez-zet-LEE | Delicious! |
| Hesap, lütfen. | heh-SAHP, LEWT-fen | The check, please. |
| Afiyet olsun! | ah-fee-YET OHL-soon | Enjoy your meal!You'll hear it when the food arrives |
If something goes wrong
Hopefully you won't need these. The emergency number in Turkey is 112.
| Turkish | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yardım edin! | yahr-DUHM EH-deen | Help! |
| Doktora ihtiyacım var. | dohk-toh-RAH eeh-tee-yah-JUHM VAHR | I need a doctor. |
| Kayboldum. | kai-bohl-DOOM | I'm lost. |
Bargaining in the Grand Bazaar
Smile, ask the price, say it's too much and make an offer. This is how it sounds in Istanbul.
YouMerhaba! Bu ne kadar?Hello! How much is this?
SellerBin iki yüz lira.1,200 lira.
YouÇok pahalı! Biraz indirim olur mu?That's too expensive! Can I get a small discount?
SellerSizin için bin lira.For you, 1,000 lira.
YouSekiz yüz olur mu?How about 800?
SellerTamam, dokuz yüz. Son fiyat!OK, 900. Final price!
YouAnlaştık, teşekkürler!Deal, thanks!
Numbers and money
Prices are in Turkish lira. 250 lira is iki yüz elli lira.
| Turkish | Say it like | Number |
|---|---|---|
| bir | beer | 1 |
| iki | ee-KEE | 2 |
| üç | ewch | 3 |
| dört | durt | 4 |
| beş | besh | 5 |
| altı | ahl-TUH | 6 |
| yedi | yeh-DEE | 7 |
| sekiz | seh-KEEZ | 8 |
| dokuz | doh-KOOZ | 9 |
| on | ohn | 10 |
| yirmi | yeer-MEE | 20 |
| elli | el-LEE | 50 |
| yüz | yewz | 100 |
| bin | been | 1,000 |
| lira | LEE-rah | Turkish lira |
Good to know in Turkey
Haggle in bazaars, not everywhere
Bargaining is normal in bazaars and with street sellers. Supermarkets, restaurants and shops with price tags have fixed prices.
Polite forms for strangers
Use the polite versions with people you don't know: Nasılsınız? and Affedersiniz. Save Nasılsın? for friends.
Tipping
Leaving about 5 to 10 percent in restaurants is common. In taxis, rounding up the fare is enough.
Questions travelers ask
How do you say hello in Turkish?
Merhaba (MEHR-hah-bah) works at any time of day. In the morning you can say günaydın, and in the evening iyi akşamlar.
How do you say thank you in Turkish?
Teşekkür ederim (teh-shek-KEWR eh-DEH-reem), or the shorter teşekkürler. The reply you'll hear is rica ederim, you're welcome.
How do you ask how much something costs in Turkish?
Bu ne kadar? means how much is this? If the price is too high, çok pahalı means that's too expensive.
Do people in Turkey speak English?
In hotels, tourist areas and big cities, many people speak some English, especially younger people. Outside them, less so, and a few Turkish words help a lot.
Is Turkish hard to pronounce?
Not very. Turkish is spelled the way it sounds, and there are only a few new letters: ı, ö, ü, ç, ş and ğ. Once you know them, you can read any word aloud.
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