Yes, no and the essentials in Turkish
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Turkish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Turkish phrases in this lesson
- Eveteh-VET
- Yes
- Hayırhah-YUHR
- No
- Tamamta-MAM
- Okay
- Anlamadıman-la-ma-DUM
- I don't understand
- İngilizce biliyor musunuz?een-gee-LEEZ-jeh bee-lee-YOR moo-soo-NOOZ
- Do you speak English?
- Tekrar eder misiniz?tek-RAR eh-DER mee-see-niz
- Can you repeat that?
- Yavaş lütfenya-VASH lewt-fen
- Slowly, please
- Bu ne?boo NEH
- What is this?
- ... lazımla-ZUM
- I need...
- Bana yardım eder misiniz?ba-NA yar-DUM eh-DER mee-see-niz
- Can you help me?
Clean and unambiguous. A single nod forward also means yes, while a tilt of the head back with raised eyebrows means no, the opposite of what many visitors expect.
Polite no. In conversation "yok" (there is none) covers many everyday negatives: "para yok" (no money), "vakit yok" (no time). "Yok" paired with a click of the tongue is the definitive Turkish no that every traveler recognizes.
The all-purpose okay, agreed, fine. You will hear it dozens of times a day. "Olur" (oh-LOOR), it is possible, is the everyday yes to any request.
Past tense, literally "I did not understand". The present "anlamıyorum" works too. Saying either in Turkish earns respect; Turks are genuinely pleased when visitors try.
Literally "do you know English". In tourist areas English is widely spoken; outside Istanbul and coastal resorts it drops off sharply. Turks will make enormous efforts to help even without a shared language.
Polite and complete. Among friends a quick "ne?" (neh), what, or "efendim?" (eh-fen-DEEM) does the same job. Efendim is also how Turks answer the phone.
The full sentence is "daha yavaş konuşur musunuz?" (could you speak more slowly?). Turkish is spoken fast and swallows syllables, so this one gets used.
Point at anything on a menu, a market stall or a plate. The answer often comes with a free taste.
"Bana bir taksi lazım" (I need a taxi). Lazım is invariable and very common. "... ihtiyacım var" (eeh-tee-ya-JUHM var) is the more formal way to say the same.
Polite and effective anywhere. Turks treat helping a lost or confused guest as a point of honor, and someone will usually walk you there rather than just point.