Greetings and politeness in Turkish
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. 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 11 Turkish phrases in this lesson
- MerhabaMER-ha-ba
- Hello
- Günaydıngew-nai-DUHN
- Good morning
- İyi akşamlaree-YEE ak-SHAM-lar
- Good evening
- Hoşça kalınHOSH-cha ka-LUHN
- Goodbye
- Görüşürüzgew-rew-shew-REWZ
- See you
- LütfenLEWT-fen
- Please
- Teşekkür ederimteh-shek-KEWR eh-deh-rim
- Thank you
- Rica ederimree-JAH eh-deh-rim
- You're welcome
- Özür dilerimuh-ZEWR dee-leh-rim
- Sorry
- Affedersinizaf-feh-DER-si-niz
- Excuse me
- Memnun oldummem-NOON ol-DOOM
- Nice to meet you
The everyday greeting for any situation. Friends and younger people say "selam" (seh-LAHM), borrowed from Arabic. Use Merhaba with shopkeepers, hotel staff and anyone you meet for the first time.
Literally "day bright", a wish that your day turns out a bright one. The reply is also Günaydın. Used until around midday, after which "iyi günler" (good day) takes over. Turks greet every shopkeeper on arrival; it is considered rude not to.
Works on arrival and on leaving once the afternoon is over. The pattern is always "iyi" (good) plus the time of day plus the plural -lar: "iyi günler" (good day), "iyi geceler" (good night, for bedtime only).
Said by the person leaving, literally "stay pleasantly". The casual form is "hoşça kal". The person staying replies "güle güle" (GEW-leh GEW-leh), go with laughter, one of Turkish's most charming phrases. Only the one staying behind can say it.
Literally "we will see each other", what friends say on parting. Hoşça kalın is the polite goodbye.
The universal polite add-on: "bir çay lütfen" (one tea please). In practice Turks soften requests with tone and "bir" (one) more than with please; overusing Lütfen can sound slightly stiff, but as a visitor it reads as respectful.
The full, polite thanks. "Teşekkürler" is shorter, and among friends "sağ ol" (SAH ol), literally be healthy, is what you hear most. After a meal, add "ellerinize sağlık" (health to your hands) to the cook, one of the most appreciated compliments in Turkish culture.
Polite and warm. The casual equivalents are "bir şey değil" (beer SHAY deh-EEL), it is nothing, and "ne demek" (neh deh-MEK), what do you mean (implying of course). Turks will be delighted you know any of them.
Literally "I ask forgiveness", for a genuine apology. For bumping into someone a quick "pardon" (borrowed from French) is what everyone says.
The polite way to get a waiter's or stranger's attention before a question. It can also apologise, but Özür dilerim covers real apologies. For squeezing through a crowd, a soft "pardon" does the job.
Literally "I became pleased". The reply is "ben de" (ben DEH), me too. "Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum" is the full formal version you will hear in offices.