Practical · Language
Turkish for travellers
Turkish is written exactly as it is spoken: learn the handful of letters below and you can read any sign, menu or bus destination aloud. Here are the phrases you will actually use, the numbers for prices, and a verb conjugator when you want to go further.
Turkish phrases by situation → Taxi, restaurant, directions, hotel, bazaar, pharmacy and bus station.
How to pronounce Turkish
Every letter has one sound and every letter is pronounced; there are no silent letters except ğ. These are the ones that differ from what you would guess:
| Letter | Sounds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| c | like j in jam | cami |
| ç | like ch in chair | çay |
| ğ | silent; lengthens the vowel before it | dağ |
| ı | like the a in about (an i without the dot) | ılık |
| i | like ee in see, but short | iki |
| j | like s in measure | jeton |
| ö | like the German ö; say e with rounded lips | göz |
| ş | like sh in ship | şehir |
| ü | like the German ü; say ee with rounded lips | üç |
| e | like e in bed | ev |
| r | a light tap of the tongue, never silent | raki |
| y | always like y in yes | yol |
Stress usually falls on the last syllable (te·şek·kür e·de·RİM). In the phrase list, a syllable in capitals marks the common exceptions.
Basics
| Turkish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Merhaba | mer·ha·ba | Hello |
| Günaydın | gü·nay·dın | Good morning |
| İyi akşamlar | i·yi ak·şam·lar | Good evening |
| Teşekkür ederim | te·şek·kür e·de·rim | Thank you |
| Sağ olun | saa o·lun | Thanks (everyday, warmer) |
| Lütfen | LÜT·fen | Please |
| Evet / Hayır | e·vet / ha·yır | Yes / No |
| Pardon | par·don | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Türkçe bilmiyorum | türk·çe BİL·mi·yo·rum | I don't speak Turkish |
| İngilizce biliyor musunuz? | in·gi·liz·ce bi·li·yor mu·su·nuz | Do you speak English? |
| Anlamadım | an·LA·ma·dım | I didn't understand |
| Hoşça kalın | HOŞ·ça ka·lın | Goodbye (said by the one leaving) |
Getting around
| Turkish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| … nerede? | NE·re·de | Where is …? |
| Tuvalet nerede? | tu·va·let NE·re·de | Where is the toilet? |
| Bu otobüs … gider mi? | bu o·to·büs … gi·der mi | Does this bus go to …? |
| Burada durabilir misiniz? | bu·RA·da du·ra·bi·lir mi·si·niz | Can you stop here? |
| Sağ / Sol / Düz | saa / sol / düz | Right / Left / Straight on |
| Taksimetreyi açar mısınız? | tak·si·met·re·yi a·çar mı·sı·nız | Could you turn on the meter? |
| Bir bilet, lütfen | bir bi·let LÜT·fen | One ticket, please |
Eating and drinking
| Turkish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hesap, lütfen | he·sap LÜT·fen | The bill, please |
| Su, lütfen | su LÜT·fen | Water, please |
| Menü var mı? | me·nü var mı | Is there a menu? |
| Et yemiyorum | et YE·mi·yo·rum | I don't eat meat |
| Acı olmasın | a·cı OL·ma·sın | Not spicy, please |
| Çok lezzetli | çok lez·zet·li | Very tasty |
| Afiyet olsun | a·fi·yet ol·sun | Enjoy your meal (you will hear it when the food arrives) |
Shopping and prices
| Turkish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ne kadar? | NE ka·dar | How much is it? |
| Kartla ödeyebilir miyim? | kart·la ö·de·ye·bi·lir mi·yim | Can I pay by card? |
| Fiş alabilir miyim? | fiş a·la·bi·lir mi·yim | Can I have a receipt? |
| Çok pahalı | çok pa·ha·lı | That's too expensive |
| Sadece bakıyorum | SA·de·ce ba·kı·yo·rum | I'm just looking |
Help and health
| Turkish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yardım edin! | yar·dım e·din | Help! |
| Doktor lazım | dok·tor la·zım | I need a doctor |
| Eczane nerede? | ec·za·ne NE·re·de | Where is a pharmacy? |
| Kayboldum | kay·bol·dum | I'm lost |
| Polis çağırın | po·lis ça·ğı·rın | Call the police |
| … alerjim var | a·ler·jim var | I'm allergic to … |
Numbers and prices
Turkish numbers are built like a calculator: say the parts from left to right. 25 is yirmi beş (twenty five), 342 is üç yüz kırk iki (three hundred forty two). There is no "one" before hundred or thousand: 100 is yüz, 1,000 is bin, 1,500 is bin beş yüz.
| Number | Turkish |
|---|---|
| 0 | sıfır |
| 1 | bir |
| 2 | iki |
| 3 | üç |
| 4 | dört |
| 5 | beş |
| 6 | altı |
| 7 | yedi |
| 8 | sekiz |
| 9 | dokuz |
| 10 | on |
| 11 | on bir |
| 20 | yirmi |
| 30 | otuz |
| 40 | kırk |
| 50 | elli |
| 60 | altmış |
| 70 | yetmiş |
| 80 | seksen |
| 90 | doksan |
| 100 | yüz |
| 1,000 | bin |
Prices are said the same way followed by lira: 250 TL is iki yüz elli lira. Kuruş are hundredths of a lira and you will rarely hear them. To ask, say Ne kadar? (how much?).
Why Turkish words get so long
Turkish builds meaning by adding endings to a word, one after another, where English would use separate words:
- ev — house
- evde — in the house
- evdeki — the one in the house
- evdekiler — the ones in the house
- evdekilerin — of the ones in the house
The vowel of an ending changes to match the last vowel of the word: evde (in the house) but okulda (at school). This is vowel harmony, and once you notice it you will hear it everywhere. The same rules decide how verbs change.