Phrases and Words that will help you in your first weeks in Turkey
It never fails. Nearly every Turk you meet will ask you the same five questions over and over. Being able to understand their questions and answer them will give you a peace of mind and help you be a more confident traveler.
We've uploaded videos of a native Turk saying these phrases so that you can hear the way they say it. Learning how to say things from a local is so much better for your own language learning and will help you develop ears for their language.
Turkish is such a beautiful and polite language! You'll notice that many of the words and phrases say "to politely say." We included this verb conjugation so that you can be the most polite and warm with your warm hosts. This will make your hosts love you even more!
Scroll to the bottom to download our free printable of Turkish words and phrases!
1. Hello
To say hello in Turkish: "Merhaba"
2. How are you?
To politely ask how someone is doing, say, "Nasılsınız?"
3. Where is the market?
To ask where the market is, say, "Market nerede?"
4. My name is ___.
The Turk in the video is Vahit, so when saying this, replace "Vahit" with your name. To say my name is, say, "Benim adım _____."
5. What is your name?
It is polite to ask other people's names, especially in Turkish culture! To ask what is your name, say, "Senin adın ne?"
6. Where are you from?
The Turkish people are very interested in visitors and so happy to host and meet you! Hometowns and where your family is from are very important in the Turkish culture.
When answering this question, they want to know either your country or if you are from a well-known state or city, you can answer that, too. A good rule of thumb would be to ask your tour guide how to say your country, state, or city in Turkish. Places are not always the same pronunciation or even the same word in every language.
To politely ask someone where they are from, say, "Nerelısınız?"
To specifically ask for hometown, say, "Memleketin nerese?"
To say, "I am American. Where are you from?" say: "Ben Amerikalı'yım. Nerelisin?"
7. Where is the restroom?
It is very important to be able to ask for the restrooms when you visit a new country. It is a basic need that you'll need throughout your trip. To ask for the restroom say, "Tuvalet nerede?"
8. Can you write it down?
You may need an address or for someone to make a note for you. This also helps to get them to slow down a bit when speaking and explaining details. To ask for someone to write it down, you can say, "Yazabilir mısın?"
9. What is the address?
To ask for the address, say, "Adres hangisi?"
10. How much is this?
It would be impossible, or just disappointing, to visit Turkey and not go to one of the pazars if not even the Grand Bazar. When you go, you may want to ask for the price of something. To ask, "How much is this? say "Ne kadar?"
11. May I have some water?
To ask for water say, "Su alabır mıyım?"
Would you like a printable to have all your notes in one place? Click here to download our gift to you!