Greetings
Merhaba
MER-ha-ba
Hello — the universal greeting. 'Selam' is the casual version.
Nasılsın?
NA-suhl-suhn
How are you? (informal). Reply: 'İyiyim, teşekkürler' — I'm well, thanks.
Teşekkür ederim
te-shek-KOOR e-de-rim
Thank you. Shorter: 'teşekkürler' or the casual 'sağ ol'.
Lütfen
LOOT-fen
Please.
Daily life
Ne kadar?
neh ka-DAR
How much is it? Essential in the bazaars, where bargaining is expected.
Food
Bir çay, lütfen
beer chai LOOT-fen
A tea, please. Çay (black tea in a tulip glass) is the social glue of Türkiye.
Hesap, lütfen
he-SAP LOOT-fen
The bill, please.
Afiyet olsun
a-fi-YET ol-soon
'Bon appétit / enjoy your meal' — said before and after eating.
Social
Tamam
ta-MAM
OK / alright / done. You'll hear and use it constantly.
Çok güzel
chok goo-ZEL
Very nice / beautiful / delicious — endlessly useful.
İngilizce biliyor musunuz?
in-gi-LIZ-je bi-li-yor moo-soo-nooz
Do you speak English? (English is common in tourist/expat areas, less so elsewhere).
Emergency
İmdat!
im-DAT
Help! — for emergencies.
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