Turkish Language - Some Street Turkish and Daily Expressions
The using of the name of Deity in daily speech is not considered strong talk as it would be to call on God in the English language. The following examples are quite ordinary usage in daily Turkish.
Some Daily Interjections !
Meaning Invocation New Turkish
Before beginning something
İnşallah umarım -
I hope
Just at beginning
Bısmıllah -
Goodbye..!
Allahaısmaladik
Hoşçakal..! -
Keep well..!
When surprised/disappointed
Allah
Allah..!!
Hadi ya!, Vay canına! -
Well now!, What the heck?
When giving up -
(see note below)
Eyvallah -
To get to the end, finish off
Ya Allah -
Promise, swear
Vallah Bıllah
Yemin ederim -
I'm sure
Show self confidence
Evallah -
Fully motivated
Alımallah -
Bored
Fesuphanallah
Of! - (a sound)
ah
More bored
Hasbınallah -
Give up
İllallah Bıktım (verb: bıkmak) -
I am fed up
Great inspiration and motivation
Allah,
Allah, Allah -
Succeeded
Maşallah Aferin! -
Well done!
"Please don't mention it.." - showing modesty
Estağfurulla
Lafi bile olmaz -
It is not even worth mentioning
At failure
Hay Allah -
Some of the younger people do not use all these invocations, but you will hear them everywhere and read them in newspapers and novels, so to my mind they are useful to know.
Thanks to Alex Taurus and Dicle Düzgün for their contributions - May 2008
Some notes on the formulas above
Allahaısmaladık - Means
Goodbye. - (lit:
We call on Allah..) - when leaving company or after making a visit to someone's home. This formula is only spoken by the persons who are actually leaving.
- Listen to
Here our unknown friend is signifying "No" by raising his eyebrows with an uptilt of the head..
Quite often one will make the sound "tut" at the same time. Note that, shaking the head from side to side does not mean - "NO". It signifies -
I don't understand.
This is often a mistake made by Europeans when trying to say - "No" - and is the cause of many misunderstandings - you must tilt your head backwards and raise the eyebrows when indicating negation and saying "No"
If you shake your head to mean -
No - you will be misunderstood and the Turk will probably repeat himself thinking that you have not understood their meaning...
Turkish Language - Some Daily Turkish Conversational Locutions
Here are a few regularly used locutions translated into Turkish. We all use these kind of sayings in our daily language to help us think and to
emphasize our meaning. Using these locutions will make your conversational language seem more fluid and normal in daily speech. You can sort alphabetically either on English or Turkish by clicking the header (but note that the Turkish letters
ı, ş, ç, ö, ü do not sort in series but at the end of the turkish alphabet after the letter -
z.
You can learn this list one by one below:
A List of Daily Conversational Locutions (192)
English Turkish
According to that ona göre
At last nihayet ; sonunda
After all nede olsa
At least en azından
A little biraz
At most en çok ; azami
A little bit bir parça
At once derhal
All day long bütün gün
At random rastgele
All of a sudden birdenbire
At short notice kısa süre içinde
All of you hepiniz
All over the world bütün dünyada
At the back arkada
All right peki
At the door kapıda
All set? tamam mı?
At the end sonunda
Almost hemen hemen
At the same time aynı zamanda
A longtime ago çoktan beri
As a matter of fact nitekim
Before long çok geçmeden yakında
As a rule usulen
As for me bana kalırsa
Besides bundan başka
As if ; as though sanki ; güya
Better daha iyi
As usual her zamanki gibi
Both of you ikiniz de
As you please nasıl isterseniz
By airmail uçakla
At any rate her zaman
By heart ezberden
At first ilkin
By means of aracıyla
At hand elde
By no means asla
By the way sırası gelmişken
By turns sıra ile
Care of eliyle
How is that? nasıl olur?
Come in! buyurun ; giriniz
How many? kaç tane
Consequently bundan dolayı
How much. kaça? ; ne kadar?
Don't mention it bir şey değil
I am sorry! affedesiniz!; üzülüyorum
Don't worry merak etmeyin
Enclosed ilişik olarak
I am sure eminim
Ever since o zamandan beri
I beg your pardon özür dilerim
Every day her gün
Face to face yüz yüze
I can't help it elimde değil
For ever sonsuzca
For God's sake! Allaha aşkına!
I don't care aldırmam!
For Instance örneğin
If need be gerekirse
For sale satılık
If possible kabilse
For the first time ilk kez olarak
Ill-timed zamansız
for the time being şimdilik
In a hurry acele ; ivedili
Frequently sık sık
In any case ; somehow her halde ; nasılsa
From end to end baştan başa
In due course zamanında
From now on şimdiden sonra
In due time tam zamanında
From this moment bu andan sonra
In every respect her bakımdan
From this time on bundan sonra
In fact esasen ; nitekim
Full up dolmuştur
In front of önünde ; karşısında
Good for nothing işe yaramaz
In no time bir çırpıda
Good looking yakışıklı
In order to amacıyla
Good luck iyi şanslar
In spite of it ona rağmen
Gradually git gide
In the end sonunda
Help yourself buyurun
In the first place ilk önce
How are you? nasılsınız?
In the future gelecekte
In the long run sonunda
In the meantime bu arada
In the middle ortada
No doubt şüphesiz
In the morning sabahleyin
No harm done zararı yok
In the open açık havada
Not at all hiç de değil
In the shade gölgede
Now and again ; now and then arada sırada
In the very act Suçüstü
In this case bu halde
In this manner böylelikle
Of course tabii
In time zamanında ; vaktinde
Of late geçenlerde
In turns sıra ile
On and on durmadan
Isn't it? değil mi?
Once again bir daha
Is that so? sahi mi?
Once and for all kesinlikle
I suppose so galiba
Once a week haftada bir
It is all the same fark etmez
Once in a while ara sıra
It is not worth while değmez
Once more tekrar ; bir daha
It is of no use boşuna
On condition that şartıyle
One by one birer birer
Just a moment bir dakika
On foot yürüyerek
Just in case ne olur ne olmaz
On leave izinli
Just in time tam vaktinde
On purpose bile bile ; kasten
On the contrary tersine ; aksine
Less daha az
Let me alone git işine
On the left solda
Let's go gidelim
On the right sağda
Little by little azar azar
On the other hand diğer taraftan
Long ago uzun zamandan beri
Look out! dikkat et!
On top of tepesinde
Over again tekrar
Made to order ısmarlama
Over there orada
Maybe belki ; olabilir
Please lütfen ; rica ederim
More or less aşağı yukarı
Providing that şartıyle
Ready made hazır konfeksiyon
Till morning sabaha kadar
Return ticket gidiş-dönüş bileti
To be sure tabii
To let ; to rent kiralık
Right here işte burada
Too many pek çok
Right there işte orada
Too much pek fazla
Rough and ready yarım yamalak
Under age yaşça küçük
Up side down darmadağın
Safe and sound sağ salim
Up to date modern
See you later gene görüşeli
Up to now şimdiye kadar
Side by side yan yana
Since a long time uzun zamandan beri
Welcome! hoş geldiniz
Well done! bravo!
Since then ozamandan beri
What happened? ne oldu?
So long eyvallah
What's happening? ; What's up? ne oluyor?
Sooner or later er geç
So-so şöyle böyle
What's wrong with you? neniz var?
So to say sözde ; sanki
So that şöyle ki
What's the matter? ne çıkar?
What next? ya sonra?
Thanks a lot teşekkürler
Why not? neden olmasın?
Agreed ; OK! anlaştık
Willy nilly ister istemez
That right doğru ; tamam
With a view to amacıyle
That is to say yani
With no exceptions ayrıksız
That maybe olabilir
With one accord oy birliği ile
Then o zaman ; öyleyse
The soonest possible bir an önce
With your leave izninizle
You're welcome bir şey değil
Turkish Language - All about - buyurun - "Please be so kind..."
buyurun - or the more formal -
buyurunuz - is a widely used word in Turkish. There are many translations in English according to context. It is the second person Singular or Plural of the Simple Present tense of the verb -
buyurmak - which basically means:
Would you be so kind as to... - [Literally: Would you deign to.. to command.. to decree.. to make an order..]
All or any of these meanings can be applied according to context - and in fact this word has become a sort of universal polite request, pleasant command, and is in constant daily use in all areas of Turkish life. A sort of catch-all word for most situations.
- It is a very important word to learn.
Let us consider how it is used:
- When calling on someone's house and they say - buyurun it means - Please come in...
- When they point to a chair - buyurun - Please sit down...
- When they serve tea - buyurun - Please drink and enjoy...
- On entering a shop the shopkeeper may say - buyurun efendim - meaning - Can I help you, sir?..
- In a restaurant or cafe when the waiter or bar man says -
buyurun -it means -
What would you like?..
- In many busy places markets, souvenir shops, cafes etc. there is often a professional "barker" who will be saying to all passers by
- buyurun - Come and buy...
- If in a cafe you ask to see what food is being prepared in the kitchen (normal in Turkey) then the answer would be - buyurun
- meaning in this case - Of course you may...!
- When answering the telephone you say - buyurun meaning - I'm listening to your call... - Turkish speakers also say - efendim - on answering telephone phone to say - Hello..- in a polite manner.
- When passing people in narrow places or entering lifts etc. -
buyurun - means -
After you..!
Turkish language - The Time, Seasons, Months, Days, Weather, Numbers
A Time Vocabulary saniye -
second
an -
moment
dakika -
minute
saat (plural:
saatler -
hours) -
hour
gün -
day
hafta -
week
ay -
month [also -
moon]
yıl or
sene (arab.) -
year - (you will hear both of these words in general use)
zaman -
time
vakit (vakti..) -
time as a particular occasion
defa -
time (as an event or occasion)
kere -
time (as an event, occasion or point in time)
kez -
a point in time
The word "time..."
zaman -
time - this word is the main one in use for - "time, occasion.."
ne zaman? -
what time?, when?
kaç zaman -
how long?, how much time?
zamandan zamana [zaman-dan zaman-a] -
from time to time..
her zaman -
all the time, every time, always
her ne zaman -
whenever.. vakit (vakti)-
point in time, occasion
- Note:
vakit - loses final vowel when suffixed with a vowel. See
Nouns losing internal vowel
Some examples
vakit (vakti)-
point in time, occasion
Boş, vaktimiz var mı? -
Have we got time to spare?
vaktim yok, vaktim kalmadı -
I haven't got time...
kere -
time, point in time
dört kere -
four times
Onu, beş kere yaptım -
I did it five times..
kez -
time, point in time - This is a provincialism, but is also used regularly in modern daily speech.
üç kez -
three times her kez -
always bu kez -
this time
Thanks to Nurcan Akaltun Çiftçi for additions to the above section - JG
- June 2008.
What time is it..?
All about the -
to the o'clock.., past the o'clock.. - and -
at the o'clock.. -
usages in Turkish to tell the time. Turkish requires or demands different/alternative forms when you want to tell the time.
There there are basically four different forms to tell the time.
Sentence structure Clause structure Short analog form Digital Form
Now let us classify the suffixes for each structure
Structure: It is # min. to # o'clock..
-e var
Saat iki'ye on (dakika) var -
It is ten (minutes) to two
Structure: It is # min. past # o'clock
-i geçiyor
Saat iki'yi on (dakika) geçiyor. -
It is ten (minutes) past two.
Structure:
At the time that..At # min. to # o'clock..
-e kala Saat iki'ye on (dakika) kala. -
At ten to two.
Structure:
At the time that..At #min. past # o'clock..
-i geçe Saat iki'yi on (dakika) geçe. -
At ten past two.
The Sentence Structure can only be used with the suffix -
-ken -
while..
- inside another sentence as the examples below show... Saat kaç acaba? - What time is it please? - Saat Yedi'yi çeyrek geçiyor.
Some examples
Ne zaman gelirsin? -
When (at what time) will you come? Saat yedi'yi çeyrek geçiyor'da gelirim -
(WRONG!)
Saat yedi'yi çeyrek geçiyorken gelirim - (TRUE with
-ken)
Saat yedi'yi çeyrek geçe gelirim - (CLAUSE form)
or -
Saat altı'ya beş var'da gelirim -
(WRONG!)
Saat altı'ya beş varken gelirim - (TRUE with
-ken)
Saat altı'ya beş kala gelirim - (CLAUSE form)
Any of the 3 forms (except for the sentence structure) can be used within a sentence. Let us see some examples...
Saat 7'yi çeyrek geçe gelirim - (Clause)
Saat 7 çeyrekte gelirim - (Analog)
Saat 7:15 (yedi onbeş)te gelirim - (Digital)
When you use the sentence structure, then it is used like this...
Saat 7'yi çeyrek geçerken gelirim. -
I will arrive at a quarter past seven. [Lit: I will arrive (come) as (while) a quarter is passing 7 o'clock.]
Some times of day..
Turkish English
şafak dawn
kahvaltı breakfast
sabah morning
sabahleyin at morning, in the morning
gün day
bütün gün all day long
her gün every day
gündüz daytime, daylight
öğle noon
öğleden sonra afternoon
öğle yemeği lunch
akşam evening
akşamleyin in the evening, at eventide
akşam üstü teatime, early evening
akşam yemeği dinner, evening meal
dün yesterday
dün sabah yesterday morning
dün akşam yesterday evening
dün gece last night
evvelki gün the day before yesterday
alacakaranlık [alaca-karanlık]
twilight
gece night
geceleyin in the night, at night
gece yarısı Lit: night its-half midnight
geçen gün the day past, the other day, yesterday
geçen ay last month
geçen sene/yil last year
geçen hafta last week
geçenlerde recently (in the past), lately
erken early
geç late
ne zaman when (what time, the time that..)
ay month
cumartesi gecesi saturday night
ertesi gün the following day
ertesi hafta the following week
evvelki/evvelsi gün the day before yesterday
geceleri at nights
gelecek hafta next week
hafta week
öbür gün the day after tomorrow
öbür hafta the week after next
öğleleri at noon times
öğleyin at noon
pazar sabahı sunday morning
sabahları in the mornings
son günlerde in the last few days
son zamanlarda recently
yarın tomorrow
yıl/sene year
Saying - "How long for.. ?"
Ne iş yaparsınız? -
What is your job? - [In general, so uses the Simple Present Tense]
Öğretmenim. -
I am a teacher.
Dört yıldır öğretmenim. -
I have been a teacher for 4 years. - [ You explain how many years you have been a teacher.]
İki bin üçten beri öğretmenim. -
I have been a teacher since 2003. - [You explain how long since you became a teacher.]
Dünden beri hastayım. -
I have been ill since yesterday.
Pazar Gününden /Pazardan beri evdeyim. -
I have been at home since Sunday.
Saying - "since..."
-meyeli/-mayalı oldu/oluyor. -
It is/ It was a period time since.. Ben, sinemaya gitmeyeli 3 ay oldu/oluyor. -
It was/is three months since I have been to the cinema.
Birbirimizi görmeyeli beş yıl oldu/oluyor. -
It is five years since we have seen/are seeing each other.
Onlar evleneli sadece/yalnızca 2 ay oldu/oluyor. -
It is just two
months since they were/are married.
Some ways that state the time of an event çoktan, bile, zaten - already, besides
Hâlâ öğle yemeğini yedin mi? -
Have you eaten your lunch yet?
Ooo,çoktan yedim. -
Oooh,I have already eaten.
Yedim bile. -
I have already eaten.
Sanırım bir şeyler yemek istiyor musun?. -
Do you want something to eat.?
Bana bir şey getirme. -
Do not bring me anything.
Ben yedim zaten. -
Besides, I have already eaten.
Yeni/şimdi/henüz - just
Hasan,lütfen banyoya girme. -
Hasan,please don't go into the bathroom.
Yeni/şimdi/henüz temizledim. -
I have just cleaned (it).
Kuruması gerek/lazım. Tamam mı? -
It needs to dry. OK?
Bana 100 lira ödünç verir misin Ayşe? -
Can you lend me 100 Tl Ayşe?
Üzgünüm.. - [or Kusura bakma..] -
veremem. -
I am sorry.. I can't (give).
Daha yeni/şimdi faturaları ödedim. -
I have just paid the bills.
Daha/henüz/hâlâ - yet
Daha/henüz ödevini bitirmedin mi? -
Haven't/have you finished your homework yet?
Hayır, daha bitirmedim. Henüz değil.. -
No, I haven't finished yet. Not yet..
Daha gelmediler. -
They haven't come yet.
şimdiye kadar /şu ana kadar - So far../up to now../until now..
Bu kış şimdiye kadar/şu ana kadar kar yağmadı. -
It has not snowed so far this winter.
Bugün şimdiye kadar/ şu ana kadar hiçbir şey yemedik. -
We have not eaten anything so far today.
ilk - the (very) first..
Bu ilk kez araba sürüşüm/İlk kez araba sürdüm. - T
his is the first time I have driven a car.
Bu, son iki saatte içtiğin beşinci kahve. -
This is the fifth cup of coffee you have drunk in the last two hours.
Son beş saatte iki fincan kahve içtin. -
You have drunk two cups of coffee in the last five hours.
ilk - means -
the very first one.., whereas -
birinci - means -
the first if a series:
Dünyanın ilk insan Adam adlı'dı -
The world's first man was called Adam
Birinci yarış başlamak üzeredir. -
The first race is about to begin.
hayatımda - "ever in my life"
hayatında/hayatınızda -
ever in your life.. (familiar = hayat-ın-da
/formal = hayat-ınız-da)
onun hayatında -
ever.. in his life.. [hayat-ı-n-da = in his life]
hayatımızda -
ever.. in our life
hayatlarında -
ever.. in their life
Bu hayatımda okuduğum en sıkıcı kitap. -
This is the most boring book I have ever read.
Bu hayatımda içinde bulunduğum en zor durum. -
This is the most difficult situation I have ever been in.
Hayatımda tanıştığım en konuşkan/geveze insan. -
He is the most talkative person I have met in my life.
"Have you ever been to ..?"
There are two methods to translate this in Turkish - (1) The Formal Method - and - (2) The Familiar/Informal method.
- Formal: -de / -da / -te / -ta bulunmak - to be (found) in/on at a place
- Hiç Ankara' da bulundun mu? - Have you ever been to Ankara? - [Literature - formal]
- Informal: -a/ -ya, -e/-ye gitmek - to go to a place
- Hiç Ankara' ya gittin mi? - Have you ever been to Ankara
[Colloquial Speech - informal)
once, twice several times..
bir kez, bir defa, bir kere -
once
iki kez, iki defa, iki kere -
twice birçok kez/defa/kere -
several times hiç -
ever [in positive sentences]
hiç -
never [in negative sentences]
Neredeydin? - [or colloquial - Nerdeydin?] -
Where have you been? / Where were you?
Have you ever been to Antalya? -
Hiç Antalya'da bulundun mu?
Have you ever been to Antalya? -
Hiç Antalya'ya gittin mi? Yes,I have been there once/twice. -
Evet, bir defa/iki defa/ orada bulundum.
Yes,I have been there many times. -
Evet, bir çok kere (bir çok kez/ bir çok defa) oraya gittim.
No, I have not been/never been there. -
Yo, Antalya'ya hiç gitmedim. No, I have not been/never been there. -
Yo, Antalya'da hiç bulunmadım.
Yo.. - is a gentle conversational way of saying - "No..". It is not so strong as using
Hayır -
No... It nay be a contraction of - "yok" - "there is not.."
Thanks to Nurcan Akaltun Çiftçi for contributing the sections above.. - JG - June 2008.
Seasons and the Weather Names of the Months
January -
ocak July -
temmuz February -
şubat August -
ağustos March -
mart September -
eylül
April -
nisan October -
ekim
May -
mayıs November -
kasım
June -
haziran December -
aralık
Names of the Months (and Days of the Week) are usually written without a capital letter in Turkish
- Thanks to Emiel V. - 17 Nov. 2009
The Weekday Names
Sunday -
pazar - (Lit: market)
Monday -
pazartesi - (Lit: after Sunday)
Tuesday -
salı - (undefined)
Wednesday -
çarşamba - (Lit: 4 days after Sabbath - from Persian)
Thursday -
perşembe - (Lit: 5 days after Sabbath - from Persian)
Friday -
cuma - (Lit: reunion - related to Persian/Arabic)
Saturday -
cumartesi - (Lit: after Friday)
A Turkish Idiom
Bu iş, çarşamba pazar gibi -
This job is a complete mess up.. - [lit: This job is like a Wednesday Market.]
The Seasons of the Year Yıl Mevsimi
ilkbahar - [also
bahar is sometimes used]
spring
yaz summer
sonbahar - (also -
güz)
autumn or
fall (American usage)
kış winter
When saying
"in the summer" Turkish says
yazin or
"in the winter" then the word
kışın is used. This ending
-in is an old Instrumental Case which is no longer used much in day to day speaking other than these examples. For
"in the spring" and
"in the autumn", the Static Condition (Locative) Suffix is used -
sonbaharda and
ilkbaharda. Very often the simple word
bahar can supplant either
ilkbahar or
sonbahar - it depends on the choice of the speaker..
The Cardinal Points Dört Yön
Kuzey North
Güney South
Doğu East
Bati West
About the Weather - A Weather Vocabulary
berbat -
awful fırtına -
storm
soğuk -
cold güneş -
sun (n.)
sıcak -
hot güneşli -
sunny (adj.)
güzel -
good, nice hava sıcaklığı -
temperature
harika -
marvellous sıcaklık -
heat
yağmur -
rain (noun.)
derece -
degree(s) yağmur yağmak -
rain (verb.)
şemsiye -
umbrella yağmurlu, yağışlı -
rainy (adj.)
ılık -
warm
kar -
snow (n.)
hava -
weather
kar yağmak -
snow (v.)
hava tahmini -
weather forecast kar yağışlı, karlı -
snowy (adj.)
hava durumu - weather condition
dolu -
hail rüzgar -
wind (n.)
hafif -
light yel -
wind
sert -
heavy poyraz -
breeze
durmak -
stop (v.)
rüzgar esmek -
to blow wind (v.)
yıldırım -
lightning (n.)
rüzgarlı -
windy (adj.)
Some daily expressions about the weather
Ne güzel bir gün! -
What a lovely day!
Hava yarın nasıl olacak? -
What will the weather be like tomorrow? Yine güneşli, fakat biraz rüzgarlı. -
It's sunny again, but a little windy.
Kaç derece? -
What is the temperature?
Hava çok sıcak. . - T
he weather is very hot.
Neredeyse 31 derece. -
Nearly 31°C (degree Celsius).
Erzurumda kar yağacağını düşünüyor musun? -
Do you think it will snow in Erzurum?
Sanmıyorum. Kar için erken. -
I don't think so. It is early to snow. Fırtına olacağını düşünüyor musun? -
Do you think there will be a storm?
Sanmıyorum. -
I don't think so.
Ama Ağrı'da kar yağıyor. -
But it is snowing in Ağrı.
Orada kar yağışı ne zaman durur? -
When will it stop snowing up there?
Yakında durur. -
It will stop soon.
Yağmur mu başlayacak? -
Will it start to rain?
Evet, birazdan yağmur başlayacak gibi. -
Yes, looks like rain soon.
Şemsiyeye ihtiyacım olur mu? -
Do I need an umbrella?
Sana şemsiyeni yanına almanı öneririm. -
I suggest you to get your umbrella with you.
Ne berbat hava! Saat başı değişiyor. -
What an awful weather! It changes hourly.
Yağmur mu yağıyor? -
Is it raining?
Evet, yağıyor. -
Yes, it is (raining).
Cardinal Numbers - one,two etc.
l Number s 0 - 49
sıfır 0
on 10
yirmi 20
otuz 30
kırk 40
bir 1
on bir 11
yirmi bir 21
otuz bir 31
kırk bir 41
| iki 2 |
on iki 12 |
yirmi iki 22 |
otuz iki 32 |
kırk iki 42 |
| üç 3 |
on uç 13 |
yirmi uç 23 |
otuz uç 33 |
kırk uç 43 |
| dört 4 |
on dört 14 |
yirmi dört 24 |
otuz dört 34 |
kırk dört 44 |
| beş 5 |
on beş 15 |
yirmi beş 25 |
otuz beş 35 |
kırk beş 45 |
| altı 6 |
on altı 16 |
yirmi altı 26 |
otuz altı 36 |
kırk altı 46 |
| yedi 7 |
on yedi 17 |
yirmi yedi 27 |
otuz yedi 37 |
kırk yedi 47 |
| sekiz 8 |
on sekiz 18 |
yirmi sekiz 28 |
otuz sekiz 38 |
kırk sekiz 48 |
| dokuz 9 |
on dokuz 19 |
yirmi dokuz 29 |
otuz dokuz 39 |
kırk dokuz 49 |
Cardinal Numbers 50
- 99
| elli 50 |
altmış 60 |
yetmiş 70 |
seksen 80 |
doksan 90 |
| elli bir 51 |
altmış bir 61 |
yetmiş bir 71 |
seksen bir 81 |
doksan bir 91 |
| elli iki 52 |
altmış iki 62 |
yetmiş iki 72 |
seksen iki 82 |
doksan iki 92 |
| elli uç 53 |
altmış uç 63 |
yetmiş uç 73 |
seksen uç 83 |
doksan uç 93 |
elli dört 54
altmış dört 64
yetmiş dört 74
seksen dört 84
doksan dört
94
elli beş 55
altmış beş 65
yetmiş beş 75
seksen beş 85
doksan beş 95
elli altı 56
altmış altı 66
yetmiş altı 76
seksen altı 86
doksan altı 96
elli yedi 57
altmış yedi 67
yetmiş yedi 77
seksen yedi 87
doksan yedi 97
elli sekiz 58
altmış sekiz 68
yetmiş sekiz
78
seksen sekiz
88
doksan sekiz
98
elli dokuz 59 altmış dokuz yetmiş dokuz seksen dokuz doksan dokuz
69 79 89 99
Cardinal Numbers 100
- 1,000,000
| yüz 100 |
iki bin 2000 |
oniki bin 12000 |
yirmi iki bin 22000 |
| iki yüz 200 |
uç bin 3000 |
onuç bin 13000 |
yirmi uç bin 23000 |
| uç yüz 300 |
dört bin 4000 |
ondört bin 14000 |
yirmi dört bin 24000 |
| dört yüz 400 |
beş bin 5000 |
onbeş bin 15000 |
yirm beş bin 25000 |
| beş yüz 500 |
altı bin 6000 |
onaltı bin 16000 |
yirmi altı bin 26000 |
| altı yüz 600 |
yedi bin 7000 |
onyedi bin 17000 |
yirmi yedi bin 27000 |
| yedi yüz 700 |
sekiz bin 8000 |
onsekiz bin 18000 |
yirmi sekiz bin 28000 |
| sekiz yüz 800 |
dokuz bin 9000 |
ondokuz bin 19000 |
otuz bin 30000 |
dokuz yüz
900
on bın 10000
yirmi bim 20000
elli bin 50000
bin 1000
onbir bin 11000
yirmi bir bin 21000
bir milyon 1000000
Some Notes on Numbers
- yüz (yüz also means - face or reason)
- Cardinal numbers are followed by singular nouns. iki ev - two houses, beş yüz araba - five-hundred cars, kırk ağaç - forty trees
- beş yüz yirmi üç bin yedi yüz elli sekiz - 523,758 - Which may also be written in official papers and banks without any spaces - as: beşyüzyirmiüçbinyediyüzellisekiz - 523,758
- When we in English stste a small general numerical amount we will say (for instance) - "Two or three eggs". However Turkish will say - üç bes yurmurta - three or five eggs
- In Turkish the number kırk - forty is used to signify an uncountable amount.- kırk yılda bir - once in forty years - is equivalent to - "Once in a blue moon" in English.
Ordinal Numbers - "first"
Ordinal Numbers
birinci - also -
ilk - first ; 1st
yirmi üçüncü twenty-third ; 23rd
ikinci second ; 2nd
otuz dördüncü thirty-fourth ; 34th
üçüncü third ; 3rd
elli beşinci fifty-fifth ; 55th
dördüncü fourth ; 4th
kırk altıncı forty-sixth ; 46th
beşinci fifth ; 5th
altmış yedinci sixty-seventh ; 67th
altıncı sixth ; 6th
on sekizinci eighteenth ; 18th
yedinci seventh ; 7th
doksan dokuzuncu ninety-ninth ; 99th
sekizinci eighth ; 8th
yüzüncü hundredth ; 100th
dokuzuncu ninth ; 9th
bininci thousandth ; 1000th
onuncu tenth ; 10th
sıfır zero ; 0
Fractions and percentage yarım (noun) -
half
yarım elma -
a half an apple
yarı (adj.) -
half yarı elma -
a half apple
elmanın yarısı -
the apple half
buçuk -
half - [an hour, a kilo, a serving]
çeyrek -
quarter of - [an hour, a kilo, a serving]
bir -
one, #1 - [And is also the indefinite article -
a or
an]
üçte iki [üç-te iki] -
two-thirds - [lit:two in-three]
yüzde yirmibeş -
twenty-five percent - [Lit: 25 in a hundred]
Distributive Numbers - "One each, two each, three each.." Distributive Numbers
yarımşar half each
birer one each
ikişer two each
üçer three each
dörder four each
beşer five each
altışar six each
yedişer seven each
sekizer eight each
dokuzar nine each
onar ten each
on birer eleven each
yirmişer twenty each
yirmi beşer twenty-five each
otuzar thirty each
kırkar forty each
ellişer fifty each
yüzer a hundred each
ikişer yüz - (NOT iki yüzer)
two hundred each
biner a thousand each
ikişer bin - (NOT iki biner)
two thousand each
birer milyon- (NOT milyonar NOR bir milyonar)
a million each
Kızlara ikişer elma verin Give the girls two apple each.
Türk Renkleri - Turkish Colours
The Farsi Word -
siyah -
black - is mainly used for
siyah zeytin -
black olives, otherwise the word -
kara -
black - is used for the colour "black".
The word -
kara - also has another meaning -
land, shore, as in:
karayolları -
land roads (network), main roads,
karakuvetleri -
land forces,
kara suları -
territorial waters
The Old Turkish Words for -
Red -
Al and -
White -
Ak are mostly used in place names and family names.
Alsancak -
Red Banner (an area of İzmir) -
Akhisar -
Whitefort,
Bay Alkan -
Mr. Redblood. Otherwise the words -
beyaz, kirmizi - are used
Words in italics are the intensified form of the colour.
Siyah (Farsi.) -
Simsiyah Black -
Pitch Black Kara -
Kapkara Black -
Pitch Black Beyaz -
Bembeyaz White -
Snow White Kırmızı -
Kıpkırmızı Red -
Bright Red Mavi -
Masmavi Blue -
Bright Blue Turuncu Orange Yeşil
-
Yemyeşil Green -
Bright Green Mor -
Mosmor Purple -
Deep Purple Pembe -
Pespembe Pink -
Shocking Pink Kahverengi Brown (Lit: coffee coloured)
Sarı -
Sapsarı Yellow -
Bright Yellow Gri Grey Renk/Rengi Color Açık Renkli Light Coloured Açık yeşil Light green Koyu Renkli Dark Coloured Koyu gri Dark grey Turkuaz Turquiose Lacivert Navy Blue Gümüş Renkli Silver Coloured Eflatun Lilac Macenta Magenta Bej Beige Bordo Claret Altın Renkli Gold Coloured Ak (Old Turkish.)
White Al (Old Turkish.)
Red
Turkish Language - How to say - "Thanks.."
Here we point out the difference in usage of -
teşekkür ederim -
thank you.. - and the more sincere -
sağ olun -
stay healthy..
What are the services being rendered to us..?
- sağ olun - be healthy, be strong - is used as - thank you.. - for a service which:
- Was not necessarily needed to be performed..
- for someone who has gone out of his way to help you...
- While - teşekkür ederim - thank you.. - [Lit: a thanking perform I - from Arabic] - is used:
In normal circumstances and receiving presents.
Scenario (1)
The waiter puts a nice meal in front of you. Your -
thank you - is -
teşekkür ederim - it is his job...
The waiter puts a bottle of wine in front of you. Your -
thank you - is -
teşekkür ederim - it is his job...
Then the waiter uncorks the bottle of wine and pours it in your glass. Your -
thank you - is -
sağ olun - he need not have performed this service.
The recipient of your gratitude will often answer your -
sağ olun - with the rejoinder -
siz de sağ olun -
health to you (too).. - [the Polite Version said to to stranger].
Other forms are -
sen de sağ ol - or quite short -
siz de - or -
sen de -
you too..
Scenario (2)
You ask someone the time. He looks at his watch and says -
Half past three.
Your answer is -
sağ olun - [You have caused him to perform a service to you]
Scenario (3)
You drop your handkerchief - a stranger picks it up and hand it to you. Your answer is -
sağ olun - [He need not have done it..]
Scenario (4)
Here is a comment one of our readers has made about Turkishcourse.co.uk
Turkish. He has used
sağ olun correctly. Thanking us for providing something unasked...
Very nice website...
...Very descriptive and helpful ..
Turkishcourse.co.uk Turkish has helped me in communicating with my Turkish friends. I just wanted to give
you a very big
sağ olun for producing such a useful website...!
Dan R. - March 2008
Many tourists use -
sağ olun - wrongly instead of using -
teşekkür ederim - as they copy the boy waiter's way of thanking
- as the waiters often use -
sağ olun - for misguided effect. The rule is, if in doubt then use -
teşekkür ederim...
How to answer a "thank you.."
The answer to
teşekkür ederim... is -
bir şey değil -
It is not a thing - or -
rica ederim -
I request..! - [same as "bitte schön" in German] Also used is -
ne demek? -
what does it mean?. This expression -
ne demek? - sounds quite comical in English. But it actually means something like: -
It doesn't matter at all..
The answer -
Rica ederim - is the politest one.
The recipient of your gratitude will often answer your -
sağ olun - with the rejoinder -
sana sağ olun -
health to you (too).. Other Versions are:
sağ ol - familiar
sağ olunuz - public and plural
A simple -
teşekkürler.. also means a very informal -
thanks.. and is used in shops and for small duties performed.
A little "caveat" - or - "take care.."
Many people when first learning Turkish are tempted to use the Present Continuous Tense form -
teşekkür ediyorum... - we would advise you that this form sounds quite comical to the Turkish ear and can also be construed as being sarcastic, so one should always use the Present Simple form -
teşekkür ederim... - and you will not go wrong or be misunderstood.
Expressing need
The usual verbs used to say -
Do you like something..? I like something.. I don't like something.. are as follows:
Positive Negative
sevmek to love, to like sevmemek not to love, not to like
beğenmek to like beğenmemek not to like
rica etmek to request rica etmemek to not request
The word -
rica - is of Arabic Origin and the pronunciation of the last letter
-A is very
open - pronounced
ricAAA ederim - being Arabic, this word does not follow Turkish Pronunciation Rules.
Listen to the long "aaa.." in FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Speaker Icon" Rica ederim
When a Turkish person asks if you like something, they normally ask in the Past Tense -
Did you like the apple? - These type of questions are also answered in the Past Tense -
Yes I liked the apple?
We can see from the examples below that Turkish usually uses the Past Tense in its questions and answers of Preferences. It is different in English as we use both Present and Past Tenses in these situations.
Asking Formally - with the
-iniz form for the polite -
you
Yemeğinizi sevdiniz mi? -
Did/Do you like your meal? Yemeğinizi beğendiniz mi? -
Did/Do you like your meal? Yemeği sevdim. -
I like/liked the meal.
Yemeği beğendim -
I like/liked the meal.
Or the familiar form using the
-in less formal form for -
you Türkiye'yi sevdin mi? or
Türkiye'yi beğendin mi? -
Did you like Turkey?
Yolculuğu sevdin mi? -
Did you enjoy the journey?
Or you may not have liked it!
Türkiye'yi sevdiniz mi? -
Do/Did you like Turkey? Türkiye'yi beğendiniz mi? -
Do/Did you like Turkey? Şunu sevmedim. -
I don't like/ didn't like that.
Şunu beğemedim -
I don't like/ didn't like that.
This shows the use of
şunu -
that one - in its disparaging meaning.
A little "Formula Speak" - one might say...
seni seviyorum! - [Lit: I am loving you!] -
I love you..!
Turkish uses the Continuous Tense to say -
I love you.. as it is more vivid than the Simple Tense which we use in English.
How to say that you do not like something..
We have learned how to say that -
we like something .. using the verbs -
sevmek - and -
beğenmek..
To say that -
we do not like something.. we must use the negative verbs
-
sevmemek - and
beğenmemek.
Some Examples of the Negative
Yolculuğunuzu sevdiniz mi? -
Did you like your journey? Hayır, yolculuğumu sevmedim -
No, I didn't like my journey. Hayır, onu beğenmedim -
No, I didn't like it.
Bamyayı sevmiyor musunuz? -
Don't you like okra? Yoo, bamyayı sevmem -
No, I don't like okra (at all). Ankara,yı beğendiniz mi? -
Did you like Ankara?
Ankara'yı beğenmedim. -
No, I didn't like Ankara.
Using the Present Continuous Tense in Turkish in this situation conveys
vividness.
Evet, onu çok seviyorum.. -
Yes, I like it a lot..
Yoo, onu sevmiyorum. -
No, I am not liking it (at the moment).
- Note the use - of - Yoo.. for No... This is a polite conversational way of saying No... It actually comes from - yok - There isn't.. - but it is gentler than - hayır - the real No! which conveys a real negative feeling
- and is used a lot in conversation.
Some other ways of Expressing Need istemek -
to want - Note: This word is a verb.
Need can be expressed with various verbs - the main one being -
istemek -
to want..
This can be answered with the verb
rica etmek -
to (would) like ... to request .. - very much like the - "bitte schön" - of German.
İstediğiniz bir şey var mı? -
Is there anything that you want?
Bir havlu rica ederim -
I would like (I request) a towel
ihtiyaç -
necessity/need/requirement - Note: this word is a noun. Another word which is used quite often is -
ihtiyaç -
necessity/need/requirement
Bir ihtiyaçınız var mı? -
Is there anything that you require? - [lit: Have you a requirement?]
Evet, bir bardak su, rica ederim. -
Yes, I would like (I request) a glass of water
arzu -
wish, desire - Note: this word is also a noun. Also there is the use of the noun -
arzu -
wish, desire
Başka arzunuz var mı? -
Is there any thing else (that you desire)? This word is often used by shop keepers - grocers and the like -
Anything else madam...? - when daily purchases are being made.
A note about the very important word - "Hoş - agreeable, joyful"
This word is used in many idioms and daily speech, and has many related meanings.
Hoş -
joy - is used with the auxiliary verb -
gitmek -
to go:
Hoşuma gitti - [Hoş-um-a] -
I enjoyed it - [lit: It went to my joy..] - this formula is used a lot in daily Turkish conversation.
Some of the many meanin gs of - hoş
| hoş |
agreeable |
hoş |
amiable |
hoş |
amusing |
| hoş |
bonny |
hoş |
charming |
hoş |
congenial |
| hoş |
cosy |
hoş |
cozy |
hoş |
cuddly |
| hoş |
darling |
hoş |
debonair |
hoş |
delicious |
| hoş |
enchanting |
hoş |
engaging |
hoş |
entertaining |
| hoş |
fine |
hoş |
genial |
hoş |
good |
| hoş |
graceful |
hoş |
grateful |
hoş |
tolerant |
hoş pleasant hoş nice hoş quaint
hoş used with
bir -
strange, odd, peculiar
O şarkıyı duyunca Durmuş'un yüzü bir hoş oldu. -
When he heard that song Durmuş got an odd look on his face.
Midem bir hoş. -
My stomach feels funny.
Sami'nin söylediklerine hiç aldırma, kafası bir hoştur. -
Don't pay any attention to what Sami says, his head has gone.
even if.. -
Hoş, param da olsa almazdım. -
Even if I had the money I wouldn´t buy it.
anyway, anyhow.. -
Hoş, bunu biliyordum. -
I knew this anyway.
Hoş bulduk! [lit: we found goodness] -
Thank you! (said in reply to a welcoming greeting).
Hoş geçinmek /la/ -
to get on well (with).
Mehmet'le hoş geçiniyoruz. -
We are getting on on well with Mehmet.
Hoş geldiniz! -
Welcome! (said to an arriving guest).
Hoşa gitmek -
to be pleasing
Hoşuma gitti -
I enjoyed it. [Hoş-um-a]
John'un hoşuna gitmiş [hoş-u-n-a ] -
It seems that John enjoyed it.
Hoşuna gitmek /ın/ -
to please
Mehmet'in hoşuna gitti. [hoş-u-n-a ] -
Mehmet enjoyed it.
John'un hoşuna gitmiş [hoş-u-n-a ] -
It seem that John enjoyed it.
Hoş görmek /ı/ -
to be tolerant of, overlook, condone
Polis, onu hoş gördü. -
The policeman tolerated it.
Bu çıkan problemi hoş gördük. -
We tolerated the problem that happened.
Hoş karşılamak /ı/ -
to assent to, give one's assent to Belediye, yeni ev planlarımı hoş karşılayacak. -
The Town Corporation will give assent to my new house plans.
Hoş tutmak /ı/ -
to be nice to, make (someone) feel welcome
Lütfen yeni gelen turistleri hoş tutunuz. -
Please be nice to the newly
arrived tourists
Very often you are adding suffixes to the important noun -
hoş -
goodness, joy (basically)
hoş =
goodness
hoş-um =
my goodness
hoş-um-a =
to my goodness
hoş-um-a gitti =
I enjoyed it [It went to my goodness]
- This is a Turkish idiom and much used in daily conversation.
Turkish Language -Turkish Modes of Address "Who are you...?"
The usual method of address when you do not know the person's name or title is as follows:
- For males: Beyefendi - Sir - Daily pronunciation is truncated to: -
Beyfendi
- For females: Hanımefendi - Miss or Madam - Daily pronunciation is truncated to: - Hanfendi - These are used in formal situations and to strangers.
Personal Addressing - Formal and Informal
As stated, the above are used in formal situations. Once names are known then
bey and
hanım are used after the first name, this usage is still formal and semi-formal. These titles follow the given-name (Christian name) and are written without a Capital Letter:
Mustafa bey -
Mr. Mustafa
Ayşe hanım -
Miss or
Mrs. Ayşe
These are used in formal situations when you know the person's first name but also in informal situations to acquaintances, friends and even to you own family members.
Surnames are not usually used in Conversational Turkish, so the
Mustafa bey can mean -
Mr. Mustafa and
Ayşe hanım can mean
Mrs. OR
Miss Ayşe (in a formal situation) or it can mean just a friendly
Mustafa or
Ayşe (without the title) between acquaintances.
All About Names
Turkish has two words for the first name of a person -
isim or
ad - and they can both be used at any time as they are interchangeable. The Turkish word for surname is
soyadı - there is no corresponding word for surname based in the word
isim
İsminiz ne? -
What is your first name?
İsmim Ayşe. -
My name is Ayşe.
isim -
name - becomes -
ism-iniz -
your name and
ism-im -
my name. This is one of the nouns that "apocopate" (ie: loses an internal vowel)
isim -
name - is one of the nouns in Turkish which lose an internal vowel when adding a suffix which begins with a vowel itself.
Click Me - to toggle the list of nouns which lose a vowel
| Basic Noun |
Direct Object Form |
Basic Meaning |
| Aciz |
Aczi - (NOT - acizi) |
Impotence |
| Ağız |
Ağzı |
Mouth |
| Ahit |
Ahdi |
Injunction |
| Akıl |
Aklı |
Intelligence |
| Akıt |
Aktı |
Treaty |
| Akis |
Aksi |
Reflection |
| Alın |
Alnı |
Forehead |
| Asıl |
Aslı |
Origin |
| Asır |
Asrı |
Century |
| Azim |
Azmi |
Determination |
| Bağır |
Bağrı |
Bosom |
| Beyin |
Beyni |
Brain |
| Boyun |
Boynu |
Neck |
Burun Burnu
Nose
Cisim Cismi
Substance, matter, object
Cürüm Cürmü
Crime
Defin Defni
Burial
Devir Devri
Period
Emir Emri
Order ; Command
Fasil Fasli
Part, chapter
Fetih Fethi
Conquest
Fikir Fikri
Idea
Filim Filmi
Film(Cinema)
Geniz Genzi
Nostril
Göğüs Göğsü
Breast
Gönül Gönlü
Heart/Desire
Hacım Hacmı
Volume
Haciz Haczi
Distraint, confiscation,
- Haciz - Haczi
- seizure
Hapis Hapsi
Prison
Hasim Hasmi
Enemy, foe, rival
Hazım Hazmı
Digestion
| İlim |
İlmi |
Science |
| İsim |
İsmi |
Name |
| İzin |
İzni |
Leave/Time off |
| Kadir |
Kadri |
Worth/Value |
| Kahır |
Kahrı |
Anxiety |
| Karın |
Karnı |
Stomach |
| Kasıt |
Kastı |
Intention, purpose, |
| - Kasıt |
- Kastı |
- deliberateness |
| Kayın |
Kaynı |
Brother-in-law |
| Kayıp |
Kaybı |
Loss |
| Kesir |
Kesri |
Fraction (in maths) |
| Keşif |
Keşfi |
Discovery |
| Keyif |
Keyfi |
Pleasure |
| Kısım |
Kısmı |
Part (of) |
| Metin |
Metni |
Text |
| Nabız |
Nabzı |
Pulse |
| Nakil |
Nakli |
Transport |
| Nakit |
Nakdi |
Cash |
| Nazım |
Nazmı |
Verse, poetry |
| Nefis |
Nefsi |
Self, personality |
| Nesir |
Nesri |
Prose |
| Neşir |
Neşri |
Publication, edition |
| - Neşir |
- Neşri |
- broadcasting |
| Nutuk |
Nutku |
Speech, oration |
| Oğul |
Oğlu |
Son |
| Resim |
Resmi |
Picture |
| Sabır |
Sabrı |
Patience |
| Satıh |
Sathı |
Superficie, plane |
| Seyir |
Seyri |
Motion |
| Sıkıt |
Sıktı |
Miscarriage |
| Şekil |
Şekli |
Form/Shape |
| Şükür |
Şükrü |
Gratitude |
| Tavır |
Tavrı |
Mode/Manner |
| Ufuk |
Ufku |
Horizon |
| Usul |
Uslü |
Mode/Manner |
| Vakit |
Vakti |
Time, occasion |
| Vasıf |
Vasfı |
Characteristic, qualification |
| - Vasıf |
- Vasfı |
- quality |
| Zehir |
Zehri |
Poison |
| Zihin |
Zihni |
Intellect |
| Zulüm |
Zulmü |
Tyranny, cruelty |
Adınız ne? -
What is your first name?
Adım Ali -
My name is Ali.
Soyadınız ne? -
What is your surname?
Soyadım Karaca -
My surname is Karaca.
Finding out about a Third Person
The third person suffix is
-i or
-ı meaning -
his, her, its
Onun ismi ne? -
What is his name?
Onun ismi Mehmet -
His name is Mehmet.
Onun adı ne? -
What is her name? Onun adı Deren -
Her name is Deren. Onun soyadı ne? -
What is his surname?
Onun soyadı Gürses -
His surname is Gürses.
If we are talking about a third person remote from us we may ask the question:
What is that man's name?. In this case we must translate the words "man's name" correctly by using the Possessive Relationship to show that the two words belong to each other.
adamın ismi -
the man's name - [Lit: the name of the man..]
adamın adı -
the man's name
adamın soyadı -
the man's surname
O Beyefendinin soyadı ne? -
What is that gentleman's surname? - [Lit: the surname of the man..]
O Beyefendinin ismi ne? -
What is that gentleman's name?
If we want to make the sentence more conversational we would normally say :
I wonder what that lady's name is?.
I wonder is
simply translated by adding the word -
acaba - at the beginning or end of the Turkish question.
O Hanımefendinin adı ne, acaba? -
I wonder what that lady's name is?
Acaba, Mehmed'in soyadı ne? -
I wonder what Mehmet's surname is? Kız kardeşinizin ismi ne, acaba? -
What is your sister's name, I wonder?
Addressing Letters and Envelopes
There is an increasing use of addressing people by their surname - especially used on television in interviews etc.
This method uses the word -
Sayın -
esteemed - before the surname directly. If the interviewee's name is
Musafa Kurt, then he may be addressed as
Mustafa bey - (formal and informal) or directly by his surname as
Sayın Kurt -
Esteemed Kurt - (formal and public) or
Bay Kurt -
Mr. Kurt - (polite and official).
Bay -
Mr. - and -
Sayın -
Esteemed - are usually spelt with capital letters, but they can be found without capital letters.
Addressing Envelopes
Letter Addressed in Turkish Analysis of this Address
Sayın Mustafa Kurt Çekmece Mah.
Uzunyol Sok. Nolu:24 D:6 Bağarası Köyü
02332 İZMİR - TÜRKİYE
Some Abbreviations used in addresses Sok. (Sokak) -
Street
Cad. (Cadde or Caddesi) -
Road Bul. (Bulvar or Bulvarı) -
Avenue Yol. (Yol) -
Way, Route
Mah. (Mahalle or Mahallesi) -
Local District
Esteemed Mustafa Kurt Çekmece District
Uzunyol Street No.24 Apt No. 6 Bağarası Village
Post Code. Postal County. Country
D. (Daire) -
Apartment, Suite
Apt. (Apartman) -
Apartment
K. (Kat) -
Floor
No. (Numara) -
Number
Nolu. (Numarala) -
Numbered
Greetings
In semi formal situations there is a four stage greeting procedure: The Welcome: -
hoş geldiniz or less formal
hoş geldin -
Welcome!.
- This is answered by
hoş bulduk -
We found it well!
The Greeting: - This is an exchange of
merhaba -
Hello
The Asking after Health Stage: -
nasılsınız? (formal) or
nasılsın?
(informal) -
How are you?
The Response: - This is is answered by
ıyiyim, teşekkür ederim -
I am well, thank you. This then followed by a question about the other's health:
siz nasılsınız? -
You, how are you?
günaydın -
good morning, good day, good afternoon
iyi günler -
good day
iyi akşamlar -
good evening - (said in arrival..)
iyi geceler -
good night - (said on leaving company..)
görüşmek üzere -
see you soon
hoşça kal -
so long - [Lit: stay joyful]
Note that the plural is used in - "
Good day, Good evening, Good night"
- similar to the Spanish - "Buenos Días"
Listen to: FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Speaker Icon"
Hosça kal.. - Saying -
"Cheerio.. Goodbye.."
Some Daily Informal Greetings
For an informal greeting like -
Hi! - in English Turkish uses -
Selam..!
- to which the answer is the same - selam..!
Also one can use -
What's up..? -
Na'ber..? Na'ber..? - is commonly used in everyday language. It is actually -
Ne haber..? -
What news..? [Lit: - It's good. ..and from you.?]. The answer is generally -
iyidir, senden..?
Another informal greeting is -
ne var? ne yok..? -
What is happening..? [Lit: What is there..(going on..?) What isn't there.. (going on..?)] - The answer to this one is -
iyilik..! -
Goodness..! Wellness..!
A Long Goodbye..
There is a "Formula Speak" that is used quite lot and is very common for saying your "Goodbyes". This is often used when leaving company or on going away to somewhere. The person(s) who are leaving will say -
Allaha ısmalardık..! -
goodbye..! - [a quasi religious-type formula].
The answer said by those staying behind is -
güle güle..! -
Cheerio..! -
[Lit: Go with a smile!].
If you use this formula after visiting your Turkish friends they will be suitably impressed..
The Muslim Peace Greeting
selâmünaleyküm, (a Muslim peace greeting), answered by -
aleykümselâm
This greeting is mainly used between passing strangers - normally both male - during travel or on entry to a crowded room, such as a tea house, when one cannot address everybody personally.
Turkish Language - How to say - Too much.. Too many..
The translation of -
too.., too much.. is a common difficulty for the student of Turkish. The dictionary equivalent is -
fazla -
in excess or
lüzumdan fazla -
in excess of its necessity.
- Too .. meaning - "very..."
However in daily conversational Turkish -
çok -
very - is used to convey the meaning
too much.., too many...
- In such a sentence as - I didn't buy it, it was too expensive. - the -
"too" - should simply be translated by
çok -
very.
- Onu almadım, çok pahalıydı - I didn't buy it, it was too expensive.
Too .. meaning - "overly.., excessively.."
fazla -
in excess - should be used where the context does not make sense by using
çok -
very
- Baban, seninle fazla sabırlıdır - Your father is too patient with you.
Too.. as "ability to.." or "inability to.."
For the type of sentence -
He was too tired to undress (himself) - where neither
çok - very or
fazla -
in excess - is not suitable - Turkish uses a special comparative type construction.
- Soyunamıyacak kadar yorgundu - [Lit: He was tired the amount pertaining-to-his-future inability-to-undress.] - He was too tired to get undressed.
This third form is explained in detail below..
Verb Forms - Basic Infinitive -
-mek/-mak soymak -
to undress somebody else
Reflexive Infinitive soyunmak -
to undress oneself
Negative Reflexive Infinitive soyunmamak -
not to undress oneself
Negative Potential Reflexive Infinitive soyunamamak -
not to be able to undress oneself
Future Relative Reflexive Participle -
-ecek/-acak soyunacak -
a future undressing of oneself
Negative Future Relative Reflexive Participle soyunmayacak -
a future not undressing oneself
Negative Future Potential Relative Reflexive Participle soyunamayacak -
a future not being able to undress oneself
A further example of this type
The verb is basically
gitmek -
to go - which in this sentence takes the form of the Negative Potential -
gidememek -
not to be able to go Sinemaya gidemeyecek kadar meşgulum -
I am too busy to go to the cinema
The construction for -
too.. - therefore is - Future Potential Relative Participle +
kadar + comparison verb + person
Ayşe, bu yıl tatil yapamayacak o kadar hastaydı
Ayşe, this year her-future-inability-to-make-a- holiday that-amount ill she was
- Ayşe was too ill to go on holiday this year.
Araba güzel zaman içinde duramayacak kadar çabuk sürüyordu The car in-good-time its-future-inability-to-stop that-amount quickly was-going
- The car was going too fast to be able to stop in time.