Turkish conversation runs on fixed pairs a beginner can learn by heart: when someone says hoş geldiniz (welcome), a conventional answer is already waiting, and it is hoş bulduk. Learn merhaba (hello) and teşekkür ederim (thank you) first, then learn what comes back.
In this article, you will learn the Turkish phrases for beginners that come up most often: greetings, courtesy, introductions, apologies, and the lines that rescue you when you have not understood a word. Each one carries its formal or informal form and a recording, and most carry the reply you are expected to give. Hadi Türkçe öğrenelim!
Table of Contents
Turkish Phrases for Beginners: Greetings and Their Replies
These are the A1 greetings, the ones you will use on your first day and every day after. In the Formality column, sen is the familiar form, siz the polite one, and both marks a phrase that does not change. Use siz until switching to sen is clearly mutual. For the forms behind that choice, read the guide to Turkish pronouns; for the letters behind the sounds, the Turkish pronunciation guide for beginners.
| Turkish | Reply with | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Merhaba (Hello) | Merhaba (Hello) | both |
| Merhabalar (Hello) | Merhabalar (Hello) | both |
| Selam (Hi) | Selam (Hi) | sen |
| Selamlar (Greetings) | Selamlar (Greetings) | both |
| Günaydın (Good morning) | Günaydın (Good morning) | both |
| Tünaydın (Good afternoon) | Tünaydın (Good afternoon) | both |
| İyi günler (Good day) | İyi günler (Good day) | both |
| İyi akşamlar (Good evening) | İyi akşamlar (Good evening) | both |
| İyi geceler (Good night) | İyi geceler (Good night) | both |
| Nasılsın? (How are you?) | İyiyim, sen nasılsın? (I’m good, how are you?) | sen |
| Nasılsınız? (How are you?) | İyiyim, siz nasılsınız? (I’m good, how are you?) | siz |
| Nasıl gidiyor? (How is it going?) | İyi gidiyor (It’s going well) | both |
| Naber? (What’s up?) | İyilik, senden? (All good, and you?) | sen |
| Ne haber? (How are things?) | İyilik, senden? (All good, and you?) | sen |
| Ne var ne yok? (What’s new?) | İyilik sağlık (All fine, thanks) | sen |
| Alo? (Hello on the phone) | Alo (Hello) or Buyurun (Go ahead) | both |
Fixed greetings mirror themselves: send back whatever you are given. The questions in the table behave differently. Nasılsın, nasıl gidiyor and ne haber all want an answer first, and sending the question back is what keeps the exchange running.
Naber is the spoken contraction of ne haber: say it, but write ne haber. Alo is for the telephone only, never face to face, and the rest of that vocabulary is in the guide to Turkish phone phrases. Three answers cover almost every situation: iyiyim (I’m good), şöyle böyle (so-so) for an ordinary day, and çok iyiyim when you mean it. The full exchange:
- Nasılsın? (How are you?)
- Çok iyiyim. Sen nasılsın? (I am very well. How are you?)
TDK, the Turkish Language Association, lists both günaydın and tünaydın as compounds of aydın (“bright”), so each one wishes someone a bright day. Tünaydın is correct but rare in speech, and most people reach for iyi günler in the afternoon. For more openings, see 8 ways to say hello in Turkish.
Order that çay in Turkish
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Hoş Geldiniz and Hoş Bulduk: Arriving Anywhere
Hoş geldiniz greets anyone who arrives, in homes, shops, restaurants and hotel lobbies alike. It means “you have come well”.
The answer is hoş bulduk, built from hoş (“pleasant”) and bulduk (“we found”). It is what a host expects to hear, and the informal hoş geldin takes the same reply. A run of invitations usually follows, each with its own answer:
| Turkish | Reply with | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Hoş geldiniz (Welcome) | Hoş bulduk (Glad to be here) | siz |
| Hoş geldin (Welcome) | Hoş bulduk (Glad to be here) | sen |
| Hoş bulduk (Glad to be here) | none expected | both |
| Buyurun, girin (Please come in) | Teşekkür ederim (Thank you) | siz |
| Oturun lütfen (Please sit down) | Teşekkür ederim (Thank you) | siz |
| Çay içer misiniz? (Would you like tea?) | Evet, lütfen (Yes, please) | siz |
- Merhaba kızlar, hoş geldiniz! (Hello girls, welcome!)
- Hoş bulduk! (Happy to be here!)
Goodbyes: Who Says Hoşça Kal and Who Says Güle Güle
Hoşça kal and güle güle are not interchangeable: the choice depends on who is leaving.
TDK defines güle güle as the farewell said by the person staying to the one leaving. The one leaving says hoşça kal, from hoşça (“pleasantly”) and kal (“stay”), telling whoever remains to stay well.
| Turkish | Said by | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Hoşça kal (Goodbye) | the one leaving | sen |
| Hoşça kalın (Goodbye) | the one leaving | siz |
| Güle güle (Bye) | the one staying | both |
| Görüşürüz (See you) | either | both |
| Yarın görüşürüz (See you tomorrow) | either | both |
| Görüşmek üzere (Until next time) | either | both |
| Kendine iyi bak (Take care) | either | sen |
| Kendinize iyi bakın (Take care) | either | siz |
| İyi yolculuklar (Have a good trip) | the one staying | both |
| İyi şanslar (Good luck) | either | both |
Leaving a Turkish home, you say hoşça kalın and your host answers güle güle. On your way out:
Güle güle(wrong: it sends off the person who is staying)- Hoşça kalın
Görüşürüz sidesteps the distinction and works in both directions.
Teşekkür Ederim: Thank You and the Reply
Teşekkür ederim is the full thank you, and it fits any situation. Teşekkürler is the shorter everyday form, and sağ ol the informal one. TDK defines sağ ol as the word returned for kindness, help or any welcome gesture, carrying the sense of “thank you, long life to you”.
| Turkish | Reply with | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Teşekkür ederim (Thank you) | Rica ederim (You’re welcome) | both |
| Çok teşekkür ederim (Thank you very much) | Rica ederim (You’re welcome) | both |
| Teşekkürler (Thanks) | Rica ederim (You’re welcome) | both |
| Sağ ol (Thanks) | Bir şey değil (It’s nothing) | sen |
| Sağ olun (Thanks) | Bir şey değil (It’s nothing) | siz |
| Rica ederim (You’re welcome) | none expected | both |
| Bir şey değil (It’s nothing) | none expected | both |
| Allah razı olsun (May God be pleased with you) | Âmin (Amen) | both |
| Eksik olmasın (Bless them) | none expected | both |
| Çok naziksiniz (You are very kind) | Rica ederim (You’re welcome) | siz |
| Lütfen (Please) | none expected | both |
Rica ederim (you’re welcome) answers a thank you. Bir şey değil (it’s nothing) suits the lighter register of sağ ol. For the finer distinctions, see the guide to teşekkür ederim and sağ ol.
Allah razı olsun carries an openly religious tone, and the answer is âmin. It fits a favor of any size, from a lift home to a signature. Eksik olmasın has no clean translation: it means “may they never be missing”, and it thanks someone while praising them to a third party.
Memnun Oldum: Introducing Yourself
Introductions run in three steps: the name, the greeting, and the greeting returned. Memnun oldum means “I am pleased”, and the answer is ben de memnun oldum, “I am pleased too”. The small word de (“too”) turns the echo into a reply.
| Turkish | Reply with | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Benim adım… (My name is…) | Memnun oldum (Nice to meet you) | both |
| Ben… (I’m…) | Memnun oldum (Nice to meet you) | both |
| Adın ne? (What is your name?) | Benim adım… (My name is…) | sen |
| Adınız ne? (What is your name?) | Benim adım… (My name is…) | siz |
| Memnun oldum (Nice to meet you) | Ben de memnun oldum (Nice to meet you too) | both |
| Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum (Pleased to meet you) | Ben de memnun oldum (Nice to meet you too) | both |
| Nerelisin? (Where are you from?) | Amerikalıyım (I’m American) | sen |
| Nerelisiniz? (Where are you from?) | Amerikalıyım (I’m American) | siz |
| Amerikalıyım (I’m American) | none expected | both |
| Ne iş yapıyorsunuz? (What do you do?) | your job + -im / -ım / -um / -üm | siz |
- Memnun oldum, benim adım Merve. (Nice to meet you, my name is Merve.)
- Ben de memnun oldum. (Nice to meet you too.)
The shortest introduction is a bare ben after your name: Selam, Elif ben. (Hi, I am Elif.) To answer ne iş yapıyorsunuz, add the first-person ending to the job. It harmonizes with the last vowel of the word, so it has four shapes: öğretmenim (I’m a teacher), doktorum (I’m a doctor), şoförüm (I’m a driver), aşçıyım (I’m a cook), the last one taking a buffer y after a vowel. The full list is in the Turkish professions vocabulary.
For surnames and titles, read how to introduce yourself in Turkish.
Anlamadım: What to Say When You Have Not Understood
These are the phrases for the moment you lose the thread. When it is the whole subject that has passed you by rather than one sentence, there is Fransız kaldım, literally “I stayed French”. TDK defines Fransız kalmak as failing to follow a subject under discussion, so it reports being lost rather than asking for a repeat. Where English says it was all Greek, Turkish says it was all French.
| Turkish | Formality |
|---|---|
| Anlamadım (I didn’t understand) | both |
| Anlamıyorum (I don’t understand) | both |
| Efendim? (Sorry? / Yes?) | both |
| Ne dediniz? (What did you say?) | siz |
| Türkçe bilmiyorum (I don’t speak Turkish) | both |
| Biraz Türkçe biliyorum (I speak a little Turkish) | both |
| İngilizce biliyor musunuz? (Do you speak English?) | siz |
| Daha yavaş konuşabilir misiniz? (Could you speak more slowly?) | siz |
| Tekrar eder misiniz? (Could you repeat that?) | siz |
| Yazabilir misiniz? (Could you write it down?) | siz |
| Yardım eder misiniz? (Could you help me?) | siz |
| Bu ne demek? (What does this mean?) | both |
| Türkçesi ne? (What is it in Turkish?) | both |
| Bilmiyorum (I don’t know) | both |
| Emin değilim (I’m not sure) | both |
Anlamadım is the one to learn by heart. The past tense says you missed what was just said. The present anlamıyorum reports that you are not following, which covers a whole explanation rather than a single sentence.
Özür Dilerim or Affedersiniz: Two Different Apologies
English uses “sorry” for both bumping into someone and breaking their window. Turkish usually divides that work between two phrases, though they overlap at the edges.
Affedersiniz opens a conversation or excuses a small intrusion: stopping a stranger, squeezing past someone, interrupting. It comes from affetmek, which TDK gives as “to forgive, to pardon”.
Özür dilerim is the apology proper. It is built from özür, which TDK defines as the reason a fault may be excused. Use it when you have done something wrong.
| Turkish | Said when | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Affedersiniz (Excuse me) | stopping or interrupting someone | siz |
| Affedersin (Excuse me) | the same, to a friend | sen |
| Özür dilerim (I apologize) | you have done something wrong | both |
| Çok özür dilerim (I’m so sorry) | the mistake is serious | both |
| Pardon (Sorry) | you bump into someone | both |
| Kusura bakmayın (Please don’t mind it) | apologizing for a shortcoming | siz |
| Benim hatam (My mistake) | admitting a small mistake | both |
- Geç kaldığım için özür dilerim. (I apologize for being late.)
- Affedersiniz, otobüs durağı nerede? (Excuse me, where is the bus stop?)
Open a question to a stranger with affedersiniz rather than özür dilerim. Both are polite, but özür dilerim carries the weight of an apology for something you have done, which is more than stopping someone to ask the way needs. The guide to saying sorry in Turkish covers the rarer forms.
Courtesy Wishes Turks Use Every Day
English has a ready phrase for some of these moments and nothing for others, while Turkish marks all of them as ordinary courtesy. Most expect an answer. The gloss gives what an English speaker would say in the same situation, and the literal sense follows below.
| Turkish | Said when | Reply with |
|---|---|---|
| Kolay gelsin (Hope work goes well) | someone is working | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Geçmiş olsun (Get well soon) | someone is ill or has had an accident | Teşekkür ederim (Thank you) |
| Afiyet olsun (Enjoy your meal) | someone is eating or about to eat | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Elinize sağlık (Thank you for the meal) | someone has cooked for you | Afiyet olsun (Enjoy your meal) |
| Sıhhatler olsun (Hope you feel refreshed) | someone has just bathed or had a haircut | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Hayırlı olsun (Congratulations) | someone starts something new or buys something | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Güle güle kullan (Enjoy it) | someone has bought something | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Güle güle giy (Wear it well) | someone is wearing something new | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Güle güle otur (Enjoy the new place) | someone moves into a new home | Teşekkürler (Thanks) |
| Başınız sağ olsun (My condolences) | someone has lost a family member | Teşekkür ederim (Thank you) |
| İnşallah (God willing) | hoping something happens | none expected |
| Maşallah (How wonderful) | admiring a child or good news | none expected |
Kolay gelsin literally wishes that the work come easy, from kolay, which TDK defines as what can be done without hardship or fatigue. Say it to a waiter, a cleaner, a shopkeeper or a colleague at their desk; it acknowledges the work rather than the person, and the full article on kolay gelsin has more. Geçmiş olsun is literally “may it be over”, geçmiş being a completed past rather than a wish that something pass, and TDK lists the occasions: illness, accidents, escaping an unexpectedly bad turn of events, and leaving prison. Its own article covers the origins.
Elinize sağlık, “health to your hands”, goes to whoever cooked, and the cook answers afiyet olsun. The informal form is eline sağlık, explained in the guide to eline sağlık. At a restaurant table afiyet olsun also serves as a general “enjoy your meal”; the rest of that vocabulary is in essential Turkish phrases for dining out.
TDK gives güle güle a second sense beyond the farewell above: a wish for “living a life without sorrow, with ease of heart”. It attaches to verbs like giy (“wear”), kullan (“use”) and otur (“sit, dwell”). New shoes get güle güle giy, a new phone güle güle kullan, a new flat güle güle otur. All three mean “may you enjoy it”, and all three take teşekkürler.
Hayırlı olsun wishes that something turn out well, and it covers a new job, a new business, a new car and a new flat alike. It comes from hayırlı, which TDK defines as beneficial or auspicious, and it overlaps with the güle güle wishes: those dwell on enjoying the thing, this one on it going well. The article on hayırlı olsun separates them. Sıhhatler olsun, from sıhhat (“health”), goes to someone fresh out of a bath, a shower or a barber’s chair. Başınız sağ olsun belongs to a death in the family and has a guide of its own, while inşallah and maşallah are covered separately.
Buyurun: One Word, Several Jobs
No single English word covers buyurun. TDK traces it to buyurmak, one sense of which is to show a guest in or out with respect.
The situation supplies the meaning:
| Said by | In this situation | It means |
|---|---|---|
| a shopkeeper | you walk into the shop | How can I help you? |
| a waiter | your plate arrives | Here you are |
| someone at a door | you both reach it at once | After you |
| a host | you are standing in the hallway | Please come in |
| a host | you are still standing | Please sit down |
| anyone handing you something | the thing is held out | Take it |
| anyone | you called their name | Yes? I’m listening |
| anyone | the phone rings | Hello? |
In use:
- Buyurun, nasıl yardımcı olabilirim? (Go ahead, how can I help you?)
- Buyurun, çayınız. (Here you are, your tea.)
- Buyurun, siz geçin. (After you.)
Answer it with teşekkür ederim, or by doing what it invites. The informal form is buyur.
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