Hello and goodbye
The first words of any conversation.
Free · with audio
Basic Turkish phrases
Merhaba, teşekkür ederim, anlamıyorum — over 50 phrases to take on a trip to Turkey tomorrow: with translations, audio and a note on when to be informal and when formal.
- 54 phrases
- 7 topics
- Audio
- Days, months, colours
- Quiz
Phrases by topic
Tap a phrase to hear it, or the speaker next to a topic to hear them all. “Formal” and “informal” mark the pairs where it matters.
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Being polite
Thank you, please, excuse me — you can’t do without them.
Getting to know people
How are you, what’s your name, where are you from.
When you don’t understand
Asking someone to repeat, to slow down or to switch to English.
Around town and travelling
Asking the way, buying a ticket, finding the toilet.
In a café or a shop
Ordering, asking the price, paying.
If you need help
Phrases worth knowing before you need them.
Sen or siz: informal or formal “you”
Turks use siz with strangers, older people, in shops and hotels, and sen with friends, family and children. To be polite, add Bey after a man’s first name (Ahmet Bey) and Hanım after a woman’s (Ayşe Hanım).
How are you? (formal · informal)
What’s your name? (formal · informal)
Days, months and colours
Where both adults and children start. Tap to listen.
Days of the week
Months
Colours
How to learn the phrases faster
- Listen and repeat aloud: Turkish is read as it’s written, and the stress usually falls on the last syllable.
- Start with Merhaba, Teşekkür ederim, Lütfen and Affedersiniz — you’ll hear them every day.
- Goodbyes depend on who leaves: the one leaving says Hoşça kalın, the one staying says Güle güle.
- Learn whole phrases: «… alabilir miyim?» starts any order.
Test yourself
Ten phrases a round: understand them by ear, or remember how to say them.
FAQ
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.
How do I say hello in Turkish?
Merhaba is the all-purpose “hello”; Selam is for friends. In the morning say Günaydın, in the evening İyi akşamlar.
How do I say “thank you” in Turkish?
Teşekkür ederim is “thank you”, Çok teşekkürler “thank you very much”, and the short, casual Sağ ol “thanks”. The reply is Rica ederim — “you’re welcome”.
How do I say “please” in Turkish?
Lütfen, in requests: Bir çay, lütfen. To answer “thank you”, say Rica ederim.
How do I say goodbye in Turkish?
The one leaving says Hoşça kalın (to a friend — Hoşça kal), and the one staying answers Güle güle. Görüşürüz means “see you”.
What’s next
Turkish grammar
Vowel harmony, “to be”, the present and past, the cases — rules with tables and a quiz.
To grammarThe 50 most common Turkish words
The 50 most common Turkish words with examples and exercises.
To the wordsTurkish level test
Grammar, vocabulary and reading from A1 to C1 — and your level of Turkish.
Take the test
Grammar for this topic
Rules in plain words — with tables, examples and a quiz in every topic.
Vowel harmony: evler, okullar
Why evler but okullar: how to pick the vowel of a suffix — the key rule of Turkish.
Level A1“To be”: öğrenciyim, değil, var
Öğrenciyim, doktor musun?, evde değil: how to say “I am”, “isn’t” and “there is / isn’t”.
Level A1Present tense: geliyorum
Geliyorum, okuyorsun, anlamıyorum: the -iyor present — forms, negatives and questions.
Level A1Cases: eve, evde, evden
Eve, evde, evden, evi: to, at, from, and when the object needs -ı.
Level A1–A2
Next step
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