Praktisch · Kapitel 15
Turkish Phrasebook
Turkish is an agglutinative language — words are formed by adding suffixes. However, the pronunciation is logical and consistent: each letter is always pronounced the same way. With a few basic terms, you can go far — and earn enthusiasm from the locals.
Pronunciation Guide
Turkish uses the Latin alphabet (since 1928, thanks to Atatürk) with some special letters:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ç / ç | like "ch" | Çay = Chai (tea) |
| Ş / ş | like "sh" | Şeker = Sheker (sugar) |
| Ğ / ğ | silent (lengthens the previous vowel) | Dağ = Daa (mountain) |
| I / ı | muffled "ö" (without a dot!) | Sıcak = Söjak (hot) |
| İ / i | like the German "i" (with a dot) | İstanbul |
| Ö / ö | like German "ö" | Göreme |
| Ü / ü | like German "ü" | Ürgüp |
| C / c | like "j" | Cami = Jami (mosque) |
| J / j | like French "j" (voiced sh) | Jandarma |
Stress: Usually on the last syllable. Place names on the penultimate.
Basic Terms
| German | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Merhaba | Mer-ha-ba |
| Good morning | Günaydın | Gün-ai-dön |
| Good evening | İyi akşamlar | I-ji ak-scham-lar |
| Bye | Hoşça kal | Hosch-tscha kal |
| Goodbye | Güle güle | Gü-le gü-le (said by the one staying) |
| Yes | Evet | E-wet |
| No | Hayır | Ha-jör |
| Please | Lütfen | Lüt-fen |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederim | Te-schek-kür e-de-rim |
| Thanks (short) | Sağ ol | Saa ol |
| Excuse me | Affedersiniz | Af-fe-der-si-nis |
| I don't understand | Anlamıyorum | An-la-mö-jo-rum |
| Do you speak German? | Almanca biliyor musunuz? | Al-man-dscha bi-li-jor mu-su-nus |
| Do you speak English? | İngilizce biliyor musunuz? | In-gi-lis-dsche bi-li-jor mu-su-nus |
At the Restaurant
| German | Turkish |
|---|---|
| The menu, please | Menü, lütfen |
| I would like to order | Sipariş vermek istiyorum |
| Water | Su |
| Bread | Ekmek |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfen |
| It was very delicious | Çok güzeldi |
| Cheers! | Şerefe! |
| Enjoy your meal | Afiyet olsun |
| I am a vegetarian | Vejetaryenim |
| Without meat | Etsiz |
| Spicy | Acı / Baharatlı |
| Not spicy, please | Acısız, lütfen |
| Tea | Çay |
| Coffee | Kahve |
Shopping & Paying
| German | Turkish |
|---|---|
| How much does this cost? | Bu ne kadar? |
| Too expensive! | Çok pahalı! |
| Is there a discount? | İndirim var mı? |
| I'll take it | Alıyorum |
| I don't want it, thank you | İstemiyorum, teşekkürler |
Numbers
| Number | Turkish | Number | Turkish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bir | 10 | On |
| 2 | İki | 20 | Yirmi |
| 3 | Üç | 30 | Otuz |
| 4 | Dört | 40 | Kırk |
| 5 | Beş | 50 | Elli |
| 6 | Altı | 100 | Yüz |
| 7 | Yedi | 200 | İki yüz |
| 8 | Sekiz | 500 | Beş yüz |
| 9 | Dokuz | 1,000 | Bin |
On the Go
| German | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | …nerede? |
| Bus station | Otogar |
| Airport | Havalimanı |
| Hotel | Otel |
| Beach | Plaj / Sahil |
| Mosque | Cami |
| Toilet | Tuvalet |
| Left | Sol |
| Right | Sağ |
| Straight ahead | Düz / Doğru |
| I want to get off! (Dolmuş) | İnecek var! |
| Stop | Durak |
Emergency
| German | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Help! | İmdat! |
| Police | Polis |
| Hospital | Hastane |
| Doctor | Doktor |
| Pharmacy | Eczane |
| I am sick | Hastayım |
| I need help | Yardıma ihtiyacım var |
| Fire! | Yangın! |
Useful Phrases
| German | Turkish |
|---|---|
| My name is… | Benim adım… |
| I am from Germany | Almanya'dan geliyorum |
| Turkey is beautiful! | Türkiye çok güzel! |
| The food is delicious | Yemek çok lezzetli |
| Very nice! | Çok güzel! |
| No problem | Sorun yok / Problem yok |
| Inshallah (God willing) | İnşallah |
| Maşallah (Expression of admiration) | Maşallah |
| Welcome! | Hoş geldiniz! |
| Response to Welcome | Hoş bulduk! |
Pro Tip: The three magic words in Turkey are: Merhaba (Hello), Teşekkürler (Thank you), and Çok güzel (Very nice). With these, you'll win every heart.
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