When you arrive Turkey, you realize how people are happy to have you there and how helpful they can be with the foreigners. They are always ready for you to lead the directions, host, help and recomment good places to eat, where to go, stay etc. Although they don’t speak very well English they try their best to accompany you during your holiday.
Here are some expressions that you can hear a lot on the streets:
- Buyurun
Pronunciation: Booh-rohn
You’ll hear the word buyurun everywhere you go in Turkey, in shops, restaurants and markets in particular. It has a lot of meanings: welcome, please come in, please sit down, there you are, how can I help you or would you like anything else, depending mostly where it is used.
- Hadi!
Pronunciation: had-ee
It means Come on! Or go on!
- Hoş geldiniz
People may say this to you when you arrive in Turkey, check into your hotel, go to a restaurant, enter a shop or visit someone’s home, meaning Welcome.
- Afiyet Olsun
It means Bon Apetit, like French people say during the meals.
Here is a list for common and useful words/ expressions.
- How are you? Nasılsınız? nah-suhl-suhn –uz
- I am fine İyiyim ee-yeem
- Thank you teşekkür ederim teh-she-kewr eh-deh-rehm
- good evening iyi akşamlar
- good morning günaydın
- good night iyi geceler
- goodbye hoşça kalın or bye bye
- hello merhaba
- How many? Kaç tane?
- How much? (price) Kaç para?
- Mr bay
- Mrs bayan
- no hayır
- ok tamam
- or ya da / veya
- please lütfen
- sorry / excuse me pardon / affedersiniz
- thank you teşekkür ederim, teşekkürler, sağol or mersi
- yes evet
- Can I have …? … rica ediyorum.
- Can you help me? (in a shop) Bakar mısınız?
- Can you help me? Bana yardım edebilir misiniz?
- Do you speak English? İngilizce konuşuyor musunuz?
- Excellent! Çok güzel.
- How are you? Nasılsın?
- How much is it? Bu ne kadar?
- I can’t speak Turkish. Türkçe bilmiyorum.
- I don’t understand. Anlamıyorum.
- I would like … … istiyorum.
- I’m fine. İyiyim.
- Is there a … here? Burada … var mı?
- Pleased to meet you. Memnun oldum.
- See you soon. Görüşmek üzere.
- What time is it? Saat kaç?
- Where are the toilets? Tuvaletler nerede?
- Where can I get …? … nerede bulabilirim?
- Where do I pay? Nereye ödeyebilirim ?
- Where is/are …? … nerede?