Turkish is written in Latin letters, so the spelling on this page is the reading. Keep the special letters ı, ö, ü, ş and ç, because each is a separate letter. Turkish also has a polite "you" form with a longer ending, as in and nasılsınız. It is used with strangers, older people and groups. Every greeting was checked against the Türk Dil Kurumu dictionary, the Wikivoyage Turkish phrasebook and Wiktionary.
| Turkish | English | Style | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merhaba. | Hello. | Neutral | Anyone, at any hour |
| Selam. | Hi. | Casual | Friends and people your age |
| Günaydın. | Good morning. | Neutral | Until about midday |
| İyi günler. | Good day. | Polite | Daytime hello, and a polite goodbye to people you do not know |
| İyi akşamlar. | Good evening. | Polite | Evening hello |
| İyi geceler. | Good night. | Neutral | Goodbye at night, or before bed |
| Hoş geldiniz. | Welcome. | Polite | A host or shopkeeper says it to you as you arrive |
| Hoş bulduk. | Thank you, it is good to be here. | Polite | Your reply to |
Answer with and with , or add size de, "to you too", after iyi günler and iyi akşamlar.
Word for word, means "bright day". The reply to , , means "we found it pleasant". The Türk Dil Kurumu dictionary lists tünaydın as a greeting for the hours from afternoon to evening, but Wikivoyage notes that it is very seldom used, so people say iyi günler instead.
| Turkish | English | Style | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Casual | Friends, family and people your age | |
| Nasılsınız? | How are you? | Polite | Strangers, older people and groups |
| İyiyim, teşekkürler. | I'm fine, thanks. | Neutral | The usual answer |
| İyiyim, sen nasılsın? | I'm fine, how are you? | Casual | Turning the question back to a friend |
| İyiyim, siz nasılsınız? | I'm fine, how are you? | Polite | Turning the question back to a stranger or elder |
| Turkish | English | Style | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teşekkür ederim. | Thank you. | Polite | Shops, restaurants, anyone who helps you |
| Teşekkürler. | Thanks. | Casual | Everyday, with anyone |
| Sağ ol. | Thanks. | Casual | Friends and people your age |
| Rica ederim. | You're welcome. | Polite | The reply to thanks |
| Bir şey değil. | It is nothing. | Casual | The reply to thanks |
According to Wiktionary, rica ederim also works as a formal "please" when you ask for something. The everyday word for please is .
| Turkish | English | Style | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoşça kal. | Goodbye, said by the person leaving. | Casual | To one person, such as a friend |
| Hoşça kalın. | Goodbye, said by the person leaving. | Polite | To several people, or to a stranger or elder |
| Güle güle. | Goodbye, said by the person staying. | Neutral | The answer to hoşça kal, to anyone |
| Görüşürüz. | See you. | Casual | Someone you will see again |
means "stay pleasantly", and means "go smiling". When you walk out of a shop you say , and the owner answers .
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Saying Güle güle as you walk out. | The person who leaves says Hoşça kal. The person who stays says Güle güle. |
| Using Nasılsın with an older stranger. | Add the polite ending and say Nasılsınız. |
| Typing Gunaydin with plain u and i. | Use the Turkish letters ü and ı: Günaydın. |
Hear these greetings between a customer and a cafe owner in Turkish Greetings and Cafe Conversations. For the morning greeting alone, read how to say good morning in Turkish, or see the fastest way to learn Turkish.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Turkish. You learn from Turkish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Turkish lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- The optional Turkish Alphabet course has letter and sound practice.
- Every lesson is written at your level, about things you like.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Turkish about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading. You can also export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter and its sound in the free Turkish Alphabet course.
- You can't turn Turkish novels or articles into lessons. However, you can paste a paragraph in the chat, and Poppy will explain every sentence.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches the Turkish Alphabet
Mobile
How Do You Write Günaydın Without a Turkish Keyboard?
Add the Turkish keyboard on your phone or computer, and it types ü and ı for you. Our guide to Turkish I and the other special letters shows how.
Which Turkish App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Turkish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. For other apps, see our Turkish app comparison.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum guide: Turkish Greetings and Cafe Conversations (Level 1, with lesson notes)
- Türk Dil Kurumu, Güncel Türkçe Sözlük (günaydın, hoş geldiniz, hoş bulduk, güle güle)
- Wikivoyage: Turkish phrasebook
- Wiktionary: merhaba (Turkish)
- Wiktionary: iyi akşamlar (Turkish)
- Wiktionary: rica ederim (Turkish)
- Wiktionary: görüşürüz (Turkish)
