Greetings

Level 1

Turkish greetings (selamlaşma) are essential for social rapport. They are highly sensitive to the time of day and the direction of movement (entering vs. leaving).

How It Works

Turkish greetings are categorized by their function and social register:

Universal Greetings: Merhaba is the most neutral greeting. Merhabalar is a common pluralized version used for groups or to sound more polite. Selam is informal. Naber? (What's up?) is very common among friends. Selamün Aleyküm is a traditional greeting with a strong cultural expectation to respond with Aleyküm Selam.
Time-Based Greetings: Günaydın (Good morning) is used in the morning. Tünaydın (Good afternoon) is rare and often considered a textbook term rather than natural speech. İyi günler is the standard way to say both 'Good day' and 'Have a good day' (as a parting). Günaydınlar and İyi akşamlar (Good evening) or İyi geceler (Good night) frequently use the plural suffix in formal contexts.
The 'How Are You?' Ritual: A greeting is culturally incomplete without asking Nasılsın? (informal) or Nasılsınız? (polite). The standard response is İyiyim, teşekkür ederim (I am fine, thank you). When meeting for the first time, add Memnun oldum (Nice to meet you).
The Welcome and Service Ritual: When you enter a home or shop, the host says Hoş geldin (singular) or Hoş geldiniz (plural/polite). You respond with Hoş bulduk (literally 'We found it well'). Buyurun is a versatile word used to invite someone in, offer a seat, or indicate that you are ready to serve a customer. Efendim is used as a polite 'Yes?', 'Pardon?', or as a respectful way to address someone.
The 'Work' Greeting: Kolay gelsin (May it come easy) is a vital phrase used whenever you see someone working, whether you are entering a shop or passing a gardener.
Parting Rituals: The leaver says Hoşça kal (singular), Hoşça kalın (plural/polite), or the traditional Allahaısmarladık. The stayer responds Güle güle. If both are leaving, use Görüşürüz (See you). Note that Günaydın is strictly a greeting and never used when leaving.

Examples (6)

Merhaba, nasılsınız?
Hello, how are you?
Word by Word: Hello, how-are-you?
A universal greeting suitable for both face-to-face and phone conversations.
Hoş geldiniz! — Hoş bulduk!
Welcome! — We found it well (Response to welcome)!
Word by Word: Pleasant you-came! — Pleasant we-found!
A mandatory social ritual: the host says 'Hoş geldiniz' and the guest responds with 'Hoş bulduk'. Even if you are alone, the plural 'Hoş bulduk' is the standard, culturally expected response.
Kolay gelsin! İyi çalışmalar.
May it come easy! Good work.
Word by Word: Easy let-it-come! Good works.
A culturally essential phrase used when greeting or leaving someone who is working, such as a shopkeeper or a colleague.
Hoşça kalın, iyi günler!
Goodbye (stay pleasantly), have a good day!
Word by Word: Pleasant-ly stay (plural/polite), good days!
The person leaving uses the polite command suffix -ın to show respect or address a group.
Görüşürüz! — Görüşürüz!
See you! — See you!
Word by Word: We-see-each-other! — We-see-each-other!
A neutral farewell used when both parties are departing or when the roles of stayer/leaver are not distinct.
Günaydın! Bir çay lütfen.
Good morning! One tea please.
Word by Word: Day-bright! One tea please.
Günaydın is the standard morning greeting. While the pluralized 'Günaydınlar' is used in formal or broadcasting contexts using the plural suffix, 'Günaydın' is the most common form.

Common Mistakes

Using 'Güle güle' when you are the one leaving.
Ben gidiyorum, güle güle!
Ben gidiyorum, hoşça kal!
Native speakers only say 'Güle güle' to the person who is departing. If you say it while leaving, you are essentially telling yourself to have a good trip.
Using the singular form for time-based wishes.
İyi gün!
İyi günler!
Wishes like 'Good day' or 'Good evening' are normally said in the plural in Turkish: 'İyi günler', 'İyi akşamlar'.
Using 'Merhaba' as a farewell.
Görüşürüz, merhaba!
Görüşürüz, iyi günler!
'Merhaba' is strictly an introductory greeting and cannot be used to say goodbye.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

GreetingsLevel 1

Learn This First

Greetings are foundational vocabulary in Turkish. While they are often learned as fixed phrases, a basic understanding of the Turkish alphabet is necessary to pronounce them correctly. No complex grammar is required as these are typically memorized as set expressions.