Polite Turkish

Greeting, thanking, congratulating, comforting: the set phrases Turkish keeps ready for every situation.

31 sentences · 2 dialogues · 16 words

Why this field

Turkish has a set sentence for almost every situation: for someone who is working, who is ill, who has just eaten, had a bath or bought something. Know them and you sound at home at once — and you understand what others mean.

Most of these phrases cannot be translated word for word. Here they stand with the situation they belong to.

What you will be able to do

Goals by level. Tick what you can already do — the tick stays in this browser only.

A1I can greet people, thank them and say goodbye — with “sen” and with “siz”.
A1I can answer a welcome correctly.
A2I can give the right good wishes for a new home, a purchase and a journey.
A2I can apologise and accept an apology.
B1I can offer condolences appropriately and show sympathy when someone is ill.

Core vocabulary

16 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.

merhabahelloA1
günaydıngood morningA1
teşekkür ederimthank youA1
lütfenplease (when asking)A1
buyurunhere you are; please (when offering)A1
hoş geldinizwelcomeA1
hoş buldukthank you (reply to “welcome”)A1
kolay gelsinsaid to someone at work (no English equivalent)A1
geçmiş olsunget well soonA1
rica ederimyou are welcomeA1
kusura bakmayınsorry, please excuse meA2
başınız sağ olsunmy condolencesA2
hayırlı olsunall the best with it, congratulationsA2
iyi yolculuklarhave a good tripA2
ne demeknot at all, you are welcomeA2
güle güle kullanenjoy using itA2

Practise as flashcards Card box Mixed round

Typical situations

Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.

Paying a visit

You are visiting a friend’s parents for the first time.

Hostess
Hoş geldiniz! Buyurun, içeri gelin.Welcome! Please, come in.
Guest
Hoş bulduk. Ayakkabılarımı çıkarayım mı?Thank you. Shall I take my shoes off?
Hostess
Buyurun, terlik var. Oturun, lütfen.Here, there are slippers. Do sit down.
Guest
Size küçük bir hediye getirdim.I’ve brought you a little present.
Hostess
Ne gerek vardı! Çok teşekkür ederim.You shouldn’t have! Thank you very much.
Guest
Rica ederim. Eviniz çok güzel.Not at all. Your home is lovely.
Hostess
Sağ olun. Çay mı içersiniz, kahve mi?Thank you. Would you like tea or coffee?

A new shop

An acquaintance has opened a shop of his own, and you drop in.

Customer
Hayırlı olsun, Murat Bey! Dükkân çok güzel olmuş.Congratulations, Murat Bey! The shop looks wonderful.
Shop owner
Sağ olun, hoş geldiniz! Ne içersiniz?Thank you, welcome! What will you drink?
Customer
Zahmet etmeyin, sadece tebrik etmek için uğradım.Please don’t go to any trouble — I only dropped in to congratulate you.
Shop owner
Ne zahmeti, bir çay içmeden gitmek yok!No trouble at all — you’re not leaving without a tea!
Customer
Peki, bir çay içerim. Bu çantayı da alayım.All right, I’ll have a tea. And I’ll take this bag too.
Shop owner
Güle güle kullanın!Enjoy it!

Sentences to say aloud

The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.

Merhaba, nasılsınız?Hello, how are you?
A1polite
Günaydın! Kolay gelsin.Good morning! Hope work’s going well.
A1neutral
Teşekkür ederim. — Rica ederim.Thank you. — You’re welcome.
A1neutral
Buyurun, oturun.Please, sit down.
A1polite
Hoş geldiniz! — Hoş bulduk!Welcome! — Thank you!
A1neutral The reply is fixed: Hoş geldiniz is always answered with Hoş bulduk.
Afiyet olsun!Enjoy your meal!
A1neutral You say it to anyone who is eating — after the meal too.
Geçmiş olsun, iyi misin?Sorry to hear you’re ill — are you all right?
A1close friends only
Hoşça kal! — Güle güle!Take care! — Bye!
A1casual The person leaving says Hoşça kal; the person staying says Güle güle.
Lütfen yavaş konuşun.Please speak slowly.
A1polite
Özür dilerim, geç kaldım.Sorry, I’m late.
A1neutral
Kusura bakmayın, sizi beklettim.I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.
A2polite
Önemli değil, ne demek!It doesn’t matter, not at all!
A2neutral
Yeni evin hayırlı olsun!Congratulations on your new home!
A2close friends only
Güle güle kullan!Enjoy it!
A2close friends only Said about something new someone has bought: a car, a phone, a jacket.
İyi yolculuklar, dikkatli gidin!Have a good journey, drive carefully!
A2neutral
Doğum günün kutlu olsun!Happy birthday!
A2close friends only
Zahmet olmazsa pencereyi açar mısınız?If it’s no trouble, would you open the window?
A2polite
Çok yaşa! — Sen de gör!Bless you! — Thank you!
A2close friends only After a sneeze: literally “live long!” — and the reply, “may you see it too!”
Sıhhatler olsun!Enjoy the fresh feeling! (after a bath or a haircut)
A2neutral Said to someone who has just had a bath, a shave or a haircut. English has nothing like it.
Ayakkabılarımı çıkarayım mı?Shall I take my shoes off?
A2polite
Başarılar! Sınavın iyi geçsin.Good luck! I hope your exam goes well.
A2close friends only
Başınız sağ olsun.I’m sorry for your loss.
B1formal Literally “may your head stay well” — this is how you offer condolences. The reply is often Dostlar sağ olsun.
Babanızın vefatını duydum, çok üzüldüm.I heard about your father’s death — I’m so sorry.
B1formal
Ne gerek vardı, zahmet etmişsiniz!You really shouldn’t have — you’ve gone to so much trouble!
B1polite The typical answer to a present; -mişsiniz expresses friendly surprise here.
Davetinize gelemediğim için çok özür dilerim.I’m very sorry I couldn’t come to your invitation.
B1formal
Eksik olmayın, çok yardımcı oldunuz.Thank you so much — you’ve been a great help.
B1polite
Bir çay içmeden gitmek olmaz!You can’t go without having a tea!
B1close friends only
Müsaadenizle, artık kalkalım.If you’ll excuse us, we’d better be going.
B1formal This is how a guest politely announces it is time to leave.
Ev sahibine bir şey getirmek çok yaygındır; çiçek ya da tatlı olabilir.It is very common to bring the host something; it can be flowers or something sweet.
B1neutral
Rica etsem, bu formu benim için doldurur musunuz?Could I ask you to fill in this form for me?
B1formal
Hastalığınızı duyunca çok üzüldüm; geçmiş olsun.I was very sorry to hear you were ill; get well soon.
B1polite

What matters here

To Hoş geldiniz (“welcome”) you always reply Hoş bulduk — literally “we have found it pleasant”.
Hoş geldinizHoş bulduk
Teşekkür ederim is neutral, Sağ ol casual; Rica ederim or Ne demek answer either.
Teşekkür ederimSağ olRica ederimNe demek
When saying goodbye, the person leaving says Hoşça kal and the person staying says Güle güle.
Hoşça kalGüle güle
Many people take their shoes off when they enter a home; hosts often offer slippers.

Quick quiz

6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.

Try it yourself

Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Turkish, then open it to compare.

Hello, how are you?
Merhaba, nasılsınız?
Take care! — Bye!
Hoşça kal! — Güle güle!
Have a good journey, drive carefully!
İyi yolculuklar, dikkatli gidin!
I’m sorry for your loss.
Başınız sağ olsun.

Keep learning

The grammar behind it

Word lists that go with it

Reading texts

Reading texts on this topic (3)

Practise

More fields

Turkish for your holiday37 sentences · 15 words Turkish at work34 sentences · 15 words Turkish at the office, the bank and the doctor’s32 sentences · 16 words Turkish with neighbours and family32 sentences · 15 words Turkish for eating and drinking31 sentences · 16 words

Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.