Turkish for eating and drinking

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 order tea, water and a dish and say that I like it.
• A2I can ask in a restaurant for a recommendation, how spicy it is and for the bill.
• A2I can say what I don’t eat and ask for vegetarian dishes.
• B1I can ask for a recipe and follow the steps.
• B1I can make a complaint in a restaurant in a friendly way.

Core vocabulary

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

• ekmekbreadA1
• çorbasoupA1
• suwaterA1
• kahvaltıbreakfastA1
• tatlıdessert, something sweetA1
• lezzetlitasty, deliciousA1
• menümenu; set menuA2
• hesapbill; accountA2
• bahşiştipA2
• mezestarter, mezeA2
• acıhot, spicy; bitterA2
• siparişorderA2
• tarifrecipe; descriptionB1
• malzemeingredient; materialB1
• acısıznot spicy, mildB1
• ev yapımıhomemadeB1

Typical situations

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

Sentences to say aloud

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

1. Bir çay, lütfen.A tea, please.

   A1neutral

2. Çok lezzetli!Delicious!

   A1neutral

3. Su var mı?Is there any water?

   A1neutral

4. Afiyet olsun!Enjoy your meal!

   A1neutral You say it to anyone who is eating — after the meal too.

5. Ben et yemiyorum.I don’t eat meat.

   A1neutral

6. Kahvaltıda peynir, zeytin ve ekmek yiyoruz.For breakfast we have cheese, olives and bread.

   A1neutral

7. Ekmek taze mi?Is the bread fresh?

   A1neutral

8. Çorba çok sıcak.The soup is very hot.

   A1neutral

9. Tatlı olarak ne var?What is there for pudding?

   A1neutral

10. Menüyü alabilir miyim?Could I have the menu?

    A2polite

11. Hesabı alabilir miyiz?Could we have the bill?

    A2polite

12. Ne tavsiye edersiniz?What would you recommend?

    A2polite

13. Bu yemek acı mı?Is this dish spicy?

    A2neutral

14. Mezeler çok güzel.The starters are very good.

    A2neutral

15. Siparişimiz hâlâ gelmedi.Our order still hasn’t come.

    A2neutral

16. Ben vejetaryenim. Etsiz ne var?I’m vegetarian. What is there without meat?

    A2neutral

17. Kahvem sade olsun, lütfen.My coffee without sugar, please.

    A2neutral olsun means “let it be” — that is how you put a wish when ordering.

18. Bahşişi masaya bırakabilirsiniz.You can leave the tip on the table.

    A2neutral

19. Bundan bir porsiyon, lütfen.One portion of this, please.

    A2neutral

20. Elinize sağlık, çok güzel olmuş!Thank you for cooking — it’s turned out lovely!

    A2polite

21. Çay bahçesinde oturup çay içelim mi?Shall we sit in the tea garden and have some tea?

    A2casual

22. Acısız bir şey var mı? Çocuklar acı yiyemiyor.Is there anything that isn’t spicy? The children can’t eat hot food.

    B1neutral

23. Bu tarif için hangi malzemeler lazım?Which ingredients do you need for this recipe?

    B1neutral

24. Soğanı doğrayıp tereyağında kavurun.Chop the onion and fry it in butter.

    B1neutral -ip links two steps: doğrayıp kavurun, “chop and fry” — the person and the politeness are only on the last verb.

25. Bu börek ev yapımı mı?Is this börek home-made?

    B1neutral

26. Yemeğin kalanını paket yaptırabilir miyiz?Could we have the rest of the meal wrapped to take away?

    B1neutral

27. Hesabı bölüşelim mi, yoksa bugün ben mi ısmarlayayım?Shall we split the bill, or shall I treat you today?

    B1casual

28. Çorba biraz soğuk geldi, ısıtabilir misiniz?The soup came a bit cold — could you heat it up?

    B1polite

29. Misafire genellikle önce çay ya da kahve ikram edilir.Guests are usually offered tea or coffee first.

    B1neutral

30. Annemin yaptığı dolmanın tadını hiçbir yerde bulamadım.I’ve never found the taste of the dolma my mother makes anywhere else.

    B1neutral The participle in -dik: annemin yaptığı, “that my mother makes”, comes before the noun it describes.

31. Çayı demledikten sonra on dakika bekleyin.After brewing the tea, wait ten minutes.

    B1neutral

What matters here

• Afiyet olsun! is said before and after a meal, to anyone who is eating.

  Elinize sağlık! — “health to your hands” — is the thanks to the cook.

  Afiyet olsun!Elinize sağlık!

• Turkish coffee is ordered by sweetness:

  sade (no sugar), orta (medium), şekerli (sweet).

  sadeortaşekerli

• In a lokanta people often point at the ready-made dishes on display:

  Bundan bir porsiyon, lütfen.

  lokantaBundan bir porsiyon, lütfen.

• acı means both “hot, spicy” and “bitter”; acısız asks for a mild dish.

  acıacısız

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.

1. 1A tea, please.Show sentenceHide

   Bir çay, lütfen.

2. 2The soup is very hot.Show sentenceHide

   Çorba çok sıcak.

3. 3Our order still hasn’t come.Show sentenceHide

   Siparişimiz hâlâ gelmedi.

4. 4Is there anything that isn’t spicy? The children can’t eat hot food.Show sentenceHide

   Acısız bir şey var mı? Çocuklar acı yiyemiyor.