TURKISH LANGUAGE – USEFUL WORDS & PHRASES

Margaret Williamson

June 2008

The Turkish language has little in common with major European languages, but at least Ataturk replaced the Arabic script with a familiar alphabet and pronunciation is fairly straightforward. We found English spoken by some younger people and in the tourist areas, but German was more useful among older people who had worked as 'Gastarbeiter'.

Occasionally, French was spoken by an educated elite. Generally, the further east we travelled the less likely it was to meet someone with a language we knew.

We wrote down a few essential words or phrases for reference until we got to know them. For food, you can of course get by with pointing in street markets and using self-service shops and cafes.  

Please = Lütfen

Thank you = Tesekkür (pronounced teshekoor)or Mersi

Hello = Merhaba

Goodbye = Güle güle

New = Yeni

Old = Eski

Big = Büyük

Small = Kücük (pronounced koochook)

Yes = Evet

No = Hayir

How much is it? = Ne kadar?

Ladies/Gents (WC) = Bayan/Bay

Tomorrow = Yarin

Bread = Ekmek (Flat bread = Pide)

Potable water = Icme (pronounced ichme) suyu

Mineral water (bottled) = Maden suyu

Ice = Buz

Tea = Cay (pronounced chai)

Coffee = Kahve (for Instant Coffee, ask for Nescafe)

Milk = Süt

Semi-skimmed = Yarim Yagi

Sugar = Seker (pronounced sheker)

Cheese = Peynir

Egg = Yumurta

Rice = Pilav

Soup = Corba (pronounced chorba)

Pancake (savoury) = Gözleme

Chicken = Pilic (pronounced pilich) or Tavuk

Fish = Balik (Trout = Alabalik and very good too!)

Meat = Et

Meatballs/rissoles = Köfte (beware Cig Köfte which are raw and spicy)

Apple = Elma

Apricot = Kayisi

Banana = Muz

Cherry = Kiraz

Grape = Üzüm

Orange = Portakal

Plum = Erik

Watermelon = Karpuz

Olive (oil) = Zeytin (yagi)

Tomato = Domates

Cucumber = Salatalik

Potato = Patates

Ice cream = Dondurma

Rice pudding = Sütlac (pronounced sootlach)

Turkish delight = Lokum

Town centre = Sehir (pronounced Sheheer) Merkesi

Town hall = Belediye

Mosque = Cami (pronounced jammy)

Church = Kilise

Castle = Kale

Museum = Müze

Bridge = Köpru

Village = Köy

Sea = Deniz (Mediterranean = Akdeniz; Black Sea = Karadeniz)

Harbour = Liman

Lake = Göl

Beach = Plaj

Hotel = Otel

Restaurant = Lokanta

Motorway service area = Servis Adani

Diesel = Motorin or Dizel

Petrol = Benzin

Lead-free = Kursunsuz

Filling station = Petrol Ofisi

LPG = Otogaz

Oil = Motor Yagi

Tyres = Lastiki

Brakes = Frenler

Stop = Dur

Slow = Yavas (pronounced yavash)