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Turkish Greetings: How to Introduce Yourself in Turkish

Ever typed into Google: “My name is translate in Turkish?” (Ah, the language of search bars…)

In today’s world, globalization has an impact on technology, transport, communication, education, trade, economy, business management, tourism, and many other areas. However, communication is the common ground for all. Millions of people from different countries, talking different languages, interact with each other as a result of globalization. As we all know, languages are the most important means of communication.

No matter which language you speak, it always feels good to hear people from other nations trying to speak your native language. This definitely helps to build a connection between people whose mother tongues are different; it helps develop an easier and more effective communication. Doesn’t it sound wonderful that someone invested his or her time in learning your language, to be able to communicate with you or others in your society?

Ready to learn how to introduce yourself in Turkish language? Introducing yourself in Turkish language doesn’t need to be hard; at TurkishClass101; we hope to make this experience both fun and informative!

Now to get started with our guide on how to introduce yourself (Turkish to English)!

Table of Contents

  1. ”Hello and Nice to Meet You” in Turkish
  2. Introducing Yourself
  3. Describing Yourself in Turkish
  4. Myself in Turkish
  5. Make this Experience Even More Enjoyable with TurkishClass101!

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1. “Hello and Nice to Meet You” in Turkish

So, how do you introduce yourself in Turkish? A bright “Hello!” is a great way to start breaking the ice.

Let’s say you need to interact with Turkish people for socializing, networking, business, or for any other reason. You should be able to greet them and introduce yourself in Turkish. Can you imagine how much favor you’ll gain when you greet them with a warm Merhaba! (“Hello!” ) or Selam! (“Hi!” )? It’s nice that you took time to learn how to greet them in Turkish, and introducing yourself in Turkish phrases is sure to grab their attention.

  • Merhaba! – “Hello!”
  • Selam! – “Hi!”

After this though, be prepared to answer the question, “How are you?” (Nasılsınız? the formal way, or Nasılsın? the informal way.)

  • Nasılsınız? – “How are you?” [Formal]
  • Nasılsın? – “How are you?” [Informal]

The answer, “I’m fine, thank you. And you?” will follow, as indicated below:

  • İyiyim, teşekkür ederim, ya siz? – “I’m fine, thank you. And you?” [Formal]
    İyiyim, teşekkür ederim, ya sen? – “I’m fine, thank you. And you?” [Informal]

2. Introducing Yourself

Colleagues Introducing Themselves

After this nice and sincere start, wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could also introduce yourself in Turkish? Talking about your name in Turkish is the best place to begin. Here are some ways to say “My name is,” in Turkish:

  • Ben Kelly. (“I’m Kelly.” )
  • Benim adım Kelly. (“My name is Kelly.” )
  • Benim ismim Kelly. (“My name is Kelly.” )

Once you’ve given your name, you can ask your Turkish acquaintance theirs:

  • Sizin adınız nedir? (“What is your name?” ) [Formal]
  • Senin adın ne? (“What is your name?” ) [Informal]

When the other person introduces herself or himself, you can tell her or him that you were glad to meet. That is:

  • Memnun oldum. (“I’m glad to meet you.” )

If he or she was quicker than you and told you that she or he was glad to meet first, then you can say:

  • Ben de. (“Me, too.” )

3. Describing Yourself in Turkish

The person (or people) you’re talking to are now eager to know more about you, and it’s time to describe yourself in Turkish. No panic! You can definitely do this! Even if you make a small grammar or pronunciation mistake, they’ll still appreciate your courage and your effort to carry out a conversation with them. After the short introduction, you can tell them how old you are, mention your nationality, and let them know where you live.

Here’s an example of talking about your age in Turkish, as well as your nationality.

  • Ben otuz yaşındayım. (“I’m thirty years old.” )
  • Amerikalıyım ama Almanya’da yaşıyorum. (“I’m American, but I live in Germany.” )

Here are some other nationalities in Turkish:

  • Alman – “German”
  • İngiliz – “English”
  • Fransız – “French”
  • İtalyan – “Italian”
  • İspanyol – “Spanish”
  • Japon – “Japanese”
  • Koreli – “Korean”
  • Çinli – “Chinese”

You’re doing great so far! You’ve already used all the icebreakers, and can now go even further to describe yourself in Turkish.

Whether you’re attending a party, a school, a fair, a business meeting, or having a date or a job interview where you need to be part of the Turkish society, you might need to start giving people more personal details.

If you’re there for a business- or education-related reason, you might prefer talking about your educational background or indicate your profession.

  • Stanford Üniversitesi’nden mezun oldum. (“I have graduated from Stanford University.” )
  • Ben mühendisim. (“I’m an engineer.” )

Engineer Communicating with Someone

You can use the following Turkish words for other professions:

  • Öğretmen – “Teacher”
  • Doktor – “Doctor”
  • Mimar – “Architect”
  • Hemşire – “Nurse”
  • Müzisyen – “Musician”
  • Oyuncu – “Actor”
  • Teknisyen – “Technician”
  • Yazar – “Writer
  • Öğrenci – “Student”
  • Ev hanımı – “Housewife”

Now, people may want to know why you happen to be there. If you’re visiting for business, you can use the following phrases:

  • İş gezisindeyim. (“I’m on a business trip.” )
  • Fuar/kongre için geldim. (“I came for a fair/a congress.” )
  • Bir iş toplantısı için geldim. (“I came for a business meeting.” )
  • Mülakata geldim. (“I came for a job interview.” )

You can find below other sentences that will explain your reason for being there:

  • Turist olarak geldim. (“I came as a tourist.” )
  • Partiye geldim. (“I came to the party.” )
  • Okul için geldim. (“I came for school.” )
  • Çalışmak için geldim. (“I came to work.” )

If the environment is informal and appropriate for you to mention your marital status or family, then you can talk about these two subjects as well. You can use the following phrases to state your marital status:

  • Ben evliyim. (“I’m married.” )
  • Ben bekarım. (“I’m single.” )
  • Ben nişanlıyım. (“I’m engaged.” )

Married Couple Embracing

You can begin talking about your family in Turkish using the sentences below:

  • Büyük bir ailem var. (“I have a big family.” )
  • İki çocuğum var. (“I have two children.” )
  • Bir kızım var. (“I have a daughter.” )
  • Bir oğlum var. (“I have a son.” )
  • Üç kardeşim var. (“I have three siblings.” )
  • Bir kız kardeşim var. (“I have a sister.” )
  • Bir erkek kardeşim var. (“I have a brother.” )

4. Myself in Turkish

The person you’re talking to will get to know you better if you can share more information about yourself. I can hear you asking: “Talk about myself in Turkish in detail?” Yes, but relax, because you’ve already captured their attention and have already built a connection between you and the other parties. When you introduce yourself when learning Turkish, people will be impressed and grateful that you can carry a conversation forward so well.

You can proceed with the conversation by sharing some personal details. For instance, you can talk about your daily life, your hobbies, and your pet (or pets) if you have any. Let’s get started with the pets:

  • Bir köpeğim var. (“I have a dog.” )
  • İki kedim var. (“I have two cats.” )
  • Bir köpeğim ve bir kedim var. (“I have a dog and a cat.” )
  • Hiç evcil hayvanım yok. (“I don’t have any pets.” )

Here are the names of some other pets that you can use in Turkish:

  • Balık – “Fish”
  • Kuş – “Bird”
  • Hamster – “Hamster”
  • Tavşan – “Rabbit”
  • Yılan – “Snake”
  • Kaplumbağa – “Turtle”

To introduce yourself when traveling to Turkey, one of the best ways to make new friends is talking about your hobbies:

Man Reading Many Books

  • Çok hobim var. (“I have a lot of hobbies.” )
  • Hiç hobim yok. (“I don’t have any hobbies.” )
  • Kitap okumayı severim. (“I like reading books.” )
  • Futbol oynamaktan hoşlanırım. (“I enjoy playing soccer.” )
  • Yüzmeyi severim. (“I like swimming.” )
  • Televizyon seyretmeyi sevmem. (“I don’t like watching TV.” )

Many, many more examples can be given for hobbies.

You can also talk about many more topics in Turkish in the Turkish society. Of course, the topics will differ based on the occasion or your motive for being in that specific environment.

This article is particularly about greeting, introducing yourself in Turkish, and getting into a very basic, daily conversation. More articles will be posted on topics related to other types of conversations in Turkish. Please keep following our website TurkishClass101.com, and don’t miss out on any of our articles that will be useful for you!

5. Make this Experience Even More Enjoyable with TurkishClass101!

Trying to communicate with people from other countries in their own language might be difficult, challenging, and even scary for you. For those learning Turkish for beginners, to introduce yourself won’t come easy at first. You might have to spend a lot of energy getting the hang of it (not physically, but mentally, of course). It might also be a little stressful.

However, believe it or not, this experience will help you get a head start in any kind of relationship with people from other countries. When you have a conversation in Turkish, you’ll make a quicker, stronger connection and have a smoother time communicating. People will respect you even more, thinking that you respected them in the first place by not choosing the easiest and most comfortable way to communicate with them. Your efforts will be highly appreciated, and any mistakes you make will be brushed over.

Put yourself in their shoes. Wouldn’t you be appreciative and encouraging in a situation like this? Their appreciation should give you more self-confidence and motivation to improve your skills in Turkish, both written and verbal. Be courageous, not shy; leave your worries aside and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Studying, and then practicing, Turkish will help you tremendously in your endeavor, and you’ll be able to interact with Turkish people more confidently.

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Where can you get help to make this experience more enjoyable for yourself and the other parties?

You can visit and check out TurkishClass101.com. You’ll soon see how much you can benefit from this site and how greatly your Turkish will improve. We can help to enhance your future Turkish interactions manifold!

In the meantime, reader, let us know in the comments how confident you are with Turkish introductions! Do you think you’re ready to start introducing yourself in Turkish words, or are you still a little fuzzy? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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