Learn how to apologize in Turkish – fast and accurately! TurkishClass101 makes it easy for you to make amends. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet – How to Improve Your Turkish Skills! (Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. Common Ways to Say Sorry in Turkish
2. How To Refuse Something Politely in Turkish
3. Audio Lesson – Survival Phrases “How to Say Sorry”
4. Why You Will NOT Be Sorry For Learning Turkish through TurkishClass101

1. Common Ways to Say Sorry in Turkish

Nobody’s perfect, not anywhere in the world. Everybody makes mistakes, and does and says regrettable things. Then it’s time to apologize, as saying ‘I’m sorry’ is not in vain. It can be very healing! Did you know that hearing a sincerely-meant apology can have a noticeable effect on a person’s body? Research has shown that it slows down breathing and heart rate, and even causes a drop in blood pressure.

Sometimes we cannot fix what’s broken, but we can make the experience a bit easier for anyone who suffered on account of our thoughtless actions or words.

Here are a number of ways to say sorry in Turkish. In any language, just make sure you really mean it! An insincere apology will not go down well with anyone.

Özür dilerim.
I’m sorry

These words should precede anything else you have to say. Use them sincerely and whenever you are clearly in the wrong. Acknowledging your guilt and apologizing for any wrongdoing will lift your spirits too! Often, remorse can eat away at us, and a simple ‘I’m sorry’, in Turkish or any other language, can open the door for forgiveness and resolution of a bad situation. It can be a true gift!

Özür dilemek isterim.
I would like to apologize.

This is a slightly more formal way to say ‘I’m sorry’ in Turkish. Use this phrase if you’re addressing your superiors and/or elders.

Tüm samimiyetimle özür dilerim.
I sincerely apologize.

If you feel strongly about your apology, this is another slightly more formal phrase to use. Keep it handy for graver errors, or you might come across as insincere!

Tekrar yapmayacağım.
I won’t do it again.

A promise you can only make if you intend to keep it! Few things feel as bad as having to hear repeated apologies from someone for the same behavior – it means the ‘sorry’ is not sincere. Don’t be that person!

Bu hatayı tekrar yapmamaya dikkat edeceğim.
I’ll make sure not to make this mistake again.

A beautifully strong phrase! Again, say this only if you mean it – not just in the moment, but always! A bit more formal, this is an especially good phrase to use when apologizing to superiors and/or elders. It will make an especially good impression at the workplace, where accountability is an excellent quality to display!

Onu demek istemedim.
I didn’t mean that.

This is a tricky one… What did you mean, then?! Clear up any confusion with sincerity. Also, use this phrase only if the harm done or mistake made was due to an accident, and then admit to thoughtlessness on your part, if appropriate.

Bu benim hatam.
It’s my fault.

If the fault is really yours, own up to it. You will gain respect in the eyes of others! However, don’t take the blame when it’s not truly yours. It won’t be good for you, and ultimately you will not be respected much for it.

Bencillik yaptığım için üzgünüm.
I’m sorry for being selfish.

This is a good phrase to keep handy, especially for your close relationships. It is difficult to admit you’re selfish, isn’t it?! However, it’s good to know when to be honest. We get used to our loved ones, which often means we forget that they need our good manners and unselfish behavior just as much as strangers do.

Umarım beni affedersin.
I hope you will forgive me.

This is a polite and gentle wish that can smooth over many harsh feelings. It also shows that the other person’s opinion and forgiveness are important to you.

Tüm sorumluluğu üstüme alıyorum.
I take full responsibility.

This strong statement is similar to admitting that an error or transgression was your fault. It speaks of courage and the willingness to take remedial action. Good one to use…if you mean it!

Bunu yapmamalıydım.
I shouldn’t have done it.

This phrase is fine to use if you did or said something wrong. It shows, to an extent, your regret for having done or said what you did, and demonstrates that you understand your role in the mistake.

Paranızı geç geri verdiğim için özür dilerim.
Sorry for giving your money back late.

It’s rotten to have to loan money! Yet, it’s equally rotten to have to ask for the repayment of a loan. So, do your best not to pay late in the first place, but if it can’t be helped, this would be a good phrase to use!

Lütfen bana kızma.
Please don’t be mad at me.

Well, this is not a very advisable phrase to use if you are clearly in the wrong. If someone is justifiably angry with you, asking them not to be mad at you would be an unfair expectation. However, if you did something wrong by accident, and if the consequences were not too serious, this request would be OK.

Üzgünüm geciktim.
Sorry I’m late.

Punctuality is valued in most situations, but if you really cannot help being late, then apologize! This way you show respect for your host, and win their approval.

Sana kötü davrandığım için özür dilerim.
I apologize for being mean to you.

Acknowledging your own meanness towards someone is no small thing, so good for you! Use this apology only if your intention is to seriously address your mean tendencies, or these words could become meaningless over time.

2. How To Refuse Something Politely in Turkish

Congratulations! Now you know how to apologize in Turkish! After you have apologized for a mistake, focus on fixing whatever you can, and don’t punish yourself over something that cannot be taken back or reversed. That’s healthy for you! Regret can eat away at the soul, and even destroy it. It is ultimately a useless emotion if it consumes you.

However, in language, we use apologies not only when we’ve transgressed or made mistakes. They come in handy in other situations too, when there has been no wrongdoing. Sometimes we need to express regret for having to refuse a gift, an offer, or an invitation. This can be somewhat tricky. Learn from specialists at TurkishClass101 about how to use the correct Turkish words for this kind of ‘sorry’!

3. Survival Phrases “How to Say Sorry”

On the run and need a quick lesson on how to say sorry in Turkish? Don’t fret, just listen and repeat! Click here for a recorded short lesson and learn how to give the perfect apology, with perfect pronunciation in Turkish. A little can go a long way, and you will sound like a native!

4. Why You Will NOT Be Sorry For Learning Turkish through TurkishClass101

Online learning is here to stay, that’s a fact. In 2015, the Digital Learning Compass Partnership released a report based on surveys to determine online enrollment trends in US institutions for higher education. Thirty percent of all their students learned online! And the number is growing! However, how can you be sure you will not regret your choice of an online language learning school? First, look at the school’s credentials and what it has to offer…

• Fun and Easy Learning: It’s a commonly-known fact that when learning is made easy and fun, student motivation rises. And as motivation rises, so does the effort to learn – what a beautiful cycle! TurkishClass101’s language learning system is designed to get you speaking from the onset. Learn at your own convenience and pace with our short, effective and fun audio podcast lessons. Our Learning Center is comprehensive and state-of-the-art, with a vibrant user community to connect to! Our lessons are recorded with native hosts and voice actors, providing a diverse range of dialects in your lessons. You can be confident that native speakers will understand you when speaking Turkish!
• Innovative Learning Tools and Apps: We make it our priority to offer you the best learning tools! These include apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac OSX; eBooks for Kindle, Nook, and iPad; audiobooks; Roku TV and so many more. This means that we took diverse lifestyles into account when we developed our courses, so you can learn anywhere, anytime on a device of your choice. How innovative!
• Free Resources: Sharing is caring, and for this reason, we share many free resources with our students. For instance, start learning Turkish with our basic online course by creating a lifetime account – for free! Also get free daily and iTunes lessons, free eBooks, free mobile apps, and free access to our blog and online community. Or how about free Vocabulary Lists? The Turkish dictionary is for exclusive use by our students, also for free. There’s so much to love about TurkishClass101…!
• Live Hosts and One-on-One Learning: Knowledgeable, energetic hosts present recorded video lessons, and are available for live teaching experiences if you upgrade. This means that in the videos, you get to watch them pronounce those tongue-twisters, as if you’re learning live! Add octane to your learning by upgrading to Premium Plus, and learn two times faster. Your can have your very own Turkish teacher always with you, ensuring that you learn what you need, when you need to – what a wonderful opportunity to master a new language in record time!
• Start Where You Are: You don’t know a single Turkish word? Not to worry, we’ve absolutely got this. Simply enroll in our Absolute Beginner Pathway and start speaking from Lesson 1! As your learning progresses, you can enroll in other pathways to match your Turkish level, at your own pace, in your own time, in your own place!

After this lesson, you will know almost every ‘sorry for’ in Turkish, but don’t let it be that you’re sorry for missing a great opportunity. Learning a new language can only enrich your life, and could even open doors towards great opportunities! So don’t wonder if you’ll regret enrolling in TurkishClass101. It’s the most fun, easy way to learn Turkish!

Have you ever heard of “Turkish bird language?” If you have, please note that I’m not talking about Turkish whistling language, which farmers use. When I was a kid, my friends and I used to talk in a bird language, putting “ge, ga, gi, gu, gö, gü” after each syllable. It wouldn’t have sounded like Turkish to a foreigner learning the language.

Nowadays, Turkish slang for the internet is very popular. And guess what? When you read these words and expressions, you might think they don’t sound like Turkish either. They remind me of the good old days! You need to know about these slang words and abbreviations to figure out this new language!

Let’s start with regular Turkish slang words and then continue with internet and text slang.

Table of Contents

1. What is Slang?
2. Turkish Internet/Text Slang
3. Sample Turkish Internet Slang Phrases
4. Go Beyond Turkish Slang

1. What is Slang?

Essentially, slang is a more informal and playful way of using a given language. It’s often very different from how people usually speak or write in that language.

1- Why is it used?

People, especially the young generation, use slang a lot because they think:

• It’s fun and witty.
• It’s friendlier.
• It expresses nuances better than formal language.
• It communicates more quickly.
• Parents and others won’t understand what they’re talking about.
• It’s understood within a certain group.
• It shows that they belong to a certain group.

2- What is internet or text slang?

These days, nearly everyone has a smartphone, so the internet, social media usage, and text messaging are very popular. They became the most common channels for chatting.

Young people use abbreviations, acronyms, and slang words when chatting. By using these special characters, they type faster and save time. Even though the older people think it’s nonsense, younger people think it’s cool!

People of many different disciplines have been studying and discussing internet and text slang as a social topic. Some psychologists think it leads to a lazier generation who will look for shortcuts in other areas of their lives. Linguists think it’s unnecessary and it ruins languages.

3- How is internet or text slang different?

Internet and text slang and the slang we use in daily life are alike in the sense that they may both include swear words. However, internet and text slang consists of abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, and characters not usually found in the spoken word.

2. Turkish Internet/Text Slang

Everything we discussed above also relates to Turkish slang. In this article, I will talk about Turkish internet words and Turkish text slang words, and will provide translations for you. Daily slang in Turkish will be covered in another article, and for the purpose of this article, I won’t mention Turkish internet slang swear words, either. (You can refer to Wikibooks if you’re curious about this topic.)

Turkish internet slang phrases include:

• Slang words
• Abbreviations and acronyms
• Characters that stand for emotions/emoticons

Slang Words

Some Turkish slang words are also used in Turkish internet slang phrases and as Turkish text slang words. Here are some examples:

• Bro:
  • This is the short form of the word “brother” in English. It’s used as “friend.”
• Mal:
  • This word in Turkish means “goods” or “estate.” However, in slang, it means “stupid” or “idiot.”
• Cool:
  • This Turkish slang term comes from English. It’s used with its original English meaning.
• Efso:
  • This is the short form of the word efsane in Turkish. It means “legend.”
• Popi:
  • This word is used for the word popüler in Turkish, which means “popular” in English.
• Ponçik:
  • This is a word that doesn’t exist in Turkish. Boys and girls call each other ponçik, which basically means “nice” or “cute.”
• Sayko:
  • When the word “psycho” in English is pronounced, it’s written as sayko in Turkish. It’s used with the same meaning in English.
• Ciciş:
  • This refers to somebody who is “nice and sweet.”
• Kanka / Kanks / Kanki / Panpa:
  • All of these words are used to say “buddy.”
• Kıro / Kro:
  • Both of these words mean “yokel.”
• Cringe:
  • This is used to express embarrassment on behalf of somebody else.
• Challenge yapmak:
  • This Turkish texting slang means “to call out.”
• Like atmak:
  • This one is used to express the act of liking something on Facebook.
• Sahiplemek:
  • This means that two people are compatible with each other.
• Trip atmak:
  • This means “to attitudinize.”
• Trollemek:
  • This one means “to create trouble.”
• Keklemek:
  • This word is “to deceive.”
• İfşalamak:
  • This one means “to reveal.”
• Abrvtns and Acrnyms:
  • This means “abbreviations” and “acronyms.”

Now, here comes the fun part, if you like to solve puzzles!

Usually, three-letter abbreviations are used to shorten words. In most cases, vowels are omitted and sometimes acronyms are used.

Refer to the table of abbreviated Turkish slang expressions below to see the commonly used abbreviations and acronyms when texting. If you’d like to test yourself, you can easily close the second column!

I wonder how well you did guessing the shortened words!

Some Turkish people, especially those who speak English, might also use the following acronyms that are commonly used in English:

• LOL: Laugh out loud
• Bff: Best friends forever
• Np: No problem
• OMG: Oh my God!
• Thx: Thanks

Characters That Stand for Emoticons

There are so many emoticons/emojis that can be used these days. However, in the past, we used to use some characters that stood for emotions. Some people still use them, especially those who are middle-aged.

Here are the most frequently used ones:

3. Sample Turkish Internet Slang Phrases

Let’s look at some Turkish slang phrases in action and have a little more fun. 🙂

Wow, did you count how many words they saved when texting? It’s incredible!

I don’t use a lot of abbreviations when I’m texting. Therefore, it’s a little difficult for me to create different examples. Here’s another one that I got from this website:

You can click here to see more examples.

4. Go Beyond Turkish Slang

I’m sure this article will prevent you from falling behind in understanding Turkish internet slang phrases and Turkish text slang words in your daily life. However, please don’t forget that you’ll need proper Turkish, especially at work, school, or in formal meetings or gatherings. Turkish internet words won’t help you much when you need to communicate in formal Turkish.

TurkishClass101 will help you build a strong grammar infrastructure and improve your vocabulary. We have tons of vocabulary lists with audio recordings, and free resources including a dictionary you can easily refer to.

You can also download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

Don’t forget that there’s also MyTeacher, which is a Premium PLUS service of TurkishClass101 that you can use to practice with a private teacher.

As usual, we can’t wait to hear your feedback about your experience with the services offered at TurkishClass101!

Before you go, let us know in the comments what the most popular slang words and phrases are in your own language. We’re curious!

Once a year, about seventy days after Ramadan ends, Muslims in Turkey observe the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice. The main event of this holiday is the sacrifice of an animal, which is then distributed, cooked, and eaten.

In this article, we’ll go over more details about the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice and introduce you to the Sacrifice Feast meaning. Learning about the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey will show you much about Turkish culture as a whole, as well as the religion practiced by Muslims living here.

At TurkishClass101.com, we hope to make this learning journey both fun and informative!

1. What is the Sacrifice Feast?

The Sacrifice Feast Feast is one of the oldest Islamic holidays celebrated in Turkey. As cited in other monotheistic religions, the Feast of Sacrifice Muslims observe commemorates the story of Prophet Abraham agreeing to sacrifice his son, to prove his loyalty to God. Seeing his devotion, God sent him a ram to sacrifice instead. The festival’s eve is called ‘Arefe’ and offices close for the half day. All government offices, private companies, and schools are closed for four days.

2. When is the Sacrifice Feast?

The Eve of the Sacrifice Feast takes place on a different date each year, as it’s about seventy days after Ramadan. For your convenience, we’ve prepared a list of this holiday’s start date for the next ten years.

• 2019: August 10
• 2020: July 30
• 2021: July 19
• 2022: July 9
• 2023: June 28
• 2024: June 16
• 2025: June 6
• 2026: May 26
• 2027: May 16
• 2028: May 4

3. Reading Practice: Sacrifice Feast Traditions

What do Sacrifice Feast traditions look like in Turkey? Read the Turkish text below to learn about the Feast of Sacrifice Islamic celebrations, and find the English translation directly below it.

—

Geleneksel olarak, kurban bayramının ilk günü erkeklerin bayram namazına katılmalarından sonra koç, kuzu veya boğadan oluşan hayvanların kurban ritüeli başlar. Genelde kurbanlığın alnına kınadan yapılma bir boya sürülür ve kurdelelerle süslenir. Kesilen kurban etinin üçte biri fakirlere, üçte biri akrabalara dağıtılır, geri kalan da aile tarafından bayram boyunca gelen misafirlere ikram edilmek için hazırlanır.

Bu bayram haricinde, aileler bir başarı veya başlarından geçmiş kaza, hastalık gibi elim bir olay sonrası, Allah’a şükran duymak için de kurban keserler. Buna adak denir.

—

Traditionally, on the first day of the Turkish Sacrifice Feast, men go to a mosque for a special morning prayer, which is followed by the ritual sacrifice of rams, lambs, and bulls. In some regions in Turkey, people paint the sacrificial animal’s forehead with henna and adorn it with ribbons. Families share about one-third of the animal’s meat with relatives and neighbors and traditionally give about one third to the poor, whilst the rest is cooked and served to guests during the holidays.

During the Feast of Sacrifice, just like Ramadan, people visit their older relatives and greet them by kissing their hands, then they give the children money. Unlike Ramadan, people serve meat-based dishes, rather than desserts. Fried meat, stews, vine leaves stuffed with minced meat, minced meat pastries, and the like are cooked and served to guests. The skins of the sacrificial animals are donated to charitable organizations such as the Turkish Aeronautical Association, and the Turkish Red Crescent.

Apart from this festivity, people who have experienced success, or recovered from an accident or illness will also sacrifice an animal to show their gratitude to Allah. This is called an offering.

4. The Sacrifice

In Turkey, who performs the sacrifice and where does this it place?

In Turkey, the sacrifices are carried out by professionals assigned by municipalities in designated areas where the process can be monitored and controlled.

5. Vocabulary You Need to Know for the Sacrifice Feast

Here’s some vocabulary you should know the Turkish Sacrifice Feast!

• Akrabaları ziyaret etmek — “Visit relatives”
• Dini bayram — “Religious holiday”
• Sofra donatmak — “Prepare a lavish feast”
• Müslüman — “Muslim”
• Misafir ağırlamak — “Do the honors”
• Kurban eti dağıtmak — “Distribution of the sacrificial meat”
• Arife günü — “Day of Arafa”
• Bayram namazı — “Bayram prayer”
• El öpmek — “Kiss one’s hand”
• Kurbanlık — “Sacrificial”
• Kurban kesmek — “Sacrifice”
• Fakirlere yardım etmek — “Help the poor”
• Kurban Bayramı — “Sacrifice feast”

To hear each of these Sacrifice Feast vocabulary words pronounced, check out our relevant vocabulary list!

Conclusion: How TurkishClass101 Can Help You Master Turkish

We hope you enjoyed learning about the Turkish Sacrifice Feast with us! Did you learn anything new? Let us know in the comments; we love hearing from you!

At TurkishClass101.com, we have an array of practical learning tools just waiting for you. Read more insightful blog posts like this one, study up with our free Turkish vocabulary lists, and upgrade to Premium Plus to take advantage of our MyTeacher program!

Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn Turkish, know that with enough hard work and determination, you can master the language and become knowledgeable in Turkish culture. And TurkishClass101.com will be here with you on each step of your journey there!

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!

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

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.” )

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.” )

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:

• 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.

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!

The best way to learn a language quickly is a technique called language immersion. In short, this means exposing yourself to a language with bilingual aids (such as translations or subtitles). Learning Turkish by watching Turkish TV series with English subtitles is a quick and efficient way to excel in understanding Turkish.

Those who wish to understand Turkish better before they visit the country can especially benefit from such a technique. The greatest problem foreign language-learners face is a lack of opportunities to hear the language being spoken by native speakers.

To communicate easily, you’ll need to be comfortable with the language. It helps to accustom oneself to the rhythms and sounds of a foreign language. This is a concept called “hearsay” or “ear fullness.” Many people have achieved ear fullness through watching shows and movies on TV.

If you’re planning to understand and speak to Turkish people while visiting the country, immersing yourself in as much spoken Turkish as possible is the best way to prepare. When visiting a foreign country, your foremost concerns will be:

1. To understand the spoken language
2. To be able to clearly communicate your needs.

There are plenty of Turkish language resources to make use of, but watching Turkish TV shows takes the “booky” feel out of language-learning.

There’s a lot to choose from: comedies, action-packed dramas, melodramas…etc. It’s easy to find Turkish TV shows with English subtitles anywhere, from YouTube to Netflix and other web sources. Below, we’ve compiled a list of Turkish TV series that may be found on these sources, as well as a list of shows that take place in locations you may want to visit.

If you’re wondering how to watch Turkish TV shows to learn Turkish, we do recommend that you build some foundation before you start watching. TurkishClass101 has loads of resources, like lists of:

• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Nouns

A good command of basic everyday Turkish or conversational Turkish will give you a boost in strengthening your language skills through listening. Doing some listening comprehension exercises will help you get more out of your language immersion adventure.

And since a lot of Turkish TV shows involve daily life and daily speech patterns, having a good grasp of commonly used phrases is essential. You don’t need to know a lot about grammar to be able to speak Turkish. One easy way to speed up your speaking skills is to know a few sentence structures.

Before we begin with our Turkish TV show list, here are a couple of points to keep in mind:

• Don’t shy away from watching these shows if you’re a beginner. Keep your lists and lesson notes handy, and don’t forget to follow those subtitles!
• Reading subtitles in English will help you keep up with the meanings, and you might need to pause more than a couple of times. But, as you get better, the ideal thing is to follow the shows with Turkish subtitles. This will help you in the future to improve your written Turkish.

Table of Contents

1. Turkish TV Shows – A Brief History
2. Turkish TV Series on Netflix
3. Turkish TV Series on YouTube
4. Turkish TV Shows According to Geographical Location
5. Conclusion: How TurkishClass101 Can Help You Learn More Turkish

1. Turkish TV Shows – A Brief History

After the establishment of the official Turkish Broadcasting Corporation (TRT) in 1964, there was a long period where there was only one channel broadcasting nationally. This was called the “one-channel period.” In 1992, commercial channels started to appear. By the year 2000, Turkish TV shows had improved by leaps and bounds, and they were receiving international awards and recognition.

Some shows, especially the ones produced by TRT, have a higher level of quality and linguistic/artistic complexity:

• Many are adaptations from Turkish literary works.
• Some are more appropriate for tourists who want to learn modern Turkish quickly and easily.
• Others, like the more classical ones, may demonstrate older, classical language that’s not relevant to modern-day Turkey.

In this article, we’ve tried to stay away from the latter Turkish series online and recommend the more appropriate and relevant ones instead.

Turkish TV series have become very popular worldwide, making them easy to access them online. In particular, Turkish TV shows and Turkish TV dramas have become highly popular in many countries around the world.

Now, without further ado, here’s our Turkish TV shows list, featuring a sampling of the best Turkish series ever!

2. Turkish TV Series on Netflix

Looking for the best Turkish TV shows on Netflix? Here are our picks for must-watch Turkish TV shows on this popular streaming service.

1. Resurrection – Ertuğrul

This show has been nicknamed “the Turkish Game of Thrones,” but for real. Although this is a historical drama, the language used is close to modern Turkish. It’s a fact that the Turkish spoken in today’s Turkey is closer to the Turkish spoken by the Turkic people in Central Asia. This show is considered one of the best Turkish TV dramas. It is named after Ertuğrul, father of Osman I, who founded the Ottoman state.

Ottoman Turkish is a mixture of Turkish, Persian, and Arabic words. But this wasn’t the language used in the early period of the Ottoman State.

The language is easy to follow and there’s plenty of action to keep you interested in the plot while your ears can feast on the language.

• Eyvallah (a phrase used to thank someone, which literally means “I thank God first” in English)
• Hamdolsun (I praise God)
• Beyim (My lord)
• Hatun (Lady)
• Ata (Father or ancestor)

2. Leyla ile Mecnun (A Love Story)

This is a modern-day retelling of the famous Middle Eastern folk tale, in which literary figures appear in modern-day Turkey (specifically Istanbul). This is a Turkish TV show comedy which displays various cultural aspects of the Turkish people. It’s a good choice for those who would like to learn a bit about Turkish/Middle Eastern culture.

Leyla is the daughter of a well-off family and Mecnun is from a poor family. They love each other, but it takes a lot for them to unite. This version is more of a comedy than the classical tale.

Words to know:

• Ak sakallı dede (white-bearded grandpa; wise old man)
• Beşik kertmesi (betrothed in the cradle)
• Derviş (dervish; pious man)
• Evlat (child; offspring)
• Mecnun (crazy; love crazy)
• Leyla (beloved or literally “the night” when translated)
• Çay (tea)
• Bakkal (small neighborhood store)
• Allah Allah! (For the love of God!)

3. Beni Böyle Sev (Love Me as I Am)

Photo by Kerem20, under Creative Commons

Here’s another romantic comedy focusing on the younger Turkish population. This show takes place on a private university campus, and is a story of the love between a poor girl and a rich boy. The language is easy to follow and reflects the culture of modern-day youngsters. You’ll also hear a lot of relationship names as the girl is from a tight-knit family.

Overall, this is an easy watch and offers good immersion practice for beginner and intermediate language-learners.

Words to know:

• Ayşem (the “m” is an endearment added to the name Ayşe)
• Amca (uncle)
• Yenge (aunt; sister of uncle or wife of brother)
• Kaynana (mother-in-law)
• Görümce (sister of husband; sister-in-law)

Apart from relative/family words, you’ll hear a lot of love-related words in this show. A list of love words may come in handy.

4. Muhafız (Protector)

A more recent Turkish TV show is Muhafiz, or “Protector.” Seasons one and two are available for streaming on Netflix.

This is an action-packed fantastic thriller involving a secret order and the protector of Istanbul. It reminds one of the Matrix and their search for the “one.” The language is quite plain and easy to follow, making it a good choice for beginners and those at the intermediate level.

Here’s a piece of dialogue from the first episode, where Kemal and his daughter Zeynep introduce themselves to Hakan, the future protector of Istanbul.

Hakan: Kimsiniz? Ne istiyorsunuz?
“Who are you? What do you want?”

Kemal: Baştan başlayalım. Ben Kemal, bu da benim kızım Zeynep.
“Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Kemal, this is my daughter Zeynep.”

Zeynep: Biz sadıklariz.
“We’re the loyal ones.”

Hakan: Sadıklar mi? Kime sadık?
“The Loyal Ones? What are you loyal to?”

Zeynep and Kemal: Sana…
“To you…”

2. Turkish TV Series on YouTube

When it comes to Turkish TV series, YouTube is a great place to find some of the greats. Here’s our list of the best TV series in Turkey that you can find on YouTube!

1. Erkenci Kuş (Daydreamer)

Photo by HayatiÇakır, under Creative Commons

If you’re looking to watch Turkish TV shows, romance and rom-coms are quite popular, as you probably noticed. This is a light romantic comedy, and considered one of the best Turkish romantic series for youngsters. The language is fairly simple and easy to follow. You may even hear a few English words commonly used by this generation, such as “ok,” “yes,” and so on. The language shows how young people talk these days in Turkey and what kind of culture they have.

The show is about a young girl who starts working at an advertising agency and soon rises to be a copywriter. The show follows the romantic relationship between the funny/slapstick Sanem and Can (co-owner of the agency).

Words to know:

• Bir dakika (Bi dakka) (One minute)
• Günaydın (Good morning)
• Patron (Boss)
• Çalışan (Employee)
• İlişki (Relationship)
• Aşk (Love)
• Arkadaş (Friend)

There’s lots of positivity in this upbeat romantic comedy. Take a look at this positive emotion words list for reference.

2. Hercai (Fickle Heart)

Photo by Usien, under Creative Commons

This Turkish TV drama takes place in modern-day Eastern Turkey. Although it takes place in modern times, you can see the culture and old stone houses that have been preserved from the past. The characters speak with an eastern accent, but it’s still easy to understand. You’ll witness Eastern Turkish culture and traditional ways while watching.

The story revolves around Miran (a wealthy man) and Reyyan (a poor relative of a wealthy man). There’s deep hatred between the two families, but the youngsters fall in love. There’s never a dull moment. This is a good show to watch if you plan to visit the area (or Turkey in general).

Some words used in the region and the show:

• Bey (Lord)
• Gelin (Bride)
• İntikam (Revenge)
• Şeref (Pride)
• Yemin (Promise)
• Affetmek (To forgive)

There’s a lot of talk about family and family ties in this show. Brush up on your family-related words.

3. Binbir Gece Masalları (A Thousand and One Nights)

This is a modern-day fairytale. Accompanied by beautiful classical music, this show also displays lovely scenery of Istanbul, making it a good show to watch before visiting this ancient yet modern city.

We follow a widowed woman and her son who has leukemia through her trials with life, money, and men. The language isn’t too complex and you can even hear a character speaking Azeri (a Turkic lect). The Turkish you’ll hear will mostly be gentile (Istanbul Turkish), spoken by the elite in Istanbul.

Here’s some basic greetings in Turkish and common phrases:

• Abla (Older sister)
• Hanım (Ms. / Lady)
• Müsadenizle (With your permission / Excuse me)
• Nasılsınız (How are you?)
• Teşekkür ederim (Thank you)
• Rica ederim (Don’t mention it / No problem)

4. İçerde (Insider)

Cagatay Ulusoy is a rising star actor in Turkish TV series, especially Turkish TV dramas and action-based thrillers. Insider is a 2016 production and it’s gained popularity in Turkey and other countries such as Pakistan, India, Romania, and Ethiopia.

This is how the story goes: Sarp and his brother Umut were separated as young boys. Sarp remains with his mother while Umut is kidnapped. Years later, they find out that Umut is alive and Sarp searches for him. Unknowingly, he falls in love with his enemy’s protege and lawyer, who’s also a friend of Umut. We won’t give away the whole story here in case you want to watch it yourself. Here’s an example of Umut speaking:

Ben düşmanlarımı iki gruba ayırırım. Başka koşullar altında karşılaştığımda arkadaş olabileceklerim ve başka koşullar altında gene de düşman olacaklarım. Sarp ikinci gruba giriyor.

“I divide my enemies into two camps. Those who would be my friends under different circumstances and those who would still be my enemies. Sarp is one of the latter.”

5. Medcezir

Medcezir means “the tide” and it tells the story of Yaman (a poor boy with a troubled family background) and Mira (who has a wealthy family). We follow the struggles of Yaman as he overcomes his past and tries to gain the trust and respect of Mira’s high society family. Here’s a sample of the dialogue between the two:

Mira: Düşlerimle aramdaki en büyük engel annemdir, annemin benim hakkımdaki hayalleri.
“The biggest obstacle to my dreams is my mother, my mother’s dreams about me…”

Yaman: Senin hayallerin ne?
“What are your dreams?”

Mira: …. Bize ayrılan sürenin sonuna gelmiş bulunuyoruz.
“…we have reached the end of the time allowed for us.”

“We have reached the end of the time allowed for us,” is a cynical phrase Turkish youth like to use. Watching this, and other Turkish TV shows, will help you get accustomed to such colloquialisms.

6. Fatmagül’ün Suçu ne

This Turkish show was shot partly on the Aegean coast, a refreshing change to the dominance of Istanbul-based TV shows. You may also hear a little Aegean Turkish accent in the first few episodes.

Aegeans typically speak faster than other native Turkish speakers. They tend to swallow a vowel or two, mainly the ones in the middle of a word. So a word like çarpacak (meaning “it will affect you badly,” usually used when talking about alcohol) would be reduced to çarpcak. You may hear Fatmaguul’s brother Rahmi speaking with such an accent.

The story is about Fatmagul, who was raped multiple times and then rejected by her fiance. She moves to Istanbul, with Kerim as a supporter, and struggles to get a grip on life again while fighting the rich family that caused her ruin. The language is fairly easy to follow.

3. Turkish TV Shows According to Geographical Location

Language, like culture, may vary slightly even between the boundaries within a country. There are different accents in almost every geographical region of Turkey. The culture varies slightly too, although modern Turkish culture and language is the norm today.

In case you’ll be visiting a certain region, we’ll give you a list of Turkish TV series you can watch beforehand to get to know the specific accent and culture of each area better.

İstanbul

Turkish TV series are usually set in Istanbul. The Turkish version of Hollywood (which is Yeşilçam) is also in Istanbul. But recently efforts have been made to include other Turkish cities. On the other hand, Istanbul is a metropolitan city that has received massive immigration due to the promise of jobs and a better life. So, you may hear different accents while roaming its streets.

İstanbul Kirmizisi (Istanbul Red)
Binbir Gece Masalları (Tales of a Thousand and One Nights)
Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century)
Dudaktan Kalbe (From the Lips to the Heart)
Erkenci Kuş (Daydreamer)
Öyle bir Geçer Zaman ki (Time Goes By)
İstanbullu Gelin (Bride from Istanbul)
Muhafız (The Protector)
Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne (Ege Region & Istanbul – What is Fatmagul’s Fault?)

Eastern Turkey

• Asi (Rebellious)
• Hercai (Fickle Heart)
• Bir Zamanlar Çukurova (Cukurova in Old Times)
• Hanımın Çiftliği (The Lady’s Property)

Black Sea Region

• Beni Böyle Sev (Love Me as I Am)
• Kurt Seyit ile Şura (Wolf Seyit & Shura)
• Sen Anlat Karadeniz (Tell Your Story, Oh Black Sea)
• İnadına Aşk (Stubborn Love)

Aegean Region

• Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne? (What Did Fatmagül Do Wrong?)
• Kalbim Ege’de Kaldı (I Left My Heart in the Aegean)

Central Anatolia Region

Photo by Wolfgang Moroder, under Creative Commons

• Asmalı Konak (Mansion of Vines)
• Çoban Yıldızı (Northern Star)
• Aşk ve Mavi (Love and Blue)

5. Conclusion: How TurkishClass101 Can Help You Learn More Turkish

TurkishClass101.com girl listening to podcast

We hope you found our Turkish series list helpful, and that you found your next binge-worthy show!

Listening to the target language spoken by native speakers is the quickest and easiest way to excel your language-learning experience. So, if you want to be able to speak and understand Turkish in no time, be sure to tune in to these great Turkish TV shows!

To make your experience a more fruitful one, don’t forget to brush up on your vocabulary and grammar skills at TurkishClass101.com! Then, sit back and enjoy the show…Iyi seyirler! (Happy watching!)

Before you go, let us know in the comments which Turkish TV shows caught your eye! Do you know of any good ones we missed? We look forward to hearing from you!

Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in Turkish could be just what you need to find it.

Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your Turkish partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At TurkishClass101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your Turkish lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra material available to make Turkish dating easy for you.

Table of Contents

1. Common Phrases You’ll Need for a Date
2. The Most Romantic Ideas for a Date
3. Must-know Valentine’s Day Vocabulary
4. Turkish Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day
5. Turkish Quotes about Love
6. Marriage Proposal Lines
7. 15 Most Common Break-Up Lines
8. Will Falling in Love Help You Learn Turkish Faster?

Start with a bonus, and download the ‘How To be a Good Lover Cheat Sheet’ for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

1. Common Phrases You’ll Need for a Date

So, you have met your Turkish love interest. Congratulations! Who knows where this could take you…?! However, the two of you have just met and you’re not ready to say the Turkish word for love just yet. Great, it is better to get to know him/her first. Wow your prospective love by using these Turkish date phrases to set up a spectacular first date.

Would you like to go out to dinner with me?

• Benimle yemeğe çıkar mısın?

The important question! In most cultures, this phrase indicates: ‘I’m romantically interested in you’. Flirting in Turkish is no different, so don’t take your date to Mcdonald’s!

Are you free this weekend?

• Bu hafta sonu boş musun?

This is a preamble to asking your love interest on a date. If you get an immediate ‘Yes’, that’s good news!

Would you like to hang out with me?

• Benimle takılmak ister misin?

You like her/him, but you’re not sure if there’s chemistry. Ask them to hang out first to see if a dinner date is next.

What time shall we meet tomorrow?

• Yarın kaçta buluşalım?

Set a time, and be sure to arrive early! Nothing spoils a potential relationship more than a tardy date.

Where shall we meet?

• Nerede buluşalım?

You can ask this, but also suggest a place.

You look great.

• Harika görünüyorsun.

A wonderful ice breaker! This phrase will help them relax a bit – they probably took great care to look their best just for you.

You are so cute.

• Çok sevimlisin.

If the two of you are getting on really well, this is a fun, flirtatious phrase to use.

What do you think of this place?

• Burayı nasıl buldun?

This another good conversation starter. Show off your Turkish language skills!

Can I see you again?

• Seni tekrar görebilir miyim?

So the date went really well – don’t waste time! Make sure you will see each other again.

Shall we go somewhere else?

• Başka bir yere gidelim mi?

If the place you meet at is not great, you can suggest going elsewhere. It is also a good question to follow the previous one. Variety is the spice of life!

I know a good place.

• Ben iyi bir yer biliyorum.

Use this with the previous question. However, don’t say if you don’t know a good place!

I will drive you home.

• Seni eve bırakayım.

If your date doesn’t have transport, this is a polite, considerate offer. However, don’t be offended if she/he turns you down on the first date. Especially a woman might not feel comfortable letting you drive her home when the two of you are still basically strangers.

That was a great evening.

• Çok güzel bir akşam oldu.

This is a good phrase to end the evening with.

When can I see you again?

• Seni tekrar ne zaman görebilirim?

If he/she replied ‘Yes’ to ‘Can I see you again?’, this is the next important question.

I’ll call you.

• Seni arayacağım.

Say this only if you really mean to do it. In many cultures, this could imply that you’re keeping the proverbial backdoor open.

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2. The Most Romantic Ideas for a Date

You learned all the Turkish phrases to make a date – congratulations! Now you have to decide where to meet, which can be tricky. Discuss these options with your lover to gauge whether you like the same things. Check out romantic date ideas in Turkish below!

museum

• müze

If you’re looking for unique date ideas that are fun but won’t break the bank, museums are the perfect spot! You won’t be running out of things to say in the conversations.

candlelit dinner

• Mum ışığında akşam yemeği

A candlelit dinner is perhaps best to reserve for when the relationship is getting serious. It’s very intimate, and says: “Romance!” It’s a fantastic choice if you’re sure you and your date are in love with each other!

go to the zoo

• Hayvanat bahçesine gitmek

This is a good choice for shy lovers who want to get the conversation going. Just make sure your date likes zoos, as some people dislike them. Maybe not for the first date, but this is also a great choice if your lover has children – you’ll win his/her adoration for inviting them along!

go for a long walk

• Uzun bir yürüyüşe çıkmak

Need to talk about serious stuff, or just want to relax with your date? Walking together is soothing, and a habit you can keep up together always! Just make sure it’s a beautiful walk that’s not too strenuous.

go to the opera

• operaya gitmek

This type of date should only be attempted if both of you love the opera. It can be a special treat, followed by a candlelit dinner!

go to the aquarium

• akvaryuma gitmek

Going to the aquarium is another good idea if you need topics for conversation, or if you need to impress your lover’s kids! Make sure your date doesn’t have a problem with aquariums.

walk on the beach

• sahilde yürümek

This can be a very romantic stroll, especially at night! The sea is often associated with romance and beauty.

have a picnic

• piknik yapmak

If you and your date need to get more comfortable together, this can be a fantastic date. Spending time in nature is soothing and calms the nerves.

cook a meal together

• Birlikte yemek yapmak

If you want to get an idea of your date’s true character in one go, this is an excellent date! You will quickly see if the two of you can work together in a confined space. If it works, it will be fantastic for the relationship and create a sense of intimacy. If not, you will probably part ways!

have dinner and see a movie

• akşam yemeği yemek ve film izlemek

This is traditional date choice works perfectly well. Just make sure you and your date like the same kind of movies!

3. Must-know Valentine’s Day Vocabulary

Expressing your feelings honestly is very important in any relationship all year round. Yet, on Valentine’s Day you really want to shine. Impress your lover this Valentine’s with your excellent vocabulary, and make his/her day! We teach you, in fun, effective ways, the meanings of the words and how to pronounce them. You can also copy the characters and learn how to write ‘I love you’ in Turkish – think how impressed your date will be!

4. Turkish Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day

So, you now have the basic Valentine’s Day vocabulary under your belt. Well done! But, do you know how to say ‘I love you’ in Turkish yet? Or perhaps you are still only friends. So, do you know how to say ‘I like you’ or ‘I have a crush on you’ in Turkish? No? Don’t worry, here are all the love phrases you need to bowl over your Turkish love on this special day!

I love you.

• Seni seviyorum.

Saying ‘I love you’ in Turkish carries the same weight as in all languages. Use this only if you’re sure and sincere about your feelings for your partner/friend.

You mean so much to me.

• Sen benim için çok şey ifade ediyorsun..

This is a beautiful expression of gratitude that will enhance any relationship! It makes the receiver feel appreciated and their efforts recognized.

Will you be my Valentine?

• Sevgililer gününü benimle geçirir misin?

With these words, you are taking your relationship to the next level! Or, if you have been a couple for a while, it shows that you still feel the romance. So, go for it!

You’re so beautiful.

• Çok güzelsin.

If you don’t know how to say ‘You’re pretty’ in Turkish, this is a good substitute, gentlemen!

I think of you as more than a friend.

• Ben seni daha çok bir arkadaş olarak görüyorum.

Say this if you are not yet sure that your romantic feelings are reciprocated. It is also a safe go-to if you’re unsure about the Turkish dating culture.

A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you.

• Sana olan aşkımı taşıyabilmek için yüz kalp yetmezdi.

You romantic you…! When your heart overflows with love, this would be the best phrase to use.

Love is just love. It can never be explained.

• Aşk sadece aşktır. Asla açıklanamaz

If you fell in love unexpectedly or inexplicably, this one’s for you.

You make me want to be a better man.

• Benim daha iyi biri olmaya çabalamamı sağlıyorsun.

Gentlemen, don’t claim this phrase as your own! It hails from the movie ‘As Good as it Gets’, but it is sure to make your Turkish girlfriend feel very special. Let her know that she inspires you!

Let all that you do be done in love.

• Yaptığın her şeyin aşkla yapılmasına izin ver.

We hope.

You are my sunshine, my love.

• Sen benim güneşimsin, aşkım.

A compliment that lets your lover know they bring a special quality to your life. Really nice!

Words can’t describe my love for you.

• Sana olan sevgimi kelimelerle tarif edemem..

Better say this when you’re feeling serious about the relationship! It means that your feelings are very intense.

We were meant to be together.

• Biz birlikte olmak için yaratılmışız.

This is a loving affirmation that shows you see a future together, and that you feel a special bond with your partner.

If you were thinking about someone while reading this, you’re definitely in love.

• Eğer bunu okurken birisini düşünüyorsan, kesinlikle aşıksın.

Here’s something fun to tease your lover with. And hope he/she was thinking of you!

You’re so handsome.

• Çok yakışıklısın.

Ladies, this phrase lets your Turkish love know how much you appreciate his looks! Don’t be shy to use it; men like compliments too.

I’ve got a crush on you.

• Senden hoşlanıyorum.

If you like someone, but you’re unsure about starting a relationship, it would be prudent to say this. It simply means that you like someone very, very much and think they’re amazing.

5. Turkish Quotes about Love

You’re a love champ! You and your Turkish lover are getting along fantastically, your dates are awesome, your Valentine’s Day together was spectacular, and you’re very much in love. Good for you! Here are some beautiful phrases of endearment in Turkish that will remind him/her who is in your thoughts all the time.

6. Marriage Proposal Lines

Wow. Your Turkish lover is indeed the love of your life – congratulations! And may only happiness follow the two of you! In most traditions, the man asks the woman to marry; this is also the Turkish custom. Here are a few sincere and romantic lines that will help you to ask your lady-love for her hand in marriage.

7. 15 Most Common Break-Up Lines

Instead of moving towards marriage or a long-term relationship, you find that the spark is not there for you. That is a pity! But even though breaking up is never easy, continuing a bad or unfulfilling relationship would be even harder. Remember to be kind to the person you are going to say goodbye to; respect and sensitivity cost nothing. Here are some phrases to help you break up gently.

8. Will Falling in Love help you Learn Turkish faster?

Most people will agree that the above statement is a no-brainer – of course it will! Your body will be flooded with feel-good hormones, which are superb motivators for anything. TurkishClass101 is one of the best portals to help help make this a reality, so don’t hesitate to enroll now! Let’s quickly look at the reasons why falling in love will speed up your learning of the Turkish language.

Three Reasons Why Having a Lover will Help you Learn Turkish Faster!

1- Being in a love relationship with your Turkish speaking partner will immerse you in the culture
TurkishClass101 uses immersive methods and tools to teach you Turkish, but having a relationship with a native speaker will be a very valuable addition to your learning experience! You will gain exposure to their world, realtime and vividly, which will make the language come alive even more for you. The experience is likely to expand your world-view, which should motivate you to learn Turkish even faster.

2- Having your Turkish romantic partner will mean more opportunity to practice speaking
Nothing beats continuous practice when learning a new language. Your partner will probably be very willing to assist you in this, as your enhanced Turkish language skills will enhance the relationship. Communication is, after all, one of the most important pillars of a good partnership. Also, you will get to impress your lover with the knowledge gained through your studies – a win/win situation!

3- A supportive Turkish lover is likely to make a gentle, patient teacher and study aid!
With his/her heart filled with love and goodwill for you, your Turkish partner is likely to patiently and gently correct your mistakes when you speak. This goes not only for grammar, but also for accent and meaning. With his/her help, you could sound like a native in no time!

Three Reasons Why TurkishClass101 helps you learn Turkish Even Faster when you’re In Love

Start with a bonus, and download the ‘How To be a Good Lover Cheat Sheet’ for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

1- All the Resources and Materials Will Help Both of You
Falling in love with a man or woman speaking Turkish is an opportunity for both of you to learn a new language! For this reason, every lesson, transcript, vocabulary list, and resource at TurkishClass101 is translated into both English and Turkish. So, while your partner can help you learn Turkish faster, you can potentially also help him/her learn and master English!

2- Lessons Are Designed to Help You Understand and Engage with Turkish Culture
At TurkishClass101, our focus is to help our students learn practical vocabulary and phrases used by everyday people in Turkey. This means that, from your very first lesson, you can apply what you learn immediately! So, when your Turkish partner wants to go out to a restaurant, play Pokemon Go, or attend just about any social function, you have the vocabulary and phrases necessary to have a great time!

3- Access to Special Resources Dedicated to Romantic Turkish Phrases
You now have access to TurkishClass101’s specially-developed sections and tools to teach you love words, phrases, and cultural insights to help you find and attract your Turkish soul mate. A personal tutor will assist you to master these brilliantly – remember to invite him/her to your wedding!

When learning the Turkish language, how to say hello is one of the most essential things you’ll need to know.

You can say “Hello, how are you?” in Turkish in many different ways, and there are many Turkish ways to say hello. In Turkish, how to say hi is simply a matter of knowing which phrase to use and where to use it. In no time at all you can become such a confident Turkish speaker that you could walk into a smoky, dimly lit coffee shop in Istanbul and say hello in Turkish to a group of elderly gentlemen playing backgammon…

Then you could walk through a coastal park overlooking the Bosphorus and shout “hey” in Turkish to the hip youngsters gathered on a bench. Wouldn’t that be nice? By studying up on how to say hello in Turkey, you could conquer both worlds: the world of the traditional, formal person and that of the modernist, more relaxed youth.

In order to avoid awkwardness with either, it’s vital that you know the differences between the various ways of how to say hello in Turkish, both formally and informally. Fear not…we give you the ultimate guide! Here, you’ll find out how to say “Hello, how are you?” in Turkish vocabulary, how to say “hi” in Turkish, and many more common Turkish greetings!

Table of Contents

1. What is Hello in Turkish? The classical Merhaba
2. Formal Greetings
3. Informal Greetings
4. Time-Specific Greetings
5. Turkish Titles and Their Role in Greetings
6. Alternative Greetings/Gestures
7. Replying to a Greeting:
8. Online or on the Phone
9. The Next Step: How Do You Say “Hello, How are You?” in Turkish?
10. Dialogue Playouts
11. How Do You Say Hello in Turkish? It Matters.

1. What is Hello in Turkish? The classical Merhaba

The classical merhaba (hello in Turkish) is a good choice for almost any situation. Put “hello” in Turkish Google translate and that’s the first word you’ll get, not to mention this hello is most common in Turkish lessons, for good reason.

The word for hello in Turkish originates from the Arabic marhaban and is widely accepted as a Turkish greeting. It means “I receive you graciously / I welcome you.” You really can’t go wrong with a polite merhaba and a smile. The young and old, rich and poor, traditionalist and modernist alike use the phrase without a thought.

• Merhaba
  • Meaning: “hello”
  • Sounds like mer-ha-ba
• Merhabalar
  • Meaning: plural form of merhaba

You don’t have to pluralize merhaba when addressing a group of people, but it is acceptable to do so. It’s a linguistically interesting fact that if you’re addressing a group of people in Turkish, a singular merhaba is considered to be directed toward each and every person in the group.

2. Formal Greetings

After hello in Turkish, greetings are an important way of making a good first impression!

A good rule of thumb is to be formal whenever you’re in doubt. Turkish people are warm and welcoming, but they’re also traditional at heart and believe that the elderly and women should be respected. People who behave too relaxed or speak in a disrespectful manner are usually shunned, even by the young and rebellious.

In a formal setting, amongst people you’re not acquainted with, you may add an efendim (sir/madam)—which is not gender-specific—before or after merhaba.

• Merhaba efendim
  • Meaning: Hello, Madam/Sir.
• Efendim, merhaba
  • Meaning: Madam/Sir, hello.

To further your learning, here’s how to say goodbye in Turkish.

• Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum (I’m pleased to meet you) is an elegant follow-up. If this is too much of a mouthful, just stick with memnun oldum (I’m pleased). It’s the same as saying “Pleasure” instead of “Pleasure to meet you.” You can think of this as a way to say “Hello, nice to meet you,” in Turkish.

3. Informal Greetings

1- Selam vs. Selamün aleyküm:

• Selamün aleyküm is derived from the universal Muslim greeting Es selam’ün aleyküm, which means “May peace be upon you.” Because of its religious connotations, this phrase isn’t used widely in modern Turkey. Yet, it’s still acceptable in religious or traditional circles.
• Selam literally means “peace” and it may be used among friends. This phrase is especially preferred by the younger generation, and is free of any religious connotations. It’s the equivalent of how to say “hey” in Turkish or “hi” in Turkish.

There’s no grammatical gender in either phrase. The former can be used when parting, as well.

2- The Plural Greeting Cümleten selamün aleyküm

Try this one and you’re sure to bring smiles and a whopping Ve Aleyküm selam! back from a group. It means “Peace be upon all of you,” and the recipients are expected to answer back in a chorus. You’ll most probably get extra credit for this one! It’ll make you sound like you have quite an advanced degree of knowledge of the Turkish language and culture.

4. Time-Specific Greetings

Depending on the time of day, you can greet people by wishing them a good day/evening/night. Even though it seems pretty straightforward, there are a few ways to do this.

1- How do You Say Good Morning in Turkish? So Many Ways…

1. Günaydın (Good morning): This phrase is accepted by all and is considered a modern phrase.
2. Hayırlı sabahlar (May your mornings be blessed): This is an older phrase that’s more popular among traditionalists.
3. Sabah şerifleriniz hayrolsun (May your blessed morning be full of goodness): This is a beloved Ottoman phrase that’s still used as a warm and polite greeting. Anyone will love you for saying this!
4. İyi günler (Good day): We’ll look into this soon; this phrase can also be used at this time.
   • A nuance of the Turkish language: The plural is used when wishing well. The exact translation of the phrases with hayır (blessings) are “May your mornings/days/evenings/nights be full of goodness.” Phrases containing the word hayır are more readily appreciated by religious or traditional folk.

2- A Daytime Greeting:

İyi günler: This phrase is the equivalent of “Good day.” Evidently, it can be used during daylight hours. It’s a more formal greeting than merhaba. Actually, one might even come across as cold or formal if he/she uses it among close friends, though it is considered a modern Turkish phrase. It may be used as a greeting or when parting.

3- Good Afternoon in Turkish

Tünaydın (Good afternoon): The word tünemek means “to roost.” Tünaydın, therefore, means “May your roosting time be good or bright.” Or, “Good roosting time!?” This phrase is sometimes used by irritated teachers to poke fun at dozy students enjoying a lazy afternoon cat nap.

4- In the Evening

• İyi akşamlar (Good evening): This is a polite greeting that may be used by anyone in any situation.
  In Turkish, we wish good evenings in the plural. Of course, we don’t use a phrase with aydın (bright) here because there’s little or no daylight at this time. There’s no equivalent of Günaydın (May your day be bright) for the evening.
• Hayırlı akşamlar (May your evenings be blessed): This is a phrase used among the more traditional or older generation.
• Akşam şerifleriniz hayrolsun (May your blessed evening be full of goodness): This one is a version of the above Ottoman Turkish phrase, and is also a polite alternative that can be used during the evening hours.

5- At Night

• İyi geceler (Good night)
• Hayırlı geceler (May your nights be blessed)

It’s totally up to you which phrase you use. They both mean the same thing, but traditional folk would prefer the latter.

• Learning how to pronounce Turkish words isn’t that complicated. As you may have noticed above, there are a few sounds in the Turkish language that may not seem familiar (like ş and ü). But people aren’t that judgemental of language-learners and will appreciate your best efforts in trying to speak to them in their own language. It sparks national pride (wink, wink)!

5. Turkish Titles and Their Role in Greetings

How do you say hello in Turkish when talking to a male or female? Well, merhaba covers everyone, no matter what gender. But there are some gender-specific titles you should know.

Actually, Turks have an abundance of titles for people, especially relatives. It may take a serious boot camp to learn about all the different relationships and titles used for these people! But don’t worry. We won’t go into that much detail. Just the basic titles.

You could either repeat their name after the greeting, such as:

• Merhaba Hakan Bey (Hello, Mr. Hakan) (first name + masculine title)
• Merhaba Asu Hanım (Hello, Ms. Asu) (first name + feminine title)

or Merhaba and Mr/Mrs/Ms + surname

• Merhaba, Bay Aslan. (title + surname/last name)
• Merhaba, Bayan Ulvi. (title + surname/last name)

You may want to look further into honorifics.

6. Alternative Greetings/Gestures

Body gestures speak for themselves. The Turkish have their own specific gestures, which are quite elaborate.

• When it comes to greetings, a slight nod of the head can mean “I acknowledge and salute you.” This is also a sign of respect for the other person.
• The universal raised hand or wave is also acceptable. And if you know the other person well, wide open arms (referencing a good old hug) would be appreciated among friends.
• There’s also the Turkish kiss on each cheek, a bit like the French la base. Yet one must remember to only kiss and hug those of the same gender. Although some people are okay with hugging/kissing the other gender, it’s not widely acceptable.

7. Replying to a Greeting:

Merhaba (Hello) or Sana da merhaba (Hello to you, too) are good replies to a casual merhaba. Other time-specific greetings such as good morning, good day, and good night, can be answered with the same phrase.

The only difference is in answering Selamun aleyküm. The answer would be Ve aleyküm selam (And may peace be upon you). It’s imperative that one replies to selamun aleyküm and doesn’t leave the person dangling.

8. Online or on the Phone

• It’s an interesting fact that Turkish people don’t say merhaba when they answer the phone. Instead, they say alo which sounds a lot like the English “hello.”
• When someone’s daydreaming or just lost in thought, their friends may say Alo?! jokingly, as if to wake him/her up. Or, someone might crudely shout out Alo! to draw attention to himself/herself. We wouldn’t recommend this, though!
• How to write hello in Turkish: Unless you’re writing messages in an informal chat room, formal greetings such as İyi günler are a wiser choice for writing hello in Turkish email. Applying good grammar and sentence structure is important in formal communications.
• In other, less formal cases, Selam or Merhaba are fine. Some people use Slm, the consonants in Selam, as a cute form of texting slang.

9. The Next Step: How Do You Say “Hello, How are You?” in Turkish?

After greeting someone with a hello, it’s polite to ask further questions. Turkish people appreciate a good communicator and there’s always time for small talk. There are no gender-specific considerations in saying “Hello, how are you?” in Turkish. However, you will need to know the difference between how to say “How are you?” in Turkish formally and informally.

• Merhaba, nasılsın? [formal]
• Merhaba, nasılsınız? [informal]

• There’s another little nuance here: Nasılsın? is a singular form question, whereas Nasılsınız? is plural. This plurality may be confusing, but it’s similar to the royal “we” or majestic plural in English. The plural is used to show respect to your partner in conversation. Respect for the elderly and ladies is a major component of Turkish culture.
• Unlike the formal English “How do you do?” which doesn’t always require a direct answer, the Turkish Nasılsınız? requires an answer. Generally, the reply is:

  İyiyim, siz nasılsınız? (I’m fine, how are you?).

• Among friends, Nasılsın? (How are you?) and İyiyim, ya sen? (I’m fine, and you?) makes for a more informal conversation.
• It’s also a nice gesture to thank the person who asked how you’re doing.

10. Dialogue Playouts

Here’s a little bit of example dialogue to show you the proper usage of greetings and how to reply to them.

1- [Formal] Ali greets a new customer, Naz.

• Ali: Merhaba efendim. (Hello, Madam.)
• Naz: Merhabalar. (Hello)
• Ali: Nasılsınız? (How are you?)
• Naz: İyiyim, teşekkürler. Siz nasılsınız? (I’m fine, thank you. How are you?)
• Ali: Ben de iyiyim. (I’m fine too.)

Here, Ali is clever to add an efendim (Madam) after he says Merhaba. Thus, he comes across as polite, respectful, and formal. Also, he uses the plural Nasılsınız? although the recipient is one person. This, too, shows his reverence.

Further, Naz replies with a plural and respectful Merhabalar and Siz nasılsınız?

Overall, it’s a very polite, formal conversation.

2- [Informal] Emel and Sema are good friends that bump into each other on the street.

• Emel: Selam Sema! (Hi, Sema)
• Sema: Aa! Selam! (Oh! Hi!)
• Emel: N’aber? (What’s up?)
• Sema: İyilik. Senden n’aber? (Everything’s fine. What’s up with you?)

Everything is pretty informal between these two young friends. Emel uses the popular Selam (Hi or hello), while Emel counteracts with the famous wide-mouthed Aa! which is an expression of surprise, often exaggerated. Ne haber? (What is the news?) is reduced to N’aber? (What’s up?).

A good response to this question is iyilik, which literally means “goodness, wellness” as a shortcut for saying “Everything is going well.”

11. How Do You Say Hello in Turkish? It Matters.

Although linguistic and cultural nuances may seem like “small” matters, they’re not trivial. Paying attention to the points we went over in this article can make you sound like an expert and save you from awkward situations. You’ll gain great respect and show that you value people. Follow our tips and you’ll shine among your Turkish friends and colleagues.

Once you’ve mastered Turkish greetings, you can easily learn a few common phrases that are used repeatedly in daily life. Although these sayings may seem ordinary, daily language for natives, coming from you, these phrases will hook your component and amaze the crowds.

TurkishClass101.com will help you learn the proper salutations to use in specific situations. You’ll have confidence speaking Turkish in any situation. To learn more about our courses, check out our short introductory YouTube video or jump in and watch a live streaming video.

Sign up for free at TurkishClass101.com. There are resources galore, just waiting to be gobbled up! Over 840 audio and video lessons, podcasts, flashcards, free apps, and even a community forum! Kolay gelsin! (May your work be easy!)

Until next time, readers, let us know what you learned in this article. Do you feel more comfortable about Turkish greetings, or are there some “hello” in Turkish phrases you’re still unclear on? We’d love to hear from you!

Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.

However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day around the world!

Table of Contents

1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day
2. Turkish Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day
3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody
4. How Can TurkishClass101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?
5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Turkish – Testing New Technology

1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day

Do you want to know how to say April Fools’ Day in Turkish? Well, there are millions of ways and words, but here are the top one million Turkish words you really need to know! Simply click this link. Here are some of them you will find useful:

1. funny – komik
2. joke – Şaka yapmak
3. deceptive – aldatıcı
4. sneaky – sinsi
5. prankster – muzip
6. prank – eşek şakası
7. lie – yalan söylemek
8. humor – mizah
9. surprise – sürpriz yapmak
10. April 1st – 1(bir) Nisan
11. play a joke – şaka yapmak
12. fool – aptal

2. Turkish Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day

Don’t limit yourself to practical jokes – use these April Fools’ phrases in Turkish to prank your favorite Turkish friend or colleague!

1. I learned Turkish in 1 month.
   • Ben Türkçe’yi 1 ayda öğrendim.
2. All classes for today got canceled.
   • Bugünkü tüm dersler iptal edildi.
3. I’m sorry, but I’ve just broken your favorite pair of glasses.
   • Üzgünüm, ama ben az önce senin en sevdiğin gözlüğü kırdım.
4. Someone has just hit your car.
   • Birisi az önce arabana çarptı.
5. I’m getting married.
   • Ben evleniyorum.
6. You won a free ticket.
   • Sen bedava bir bilet kazandın.
7. I saw your car being towed.
   • Senin arabanı çekilirken gördüm.
8. They’re giving away free gift cards in front of the building.
   • Onlar binanın önünde ücretsiz hediye kartları veriyorlar.
9. A handsome guy is waiting for you outside.
   • Yakışıklı bir adam dışarıda sizi bekliyor.
10. A beautiful lady asked me to give this phone number to you.
    • Güzel bir bayan benden size bu telefon numarasını vermemi istedi.
11. Can you come downstairs? I have something special for you.
    • Aşağıya gelebilir misin? Senin için özel bir şeyim var.
12. Thank you for your love letter this morning. I never could have guessed your feelings.
    • Bu sabahki aşk mektubun için teşekkür ederim. Ben senin duygularını asla tahmin edemezdim.

Choose your victims carefully, though; the idea is to get them to laugh with you, not to hurt their feelings or humiliate them in front of others. Be extra careful if you choose to play a prank on your boss – you don’t want to antagonize them with an inappropriate joke.

3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody

Right, now that you know the top million April Fools’ words in Turkish, let’s look at some super pranks and tricks to play on friends, colleagues and family. Some April Fools ideas never grow old, while new ones are born every year.

Never joke in such a way that it hurts anyone, or humiliates them badly in front of others – the idea is for everybody to laugh and enjoy the fun! Respect is still key, no matter what day of the year it is.

1- Infestation

This trick is so simple, yet so creepy, it’s almost unbelievable. Take black paper, cut out the silhouette of a giant cockroach, a spider or another insect, and stick it inside the lampshade of a table lamp. When the lamp is switched on, it will look like a monstrous insect is sitting inside the lampshade. Or, get a whole lot of realistic-looking plastic insects, and spread them over a colleague’s desk and chair, or, at home, over the kids’ beds etc. Creep-factor: stellar.

2- Which One Doesn’t Fit?

Put the photo of a celebrity or a notorious politician in a frame, and take it to work on April Fools’ Day. Hang the photo on the staff picture wall, and wait. You’ll be surprised how long it can take for people to notice that one picture doesn’t fit.

3- Something Weird in the Restroom

At work, replace the air freshener in the restroom with something noxious like insect killer, oven cleaner or your own odious mixture in a spray bottle. Be sure to cover the bottle’s body so no one suspects a swap.

Or paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish, and leave it at the hand wash basin. It will not lather.

Or, if your workplace’s restroom has partitioned toilets with short doors, arrange jeans or trousers and shoes on all but one of the toilet covers, so it looks like every stall is occupied. Now wait for complaints, and see how long it takes for someone to figure out the April Fools’ Day prank. You’ll probably wish you had a camera inside the restroom. But, unless you don’t mind getting fired, don’t put your own recording device in there!

4- Call Me Funny

Prepare and print out a few posters with the following instructions: Lion Roar Challenge! Call this number – XXX XXXXXXX – and leave your best lion’s roar as voicemail! Best roarer will be announced April 10 in the cafeteria. Prize: $100. (Lion’s roar is just an example; you can use any animal call, or even a movie character’s unique sound, such as Chewbacca from Star Wars. The weirder, the funnier. Obviously!) Put the posters up in the office where most of the staff is likely to see them. Now wait for the owner of the number to visit you with murderous intent. Have a conciliatory gift ready that’s not a prank.

5- Minty Cookies

This is another simple but hugely effective prank – simply separate iced cookies, scrape off the icing, and replace it with toothpaste. Serve during lunch or tea break at work, or put in your family’s lunch boxes. Be sure to take photos of your victim’s faces when they first bite into your April Fools’ cookies.

6- Wild Shopping

At your local grocer, place a realistic-looking plastic snake or spider among the fresh vegetables. Now wait around the corner for the first yell.

7- The Oldest Trick in the Book

Don’t forget probably the oldest, yet very effective April Fools’ joke in the book – smearing hand cream or Vaseline on a door handle that most staff, family or friends are likely to use. Yuck to the max!

8- Sneeze On Me

Another golden oldie is also gross, yet harmless and utterly satisfying as a prank. Fill a small spray bottle that you can easily conceal with water. Walk past a friend, colleague or one of your kids, and fake a sneeze while simultaneously spraying them with a bit of water. Expect to be called a totally disgusting person. Add a drop of lovely smelling essential oil to the water for extra confusion.

9- Word Play Repairs

Put a fresh leek in the hand wash basin at home or work, and then tell your housemates or colleagues this: “There’s a huge leak in the restroom/bathroom basin, it’s really serious. Please can someone go have a look?!” Expect exasperation and smiles all around. Note that this prank is only likely to work where people understand English well.

10- Scary Face

Print out a very scary face on an A4 sheet of paper, and place it in a colleague’s, or one of your kid’s drawers, so it’s the first thing they see when they open the drawer. You may not be very popular for a while.

11- Wake Up To Madness

Put foamy shaving cream, or real whipped cream on your hand, and wake your kid up by tickling their nose with it. As long as they get the joke, this could be a wonderful and fun way to start April Fools’ Day.

12- Computer Prank

This one’s fabulous, if you have a bit of time to fiddle with a colleague, friend or your kid’s computer. It is most effective on a computer where most of the icons they use are on the desktop background itself (as opposed to on the bottom task bar).

Take and save a screenshot of their desktop with the icons. Set this screenshot as their background image. Now delete all the working icons. When they return to their computer, wait for the curses when no amount of clicking on the icons works.

13- Monster Under the Cup

This one will also work well anywhere people meet. Take a paper cup, and write the following on it in black pen: “Danger! Don’t lift, big spider underneath.” Place it upside-down on prominent flat surface, such as a kitchen counter, a colleague’s desk or a restaurant table. Expect some truly interesting responses.

14- Prank Door

Write in large letters on a large and noticeable piece of paper: PUSH. Tape this notice on a door that should be pulled to open, and watch the hilarious struggle of those clever souls who actually read signs.

4. How Can TurkishClass101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?

If you happen to visit Turkey, or if you work for any Turkish company, knowing the above Turkish prankster phrases can really lighten up your day. Showing you have a sense of humor can go a long way to cement good relationships in any situation. These phrases are at your disposal for free, as well as are these 100 core Turkish words, which you will learn how to pronounce perfectly.

Also, don’t stop at learning April Fools’ phrases in Turkish – bone up your Turkish language skills with these FREE key phrases. Yes, TurkishClass101 doesn’t joke when it comes to effective, fun and easy learning.

Now, as a bonus, test our super-learning technology, and learn the Top 1000 most useful phrases in Turkish below! But that’s not all. Read on to learn how you can be eligible for large enrollment discounts at TurkishClass101.

5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Turkish – testing new technology

Help us by being a language guinea pig! Listen to this video above with embedded cutting-edge, frequency-based learning technology that enables you to learn large amounts of data in record time.

• Note: This technology is in beta-phase of development, and we invite your input for fine-tuning.
• To participate: Watch the video for instructions, and leave a comment to rate it. Your comment will make you eligible for large enrollment-fee discounts. To watch the video, please click the play button.

Thank you for helping TurkishClass101! We’re serious about making learning Turkish fun.

Learn 4 honest reasons you need Turkish slang words and why they are so vital to truly learning and mastering the language.

Teachers may normally cringe at the thought of their students learning Turkish slang words. After all, slang words and phrases are typically defined as being grammatically incorrect. So why would your teacher want you to spend time learning the “wrong way” to speak Turkish? Here are 4 of the top reasons why you should study slang words and expressions when learning Turkish or any new language.

1. Native Speakers Use Slang Expressions in Everyday Conversation

If you are going to study a foreign language and plan to use it to speak with native speakers, then you have to learn slang words and expressions. Otherwise, just using formal expressions and grammar may alienate you from native speakers and make it more difficult to establish a real connection. So it is best to at least learn some common slang words and expressions if you’re planning to meet or speak socially with someone.

2. Slang Words Are Used All Throughout Turkish Culture

If you turn on any popular Turkish TV show, listen to any song, or watch any movie, you are quickly going to see the value of learning Turkish slang phrases. Just like everyday conversations between native speakers, Turkish culture is filled with slang phrases and expressions. Without at least some knowledge of the more common slang phrases, popular culture and most conversations will be very confusing and potentially alienating.

3. Slang Expressions Help You Better Express Your True Thoughts and Feelings

Only relying on formal grammar and vocabulary is very limiting, especially in social situations. Just like in your native language, using the appropriate Turkish slang words can help you express a broader range of emotions, thoughts, and feelings.

4. Proper Use of Slang Makes You Sound More Natural

We’ve all met foreigners who technically used formal language perfectly but still sounded odd and well….foreign. But when you use the right slang words and expressions, you will sound more natural and like a true native speaker. If you notice, even most politicians include a sprinkling of slang expressions and words throughout their speeches to help them sound more natural and to better connect with the audience.

The Dark Side of Slang Expressions

Learning Turkish slang words can indeed help you sound more natural, better understand the people and culture, and make integration much easier. However, there is a dark side: using the wrong slang expressions can also make you look foolish, uneducated, and potentially disrespectful.

But how do you know which slang words or phrases to use and when?

The truth is that you can’t learn the most modern and appropriate slang words in textbooks or formal classroom settings. By the time the information gets incorporated into a formal curriculum, it’s already outdated and no longer in use by actual Turkish people. And while you can learn current slang expressions from Turkish TV shows, movies, songs, and games, you may not understand the context. If that happens, you may use the right Turkish slang words but in the wrong situation and still look like a fool or possibly even offend someone.

So where can you learn current slang expressions and the right context in which to use them?

At TurkishClass101, native speaking instructors create audio and video lessons that can include slang expressions and words. Our instructors provide context and examples for all the Turkish slang words used in any lesson to make sure students understand the right time and place to use them.

Turkish slang words and expressions may be grammatically incorrect but they are vital to truly understanding and immersing yourself in the culture. In fact, it will be very difficult to fully understand any movie, TV show, song, game, or even 1-on-1 conversation without knowing a few of the more common slang expressions.

However, it is important to learn the proper context and use of even popular slang expressions or you may come across as confusing, disrespectful, or uneducated.
At TurkishClass101, you’ll learn how to use slang phrases and words to draw the right attention and avoid these problems.

Don’t forget to sign up for a Free Lifetime Account on TurkishClass101.com to access tons of FREE lessons and features to become fluent in Turkish!

Stuck in traffic? Losing time in your car? Have you ever felt that in all this wasted time, you could have watched the 750 episodes of One Piece, finished the last Super Mario ten times, or even better…you could have learned Turkish? Between family, friends and work, in addition to this time-consuming commute, it can become difficult to find time to properly learn Turkish.

Fortunately, every problem has a solution, and what could be a better solution than turning that commute time into learning time? Stop passing the time mindlessly listening to the radio and try some of our best tips for mastering Turkish in your car!

Click Here To Start Learning Turkish Right Now!

You can learn Turkish in your car, hands free
While driving, it’s important that you keep your focus on the road, so this is why our top tips won’t require you to use your hands!

Listening to Turkish audio content in the car is a good way to learn
This is because it is a fun and efficient way to learn. With TurkishClass101.com podcasts, you will be able to discover Turkish culture through topics about everyday life. Instead of the radio, listen to a Turkish podcast adapted to your level, from Absolute Beginner to Advanced, and you will make progress sooner that you would expect!

You can listen to Turkish music in the car
Did you know that you can learn Turkish by singing while driving? Listen to songs from cartoon or drama and try to identify some words you learned.

Challenge yourself! Use the Turkish you’ve studied up to this point and see how much you understand! Making the jump to real-life Turkish is a scary one, but friendly children’s songs are a great place to start!

Click Here To Sign Up For A FREE Lifetime Account!

You can learn alone in your car
When you’re driving alone, you can be as loud as you want – there is nothing better for remembering your Turkish lessons than repeating loudly, again and again. Next time you see a driver who seems to be talking alone, you will know he or she is just learning Turkish!

You can learn through repetition with your passengers
If there are passengers in the car, it can be more stimulating to learn together. You can set a role play with Turkish dialogues. With TurkishClass101.com, you can download all the lessons transcript including the dialogues, as a PDF. Print it out and have some fun speaking in Turkish!

One of the passengers can answer the quiz available on each of our lessons, while another can correct that person. Listening to someone at a more advanced level of Turkish or a better accent is positive and helps you improve.

You can learn Turkish offline
Do you have a poor connection or are unable to use the Internet? It’s not a problem for learning Turkish! Before you start your commute, use our App to download the lessons you want to study and the podcast you want to listen to in your car, and you will be able to enjoy your lessons offline. Entering a tunnel won’t be a problem anymore. What a pleasure to listen to audio content without having the host freezing every 5 seconds!

Click here to download the App and learn offline!

You can learn every day at your own pace
One of the best approaches for learning a language is little by little and often. It’s not efficient to take in a huge amount of information at one time. What you need is to study on a regular basis – a little bit of Turkish every day. You commute several days a week, and that is all time you can take advantage of!

You have the freedom to choose the lessons and podcasts you want to focus on, at your own rhythm. You may want to do a little revision or discover how to talk about a new topic. And if you’re wondering what to learn next, you can use the new Learning Paths, which is our customized pathway feature that gives you a step-by-step way to learn Turkish without getting lost!

Click here to access Learning Paths at TurkishClass101!

If you don’t have a car and commute by another method, these tips are still valid! Learning Turkish is no longer limited to the classroom or your house; there are so many benefits to learning in your car or elsewhere. Reaching a conversational level will take you less time than you could ever have imagined! Don’t forget to sign up for your Free Lifetime Account and enjoy our content!