It’s usually difficult to start a conversation no matter where you are and whom you are talking to. If you are speaking to someone you don’t know, this gets even more complicated. One step beyond that is starting a new conversation in a foreign language. Can you imagine trying to start a conversation with a stranger in another language? You might feel like you are at a dead end! Trust me; it’s not as scary as you might think, especially if you get certain tips from a native speaker.

I’m here to provide you with some examples of basic Turkish conversation starters you can use in different situations, as the sentences and questions you will use to start a conversation will differ depending on whether you are talking to someone you know or don’t know or where the conversation takes place.

Once you pull the other party into the conversation or find a common interest, then you can take the communication one step further; you get to know the other party more, socialize more, and deepen your relationships.

Afterward, you can start telling an anecdote or talking about memories, good or bad experiences, and making recommendations and compliments.

However, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration when using conversation starters. The first and the most important one is to avoid sensitive topics such as religion, race, and politics, especially when interacting with people you don’t know. Make sure not to offend anybody. The second one is to avoid “yes” and “no” questions as much as possible. If the person you are talking to is shy or not talkative, the conversation might end suddenly, and all your efforts might come to nothing. Last but not least, make sure to use your body language correctly. Don’t forget that body language is a strong tool to express or emphasize your feelings. A friendly smile might change everything.

[There is an article about “Body gestures”, which has not been posted yet at TurkishClas101. It can be referenced when it’s posted.]

Table of Contents

1. Starting a Conversation with New People
2. Starting a Conversation with People We Know
3. Conversation Starters for a First Date
4. Conversation Starters to Reconnect with a Friend through Text or Email
5. Turkish Conversation Starter Practice with TurkishClass101!

1.   Starting a Conversation with New People

I believe the best way to interact with people you don’t know is to ask for information or help. Let’s learn conversation starters in Turkish that you can use when you meet Turkish speaking people in different environments.

A- Conversation Starters at a New School

The first days at a new school are usually tough and stressful if you don’t know anyone around you. You need to relax because most probably you are not alone!

Actually, all you need to do is to pluck up the courage and set your eyes on someone who looks friendly and try to start a conversation by using the following Turkish conversation starter examples:

Turkish	English
Merhaba. Benim adım John. Ben okula yeni başladım. Senin adın ne?	Hello. My name is John. I’ve just started school. What’s your name?
Bu sandalye boş mu? Oturabilir miyim? (*)	Is this chair available? May I sit?
Kaçıncı sınıfa gidiyorsun?	Which grade are you going to?
Affedersiniz, okulda yeniyim. Kütüphane nerede?	Excuse me, I’m new at school. Where is the library?

(*): This is a yes/no question, but once you get the answer “yes” and sit next to the person you want to talk to, you will have a chance to make a friend.

B- Conversation Starters at a New Job

Business settings are more formal; therefore, people might feel tense during their first days at work. If you are a foreigner, you might be over cautious not to make a mistake and a bad first impression. However, working towards the same vision and mission might make the situation a little easier.

It might be a good idea to learn about Turkish business etiquette in advance to feel more comfortable in your professional relationships with others.

The weather and traffic are popular ice-breakers in Turkish. However, the following basic Turkish phrases will also give you more ideas to make small talk at work:

Turkish	English
Merhaba. Benim adım Mary. Bugün benim ilk iş günüm. Sizin adınız ne?	Hello. My name is Mary. Today is my first day at work. What’s your name?
Hangi departmanda çalışıyorsunuz?	Which department are you working at?
Ne kadar zamandır burada çalışıyorsunuz?	How long have you been working here?
Affedersiniz, ben yeniyim. Kayboldum. Kafeteryanın yerini tarif edebilir misiniz?	Excuse me, I’m new. I’m lost. Can you please tell me where the cafeteria is?

C- Conversation Starters for Mingling and Socializing

If you are at a social gathering, you should have fun and enjoy every moment you are there. Don’t make a fuss about meeting new people. Take it easy, you can make small talk about simple things. Nobody is expecting you to talk about nuclear weapons, genetics, or any other serious topics. Don’t forget that others are also there to have a good time and relax!

Below are some questions on how to start a conversation in Turkish that you can use when you want to socialize:

Turkish	English
Ev sahibini nereden tanıyorsunuz?	How do you know the host?
Yediğiniz/içtiğiniz şey nedir? Güzel görünüyor	What is it that you are eating/drinking? That looks good.
Çok trafik vardı. Buraya kolay gelebildiniz mi?	There was a lot of traffic. Did you get here easily?
Ben biraz yiyecek alacağım. Bir şeye ihtiyacınız var mı?	I’m going to get some food. Do you need anything?

2.   Starting a Conversation with People We Know

It’s easier to start a conversation with the people you know because at least you have a clue about who they are or what they do.

A- Conversation Starters at School

You can talk about school, classes, or just chit-chat if you already know the person you are talking to. Here are some ideas for you:

Turkish	English
Şimdi hangi dersin var?	Which lesson do you have now?
Sabah hava çok yağmurlu idi. Buraya iki saatte ancak gelebildim. Senin buraya gelmen ne kadar sürdü?	It was very rainy in the morning. I was able to get here in two hours. How long did it take for you to get here?
Öğle yemeğinde sana katılabilir miyim?	May I join you for lunch?

B-  Conversation Starters at Work

Starting a conversation with a colleague you know requires less effort. The topics you talk about will depend on how close you are, or if you want to be with this person. If you are distant from him/her, you can pick work-related subjects. If you are closer or want to be closer, you can talk about things other than work. Below are some Turkish conversation starter examples:

Turkish	English
Proje için yardıma ihtiyacın var mı?	Do you need help with the project?
İş çıkışı bir şeyler yapalım mı?	Shall we do something after work?
Haftasonu ne yaptın?	What did you do on the weekend?
Öğle yemeğini genellikle nerede yiyorsun?	Where do you usually have your lunch?

C-  Conversation Starters for Mingling and Socializing

Mingling and socializing with the people you know should be a good opportunity to get to know them better. The following questions might give you an idea of what to ask.

Turkish	English
Yaz tatilinde nereye gittin?	Where did you go on summer vacation?
Son görüşmemizden bu yana neler yaptın?	What have you done since the last time we had met?
Yeni işin nasıl gidiyor?	How’s your new job going?

3.   Conversation Starters for a First Date

Are you going on a date with someone for the first time? How exciting! This is a great opportunity for you to get to know them, their lifestyle, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. However, you should stay calm and try to be natural. You know, however, that there is a possibility of not knowing what to say next!

You can start by complimenting his/her appearance. Don’t forget that you are walking a fine line between sincerity and being disingenuous. Don’t give fake compliments, and don’t exaggerate! Remember the fact that the tone, mimics, and gestures you use when complimenting really matter!

You might want to take a look at our Turkish compliments article.

Here are some compliments and basic Turkish conversation starters you can use on your first date:

Turkish	English
Çok güzel görünüyorsun.	You look very beautiful.
Çok şıksın.	You are very chic.
Nerede büyüdün?	Where did you grow up?
En sevdiğin renk/film/yemek ne?	What’s your favorite color/movie/food?
En sevdiğin şarkıcı/aktör/aktris kim?	Who’s your favorite singer/actor/actress?
Boş zamanlarında ne yaparsın?	What do you do in your spare time?

You can go into more personal questions if you think you are a good match with him/her.

Bookmark this link for Turkish love phrases. Who knows, maybe you will need it after your first date!

4.   Conversation Starters to Reconnect with a Friend through Text or Email

It’s always good to reconnect with an old friend. As long as you are direct and show a willingness to catch up, you can start where you left off. Try some of these sincere phrases:

Turkish	English
Epeydir görüşemedik. Haftasonu buluşalım mı?	We haven’t seen each other for a long time. Shall we meet at the weekend?
Görüşmeyeli neler oldu neler. En kısa zamanda görüşelim.	A lot of things have happened during the time we have not seen each other. Let’s meet as soon as possible.
Seni çok özledim. Bir an önce buluşalım artık.	I missed you very much. Let’s meet soon.
Sana mutlaka anlatmam gereken bir şey var. Yarın buluşalım mı?	There’s something I must tell you. Shall we meet tomorrow?

5.   Turkish Conversation Starter Practice with TurkishClass101!

Dear Turkish language learners, you have learned the basic Turkish conversation starters, and you now know how to start a conversation in Turkish. From now on, it will be easier for you to meet Turkish native speakers and keep your conversations going with your friends, colleagues, etc.

If you need more Turkish conversation starter examples and want to improve your Turkish language learning skills, then you should visit TurkishClass101, which has numerous audio recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and free resources, including the dictionary you can refer to.

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

Do you know what is also good about it? You can download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

Last but not the least, please continue to provide us feedback about all the resources we have to offer you at TurkishClass101!

Turkish learners who have completed the intermediate level, may I have your attention please? You have accomplished quite a bit by finishing this level—congratulations! But are you ready to step up and take your language skills to the next level? If so, then learning advanced Turkish expressions and phrases will be a great way to start adding flavor to your speech and writing. In this article, you’ll have the opportunity to learn over 40 advanced Turkish expressions and phrases, including idioms and proverbs.

This article will not only help you to communicate effectively with native speakers in your daily life but also help you to boost your level of communication at work or in other business relationships. Furthermore, it will be helpful in the academic arena if you are working in the academic industry or attending a school in Turkey.  

Table of Contents

1. Make Your Academic Writing Shine
2. Stand out with Your Resume and Cover Letter
3. Impress Your Colleagues at Business Meetings
4. Get Ahead with Advanced Idioms, Sayings and Proverbs
5. Set the Bar High with TurkishClass101

1. Make Your Academic Writing Shine

Academic writing requires certain technicality and formality you need to adhere to even if you are writing in your own native language. Articulating your ideas powerfully is critical in writing essays, so make sure to use the following advanced Turkish words and phrases if you want your academic writing in Turkish to shine.

Introduction

If you can capture the attention of the readers right at the very beginning, your article will not get lost in the shuffle.

Consider using the Turkish advanced expression and phrases below to get the attention your article deserves:

İlk olarak	İlk olarak tezimin amacını belirtmek isterim.
First of all	First of all, I would like to state the purpose of my thesis.

Genel olarak	Genel olarak bu kavram dünyanın birçok ülkesinde kabul görmüştür.
In general	In general, this concept has been accepted in many countries around the  world.

Body

Pay attention to your flow after the introduction and make sure to maintain the integrity. Make sure that your arguments, examples, comparisons, etc. are clearly expressed. The following advanced Turkish phrases will help you to stay on track.

Bence	Bence bu örnek savımın doğruluğunu kanıtlıyor.
In my opinion	In my opinion, this example proves the correctness of my argument.

Benim bakış açıma göre	Benim bakış açıma göre, bu veriler sonucu değiştirmez.
From my point of view	From my point of view, these data do not change the result.

Buna ilaveten	Buna ilaveten, yaptığım başka bir araştırmayı da paylaşmak istiyorum.
In addition to this	In addition to this, I would like to share another research study that I have done.

Diğer bir deyişle	Diğer bir deyişle, teori ile Pratik farklıdır.
In other words	In other words, theory and practice are different.

Tahmin edildiği üzere	Tahmin edildiği üzere, bu deney sadece 20-30 yaş aralığı üzerinde yapılmıştır.
As projected	As projected, this experiment was only performed on the 20–30 age range.

Conclusion

Wrapping up your ideas and arguments effectively will help the readers to understand your final statement easily. Therefore, use the following advanced Turkish phrases to make sure to get your ideas across.

Özetlemek gerekirse	Özetlemek gerekirse, yukarıda belirtilen tüm faktörler hipotezimin doğruluğunu desteklemektedir.
To sum up	To sum up, all the factors mentioned above support the correctness of my hypothesis.

Sonuç olarak	Sonuç olarak, genç nüfus listelenen tüm koşulları kabullenmektedir.
As a result	As a result, the young population accepts all the conditions that are listed.

2. Stand out with Your Resume and Cover Letter

You might be very talented, experienced, and a perfect fit for the job you are applying for. However, if you do not reflect all of these on your resume or if you don’t use the right keywords on your cover letter, guess what, someone else gets the job! This is not the case when you apply for a job in a foreign language; you can face the same problem even in your own native language.

Therefore, it might be a good idea to note the following advanced Turkish words and phrases you can use when writing your resume and a cover letter for a job you are interested in.

Hedef odaklı	5 yıllık tecrübeye sahip, hedef odaklı bir mühendisim.
Goal-driven	I am a goal-driven engineer with 5 years of experience.

Sonuç odaklı	Sonuç odaklı bir yöneticiyim.
Result oriented	I am a result oriented manager.

Detaylara önem veren	Detaylara önem veren ama bütünü de görebilen biriyim.
Detail oriented	I am detail oriented but can also see the whole picture.

Hedeflere ulaşmak	Hedeflerime ulaşmak her zaman benim için öncelikli olmuştur.
To reach goals	Reaching my goals has always been a priority for me.

Yönetim tecrübesi	Yönetim tecrübem de var.
Management experience	I also have management experience.

En yüksek standartları karşılamak	Her zaman en yüksek standartları karşılamak için elimden gelenin en iyisini yaparım.
To meet the highest standards	I always do my best to meet the highest standards.

İletişim becerileri	İletişim becerilerimi geliştirmek için xxxx seminerine katıldım.
Communication skills	I attended the xxxx seminar to improve my communication skills.

3. Impress Your Colleagues at Business Meetings

Business meetings are different from social gatherings. You must look confident not only with your posture and attitude but also with your words; you must build up trust and sound like you know what you are talking about.

The following advanced Turkish words and phrases will help you to be more confident in business meetings held in Turkish and you will be able to impress your Turkish colleagues:

Bugünkü toplantının gündemi	Bugünkü toplantının gündemi, projenin bütçesinin revizyonu ile ilgilidir.
The agenda of today’s meeting	The agenda of today’s meeting concerns the revision of the project’s budget.

Son teslim tarihi	Projenin son teslim tarihinin 1 Eylül olduğunu hatırlatmak isterim.
Deadline	I would like to remind you that the deadline of the project is September 1st.

Bir strateji belirlemek	Satışları arttırmak için bir strateji belirlemek gerekir.
To set/determine a strategy	It is necessary to determine a strategy to increase sales.

Yol haritası çıkarmak	Yol haritamızı çıkarmalıyız.
To make a roadmap	We have to make our roadmap.

Beyin fırtınası yapmak	İşe beyin fırtınası yaparak başlayalım.
To brainstorm	Let’s start by brainstorming.

Görev paylaşımı yapmak	Bugün görev paylaşımını tamamlamalıyız.
To share tasks	We must complete sharing tasks today.

Lansman yapmak	Ürünün lansmanını önümüzdeki ay mutlaka yapmalıyız.
To make a launch	We should definitely launch the product next month.

Bütçe ayırmak	Ek işler için de bütçe ayırmalıyız.
Allocate a budget	We should also allocate a budget for additional work.

Ekip/Takım çalışması	Bu projeyi ancak ekip çalışması ile bitirebiliriz.
Teamwork	We can only finish this project with teamwork.

Avantaj ve dezavantajları değerlendirmek	Karar vermeden önce avantaj ve dezavantajları değerlendirmeliyiz.
To evaluate/consider the advantages and disadvantages	Before making a decision, we should consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Just a reminder, there’s a concept called “Plaza language/Turkish.” International or multi-national corporations are usually located in high-rise office buildings, which are called Plaza in Turkish. The majority of the employees in these corporations speak English. In meetings and everyday business conversations, employees usually use the following English words as is:

 “feedback, brainstorming, know-how, mobbing,” etc. Furthermore, you can hear phrases that are half Turkish and half English in these offices.

Example: Print almak – to print

Confirm etmek – to confirm

CC’lemek – to CC

Schedule etmek – to schedule

4. Get Ahead with Advanced Idioms, Sayings and Proverbs

Learning advanced Turkish conversation phrases or Turkish advanced words for tourists will definitely improve your communication. However, you also need to be prepared to hear a lot of idioms, sayings, and proverbs in Turkish. If you are not familiar with them, they will not mean anything to you. You will probably attempt to translate them word for word, but you will end up with strange phrases that don’t make any sense. Therefore, I recommend that you start learning the phrases mentioned here.

Expressions used on special occasions

Don’t panic if there is a special occasion and you don’t know what to say to a Turkish person about it. Here are some life-saving Turkish phrases used at special events, good or bad, happy or sad.

İyi ki doğdun	İyi ki doğdun arkadaşım.
Happy Birthday Literally: Fortunately, you were born.	Happy Birthday, my friend.

Afiyet olsun	Afiyet olsun!
Enjoy your meal Literally: May it be healthy!	Enjoy your meal!

Geçmiş olsun	Geçmiş olsun, hasta olduğunu duydum.
Get well Literally: May it pass	Get well, I heard that you were sick.

Mutlu yıllar	Mutlu yıllar!
Happy New Year Literally: Happy years	Happy New Year

Allah analı babalı büyütsün	Çok güzel bir bebek, Allah analı babalı büyütsün.
This is used for newborn babies. Literally: May God let him/her grow up with both a mom and a dad.	Very beautiful baby, may God let him/her grow up with both a mom and a dad.

Nazar değmesin	Nazar değmesin, kızınız çok akıllı.
Literally: May you/something not be touched by the evil eye	May she not be touched by the evil eye, your daughter is very smart.

Çok yaşa	Çok yaşa!
It’s used when someone sneezes. Means bless you Literally: Live long	Bless you!

Başınız sağolsun	Başınız sağolsun, çok üzüldüm.
It’s used when someone dies. Means condolences Literally: May your head be live	Condolences, I’m so sorry.

Sıhhatler olsun	Sıhhatler olsun
It is used after a shower. Literally: May it bring health	May it bring health

Proverbs

Using and understanding proverbs correctly is a sign that you are an advanced Turkish learner, but it’s also an indication that you have started getting to know core values and traditions of Turkey as well because proverbs give you insight about the culture of a country.

Here are a few that will get you started. Click here if you are interested in learning more Turkish proverbs.

Gülme komşuna gelir başına

It means that, if you criticize someone for something, the same thing may happen to you and you may be criticized as well. Literally: Don’t laugh at your neighbor, it happens to you.

Damlaya damlaya göl olur.

Many small make a great. Literally: Drop by drop becomes a lake.

Eşeğe altın semer de vursan eşek yine eşektir

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. Literally: Even if you saddle a donkey with a golden saddle, the donkey is still a donkey.

Doğru söyleyeni dokuz köyden kovarlar

All truth is not always to be told. Literally: They expel the one who tells the truth from nine villages.

Zararın neresinden dönersen kardır

It is never too late to mend. Literally: Where you come back from the loss is profit.

Görünen köy kılavuz istemez

When something is obvious, it’s not necessary for someone to make an explanation about it. Literally: One does not need a guide when the village is in sight.

Set the Bar High with TurkishClass101

You have learned around 40 advanced Turkish words and phrases with the help of this article. Explore more Turkish advanced expression and phrases with TurkishClass101, which has numerous audio recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and free resources including the dictionary you can benefit from.

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

Do you know what else is good about it? You can download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

Last but not the least; please continue to provide us feedback about all the resources provided at TurkishClass101!

Congratulations on completing the beginner level! 

As you prepare to continue your Turkish learning journey at the intermediate level, you may be worried about the new challenges and difficulties you’ll need to face. The good news is that learning and practicing the intermediate Turkish phrases listed in this article will take you a long way. Furthermore, you can rely on TurkishClass101.com to help fill in the gaps and get you leveled up in no time. 

In this article, we will introduce you to about 30 useful Turkish phrases for intermediate learners. These are phrases that you can use in a variety of circumstances: 

• Talking about your memories
• Telling others your plans
• Giving justifications
• Making recommendations and complaints
• Expressing yourself in daily conversations
• Being polite in social and business settings

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to improve your Turkish. Learn these intermediate Turkish phrases today, and start off the next phase of your learning journey on the right foot!

Table of Contents

1. Memories and Past Events
2. Making and Changing Plans
3. Giving Justification
4. Recommend, Praise, and Complain
5. Daily Conversations
6. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings
7. Practice Intermediate Turkish Phrases with TurkishClass101

1. Memories and Past Events

Anecdotes and memories are definitely good conversation builders. Sharing your past experiences with someone will also help the other person get to know you better. And that will surely take the relationship one step—maybe even a couple of steps—further.

At the beginner level, you became familiar with the present tense. Now, it’s time to get some exposure to the past tense so that you can talk about a wider range of topics. 

➜ Need a refresher? You can read our blog post about tenses in Turkish for some useful information. 

Here are a few Turkish phrases for intermediate learners that will help you talk about past events and have deeper conversations:

Turkish	English
Haftasonu partide çok eğlendik.	We had a lot of fun at the party over the weekend.
O an kendimi çok kötü hissettim.	I felt very bad at that moment.
Küçük bir evim vardı ama sattım.	I had a small house, but I sold it.
Köpeğimin öldüğü gün hayatımın en kötü günüydü.	The day my dog died was the worst day of my life.
Eskiden buz pateni yapardım.	I used to ice skate.
Gençken çok zayıftım.	I was very thin when I was young.
Kızımın doğduğu gün hayatımın en mutlu günüydü.	The day my daughter was born was the happiest day of my life.

2. Making and Changing Plans

As you socialize more and deepen your relationships with the Turkish people around you, the need to make plans will arise. In this section, we’ll show you several Turkish phrases for intermediate-level learners that you can use when making, changing, or discussing plans. Feel free to adjust them for your needs.

Turkish	English
Bu haftasonu müsait misin?	Are you available this weekend?
Bu akşamki konsere gidelim mi?	Shall we go to the concert tonight? Literally: Can we go to the concert that is tonight?
Toplantıyı yarın öğleden sonraya erteleyebilir miyiz?	Can we postpone the meeting to tomorrow afternoon?
Partiyi iptal etmek zorunda kaldım.	I had to cancel the party.
Partiye kız/erkek arkadaşımla gelebilir miyim?	Can I come to the party with my girlfriend/boyfriend?
Bu uçuş ertelendi.	This flight has been delayed. Literally: This flight has been postponed.
Cumartesi sinemaya gideceğiz, değil mi?	We’re going to go to the movies on Saturday, aren’t we?

3. Giving Justification

Explaining what you’ve done or what you’ll be doing might be simple for you at this stage. However, you must learn how to give the reasons behind your behavior, beliefs, plans, or goals, as this will allow you to communicate and express yourself more effectively. Once you pick up a few Turkish conjunction words, you’ll find that giving reasons is not that difficult.

Below are some intermediate Turkish phrases that will help you make your points more clear.

Turkish	English
Toplantıya katılamadım çünkü hastalandım.	I couldn’t join the meeting because I got sick.
Arabam bozulduğu için geç kaldım.	I’m late because my car broke down. Literally: I was late because my car broke down.
Sana iki nedenden dolayı katılmıyorum. Birincisi, bana verdiğin süre çok kısa. İkincisi, bu bütçe yeterli değil.	I don’t agree with you due to two reasons. Firstly, the time you gave me is short. Secondly, this budget isn’t sufficient.
Bana doğruyu söylemedin. O yüzden sana kızgınım.	You didn’t tell me the truth. That’s why I’m angry with you.
Bana haksızlık etmeseydin sana bu kadar kızmazdım.	I wouldn’t be so mad at you if you hadn’t been unfair to me.
O özür diledi, böylece tekrar görüşmeye başladık.	(S)he apologized, so we started seeing each other again.
Uyuya kalmışım. O nedenle gelemedim.	I fell asleep. That’s why I couldn’t come.

4. Recommend, Praise, and Complain

Sharing your experiences, both good and bad, indicates sincerity in your personal interactions. Your remarks, recommendations, compliments, and complaints can also lead people to make better choices. Therefore, learning how to build sentences for these purposes will be very useful! 

➜ By the way, don’t forget to read our article titled Learn the Top Turkish Compliments for Any Situation.

Take a look at the sample intermediate Turkish phrases below, and start sharing your opinions and recommendations with native Turkish speakers.

Turkish	English
O otel çok temiz; kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.	That hotel is very clean; I definitely recommend it.
Bu kullandığım en iyi makyaj temizleyici; mutlaka denemelisin.	This is the best makeup remover I’ve ever used; you must try it.
O marka çok kötü; kesinlikle tavsiye etmem.	That brand is very bad; I would definitely not recommend it.
Müzik alanında çok yeteneklisin, tebrik ederim.	You are very talented in music, congratulations. Literally: You are talented in the area of music, congratulations.
Bu ödülü en çok sen hakettin.	You deserved this award the most.
Bana bu şekilde davranmamalıydın.	You shouldn’t have treated me like that.
Sizi polise şikayet edeceğim.	I will report you to the police.

5. Daily Conversations

I’m sure you learned many simple sentences for carrying out daily conversations at the beginner level. How about adding more flavor to what you already know? Enrich your everyday conversations with the following Turkish phrases for intermediate learners:

Turkish	English
Bu çok güzel bir haber.	This is very good news.
Gelebildiğine çok sevindim.	I’m very glad that you were able to come.
Şaka mı yapıyorsun?	Are you kidding me?
Gerçekten mi?	Really?
Allah korusun!	God forbid! Literally: May God protect!
Umarım!	I hope so! Literally: I hope!
Geçmiş olsun, acil şifalar dilerim.	Get well soon; I wish you a quick recovery. Literally: May it pass; I wish you urgent recoveries.

6. Etiquette Phrases for Social and Business Settings

Customs and traditions differ from country to country. Knowing the cultural etiquette of Turkey will make your interactions more comfortable in both social and professional contexts.

➜ A great place to start learning about Turkish culture is in this blog article from TurkishClass101.com.

Since business settings are more formal, foreigners are usually afraid of making mistakes. Some people might cut the conversation short to avoid saying something wrong or accidentally offending someone.

Here are some useful intermediate Turkish phrasesthat you can use confidently to have kind, good, and respectful communicationwith Turkish people in both social and professional settings.

Turkish	English
Afiyet olsun.	Bon appetit.
İyi yolculuklar.	Have a nice trip.
Nasıl yardımcı olabilirim?	How can I help you?
Benim için bir zevkti.	It was a pleasure for me.
Rahatsız ettiysem özür dilerim.	I apologize if I bothered you.
Bir şeye ihtiyacınız var mı?	Do you need anything?
Şerefe! (only used when drinking alcoholic beverages)	Cheers! Literally: To honor!

7. Practice Intermediate Turkish Phrases with TurkishClass101

This article introduced you to many Turkish phrases for intermediate-level learners. However, there are many more words, phrases, expressions, and grammar points to explore. 

TurkishClass101 makes it easy to learn Turkish online, level up your skills, and start speaking right away. We provide an array of audio recordings, vocabulary lists, and free resources (including this Turkish-English dictionary). What’s more, you can download the app for free and learn Turkish wherever you are.

➜ Not sure where to start? We encourage you to check out the intermediate Turkish lessons in our Intermediate lesson pathway.

Don’t forget that there is also our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher; with MyTeacher, you can learn and practice with a private teacher while receiving real-time feedback.

Last but not least, please continue to provide us with feedback about all the resources we offer you at TurkishClass101.com!

Learning a new language takes a lot of time and effort. However, finding the time to learn a foreign language is pretty hard in today’s fast-paced world. Traditional wisdom says that you have to sit in a classroom for a certain number of hours, go through long vocabulary lists, read textbooks, and do a lot of exercises to practice. For some of you, this is not only time-consuming but also boring—especially for those who are auditory learners. 

But there’s good news: You can balance out your learning experience with entertainment by listening to podcasts. In fact, listening to a Turkish-language podcast is probably one of the most enjoyable ways to learn the language!

In this article, I will provide a list of the best Turkish podcasts for those wanting to learn the language. You can choose the ones that suit your needs and preferences, as I’ve made sure to include podcasts for every proficiency level and spanning a variety of themes. I will also discuss why learning with podcasts is a great idea and give you some tips on how you can make the most of your listening time. 

Once you start listening, I hope you find them useful and enjoy tuning in every day!

Enjoy the podcasts!

Table of Contents

1. Why You Should Use Podcasts to Learn Turkish
2. What are the 10 best podcasts for learning Turkish?
3. Tips to Learn Turkish More Effectively with Podcasts
4. TurkishClass101 – A Single Resource for All!

1. Why You Should Use Podcasts to Learn Turkish

I’m sure you’ve heard that visiting or living in a region where your target language is spoken is the fastest way to learn it. Have you ever wondered why? Because it provides full immersion, allowing you to acquire knowledge by listening to native speakers on a regular basis.

If you can get in the habit of listening to Turkish-language podcasts regularly, it will give you a similar experience. Furthermore, it will help you make better use of the time you’re sitting in traffic or doing housework.

What are the benefits?

Are you wondering what kind of benefits you’ll get when you start using podcasts to learn Turkish? If so, here’s a short list for you:

• They will help you get exposed to more Turkish.
• They will help you learn the correct pronunciation of words and improve your accent.

• They will improve your listening and comprehension skills in an entertaining way.
• They will teach you certain sentence patterns you can use.
• They will teach you how to use the grammar you’ve been learning.
• They will help you enhance your vocabulary.
• They will allow you to learn at your own pace.

Which skill levels are supported?

I have good news for you! There are a variety of podcasts available online. Whether you’re a newbie, an intermediate learner, or an advanced-level speaker, there’s a suitable podcast for you.

If you’re a beginner, podcasts will help you understand what Turkish sounds like and give you the tools to achieve good pronunciation right from the start. There are quite a number of Turkish-language podcasts you can listen to as a beginner.

When you reach an intermediate level in Turkish—which means you can introduce yourself, do shopping, and more—intermediate-level podcasts will help you think, speak, and understand in Turkish. They will also teach you more vocabulary and take your skills up to the next level.

More advanced Turkish learners will have a wide selection of podcasts to choose from on different topics. Such podcasts will help them carry out deeper conversations about science, literature, politics, the arts, etc.

2. What are the 10 best podcasts for learning Turkish?

Now that you know why podcasts are one of the best language learning tools, let’s take a look at our list of the best podcasts for Turkish learners! 

Podcasts for Beginners

TurkishClass101

• Frequency: 1 episode per week 
• Average Episode Length: 7 minutes
• Active Since: November 2014

The TurkishClass101 podcast offers lessons for every type of learner! Each episode includes both linguistic information and cultural context, not to mention a number of tools you can use to enhance your listening experience and retain more information.  

Better still, you can create a free lifetime account on TurkishClass101.com to access additional content and materials: vocabulary lists, flashcards, an online dictionary, a voice recording tool, and more! You can read more about TurkishClass101 toward the end of the article. 

Let’s Learn Turkish

• Frequency: 12 episodes per year
• Average Episode Length: 4 minutes
• Active Since: March 2018

This podcast is hosted by a native Turkish speaker and her Spanish-speaking partner, who is also learning Turkish. Each episode covers a different topic about the Turkish language, and the content gets harder as the episodes progress. 

Fluent in Turkish

• Number of Episodes: 7 
• Average Episode Length: 10 minutes

Despite having a limited number of episodes, this is a great Turkish podcast for beginners as it covers basic vocabulary and grammar points. For example, you’ll learn how to greet people in Turkish and become familiar with common sentence patterns used in Turkey.

Learn Modern Turkish

• Number of Episodes: 12 

This is another great Turkish podcast with only a limited number of episodes available. However, it’s a good resource for learning basic Turkish grammar and etymology. Furthermore, it also talks about Turkish history and culture.

Learn Turkish with LinguaBoost

• Frequency: 1 episode per week
• Average Episode Length: 12 minutes
• Active Since: February 2020

Each episode of the Learn Turkish with LinguaBoost podcast contains information about a specific topic, focusing on words and phrases that you’ll use every day. This simple Turkish podcast is hosted by native speakers, and all of the material is translated.

Podcasts for Intermediate Learners

Learn Turkish with Turkish Coffee

• Number of Episodes: 9
• Average Episode Length: 10 minutes 

This podcast is fully in Turkish; it doesn’t contain any English. However, the host speaks slowly and clearly. The podcast also comes with a transcript for each episode, so you can follow along more easily. The host usually talks about tips for learning Turkish so that you can enhance your learning process. Best of all, tuning in every day will allow you to kill two birds with one stone: improving your Turkish listening skills and becoming acquainted with Turkish culture. 

Turkish Tea Time

• Number of Episodes: 136
• Average Episode Length: 15-20 minutes

This podcast is hosted by an American expat. Each episode covers a specific Turkish grammar rule, though the host often picks hilarious and taboo topics rather than ordinary ones. Although this podcast isn’t producing new episodes, there are many lessons already available for your listening pleasure. 

Podcasts for Advanced Students

SBS Turkish

The SBS Turkish podcast is from the Australian Special Broadcasting Service, which provides radio broadcasting in a number of different languages. This is a news podcast that covers events taking place around the world. You’ll sometimes hear English quotes in the news, which will make this podcast even easier for advanced learners. Be informed about what’s going on across the globe while gaining dominion over the Turkish language! 

Bilim Kazanı

• Number of Episodes: 40

This Turkish podcast is hosted by three Harvard graduates who perform research and talk with experts about different science-related topics. The podcast hasn’t been active recently, but the existing 40 episodes will be very helpful for advanced Turkish learners. We especially recommend this one for those who are interested in science. 

Canlı Bilim

Another science-related podcast, Canlı Bilim consists of live chats with Turkish scientists living in Turkey and abroad. Tune in to explore the world of science while improving your Turkish! 

3. Tips to Learn Turkish More Effectively with Podcasts

Now that you’re familiar with the ten best Turkish podcasts for learners of the language, I’ll share some tips for making the most of them.

Dedicate time.

1. Dedicate some time to learning.

2. Choose a podcast that matches your skill level.

3. Choose a podcast on a topic you’re interested in. 

4. Try listening to a range of different podcasts. 

5. Continuity and routine are important.

6. Support your listening sessions with other learning tools.

7. Practice, practice, practice.

8. Motivate yourself.

Motivation

Are you more of a visual learner? Don’t forget that you can learn Turkish grammar, enhance your vocabulary, and improve your listening and comprehension skills on YouTube, as well! If you want to learn more, TurkishClass101 has an entire article covering the top YouTube channels for Turkish learners. 

4. TurkishClass101 – A Single Resource for All!

In this article, I introduced you to the best Turkish-language podcasts for improving your listening skills. Podcasts are undoubtedly a useful and effective tool in language learning. They can enhance your Turkish studies in a way that’s engaging and fun. 

However, please don’t forget that TurkishClass101 is a single resource that offers all the tools needed to learn Turkish. We provide our students with numerous audio lessons and recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and a variety of free resources (including this Turkish dictionary) that you can refer to. You can also utilize our MyTeacher service, which allows you to study and practice 1-on-1 with a native Turkish speaker. 

What’s more, you can download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

It’s our goal to help you learn Turkish in a fun and effective manner, all at your convenience. As such, we welcome any feedback or questions you may have.

Last but not least, happy Turkish learning!

If you’ve just started learning Turkish, you definitely need to focus on studying the basic grammar rules and picking up as much vocabulary as you can. Obviously, you won’t be able to learn all this overnight! And during this time, you might miss some opportunities or have a hard time getting help in an emergency.

Have I worried you? You can relax now. There is a practical way to prepare for daily conversations, emergencies, and other situations while learning grammar along the way: memorizing standard Turkish phrases for beginners.

In this article, I will teach you phrases you can use to greet people, introduce yourself, order food, go shopping, and get help when you need it. These expressions and patterns will help tide you over until you have a good command of Turkish grammar.

Table of Contents

1. Greetings, Self-introductions, and Goodbyes
2. Courtesy Phrases
3. Dining & Shopping Phrases
4. Asking for Help in Case of Emergencies
5. Other Useful Phrases
6. Practice Beginner Phrases with TurkishClass101

1. Greetings, Self-introductions, and Goodbyes

These three components of conversation are essential in building a connection with others. They’re the keys to easier and more effective communication; they can open the door to new relationships, whether that be a friendship, a business partnership, or a romantic relationship. 

Don’t wait. Start impressing the Turkish people around you by using the following beginner Turkish phrases for greetings, self-introductions, and goodbyes.

Greetings

A warm greeting makes a huge difference in one’s social life, especially if you’re in a foreign country. Believe me; you can win a Turkish person’s heart with a sincere Merhaba! (“Hello!”). I’m sure they will appreciate the fact that you took the time to learn that word in Turkish.

Now, knowing all this, are you ready to learn some greeting words in Turkish and start building good relationships with the Turkish folks around you? 

Let’s begin, then!

Turkish	English	Literally
Merhaba.	Hello.	–
Selam.	Hi.	“Greeting.”
Günaydın.	Good morning.	“Sunlit day.”
İyi günler.	Good day.	“Good days.”
Tünaydın.	Good afternoon.	“Sunlit night.”
İyi akşamlar.	Good evening.	“Good evenings.”
İyi geceler.	Goodnight.	“Good nights.”

To learn even more Turkish greetings, we recommend you visit our blog post on how to say hello in Turkish.

Introductions

Introductions are an icebreaker of sorts. A self-introduction can also help you make a good first impression if you manage to get it just right. I believe that first impressions matter, and there’s no guarantee of a second chance if you’re not successful from the start. 

To improve your chances of hitting it off with native speakers, memorize and practice these useful Turkish phrases for beginners. 

Turkish	English	Literally
Merhaba, ben Ed.	Hello, I’m Ed.	–
Memnun oldum.	I’m glad to meet you.	“I was glad.”
Ben de.	Me, too.	–
Nasılsınız?	How are you?	–
İyiyim, teşekkür ederim, ya siz?	I’m fine, thank you. And you?	–
Nerelisiniz?	Where are you from?	–
Ben Amerikalıyım.	I’m American.	–
Kaç yaşındasınız?	How old are you?	“How many ages are you in?”
Ben 25 yaşındayım.	I’m 25 years old.	“I’m in 25 age.”

You can also check out our article on how to introduce yourself in Turkish to learn additional phrases and patterns you could use.

Goodbyes

Now that you’ve learned how to say “hello” and introduce yourself in Turkish, let’s see some beginner Turkish phrases for saying goodbye. After all, goodbyes are just as essential as hellos.

Turkish	English	Literally
Baybay.	Bye-bye.	–
Hoşçakalın.	Goodbye.	“Stay nicely.”
Görüşürüz.	See you.	“We see each other.”
Kendinize iyi bakın.	Take care of yourself.	–

Make sure to read our article titled How to Say Goodbye in Turkish to discover even more parting phrases for different situations. The article also talks about the gestures we use when saying goodbye in Turkey. Have fun!

2. Courtesy Phrases

Courtesy phrases also play an important role in social life. Different cultures might have different values, but there are still some common courtesy phrases that we use in order to have good, kind, healthy, and respectful interactions. Below are some beginner Turkish phrases you can use to be polite in different contexts. 

Turkish	English	Literally
Teşekkür ederim.	Thank you.	–
Bir şey değil.	You’re welcome.	“Not one thing.”
Rica ederim.	You’re welcome.	“I request.”
Lütfen.	Please.	“Kindly.”
Problem/sorun değil.	No problem.	“Not a problem.”
İyi şanslar.	Good luck.	“Good lucks.”
Afedersiniz.	Excuse me.	“You would excuse.”
Üzgünüm.	I’m sorry.	–

3. Dining & Shopping Phrases

Dining and shopping are inevitable parts of our lives. As such, dear Turkish beginners, you’ll need to know some of the phrases below in order to do your shopping and put the old feedbag on! 

Dining

Turkey has a number of delicacies waiting for you, so you’d better hurry up and learn these simple Turkish phrases for beginners.

Turkish	English	Literally
Karnım acıktı. / Ben açım.	I’m hungry.	“My abdomen got hungry.” / “I’m hungry.”
Karnım tok. / Ben tokum.	I’m full.	“My abdomen is full.” / “I’m full.”
Susadım.	I’m thirsty.	“I was thirsty.”
Menüyü görebilir miyim?	May I see the menu?	–
Su alabilir miyim lütfen?	May I have water, please?	–
Hesap lütfen!	Bill, please!	–

Before going to the next topic, I should give you a tip. If you love different tastes, are into international cuisines, and want to find out more about Turkish food, don’t miss our article about Turkish cuisine! It will definitely help you plan each day’s menu while you’re in Turkey. Enjoy!

Shopping

Shopping opportunities are everywhere! While in Turkey, you’ll need to know some basic Turkish phrases for shopping while visiting the malls, supermarkets, drugstores, ticket booths, you name it. Here are just a few phrases to get you started: 

Turkish	English
Alışverişe gitmek istiyorum.	I want to go shopping.
Alışveriş merkezi nerede?	Where is the mall?
Bu kaç beden?	What size is this?
Bu ne kadar?	How much is this?
Bu halı kaç para?	How much is this carpet?
Kredi kartı ile ödeyebilir miyim?	Can I pay by credit card?

4. Asking for Help in Case of Emergencies

Visiting a foreign country can be stressful if you’re not confident in your language abilities. To help relieve some of this stress, I’ve listed below several basic Turkish phrases for beginners that might just save your life in an emergency. I hope you never have to use these phrases, but don’t forget to jot them down—you never know what life will bring you! 

Turkish	English	Literally
Bana yardım edin lütfen!	Please help me!	–
Bana yardım edebilir misiniz? / Bana yardımcı olabilir misiniz?	Can you help me?	–
Hastane nerede?	Where is the hospital?	–
Benim çileğe alerjim var.	I’m allergic to strawberries.	I have allergy to strawberry.
Yangın var.	There is a fire.	There is fire.
Ambulans çağırın.	Call an ambulance.	Call ambulance.
Polisi arayın.	Call the police.	Call police.
Ben kayboldum; bana yardım edin lütfen!	I’m lost; please help me!	–
Pasaportumu/cüzdanımı kaybettim. Ne yapmalıyım?	I lost my passport/wallet. What should I do?	–

5. Other Useful Phrases

I’ve tried to include basic Turkish phrases for beginners for many different situations. However, there are many more! Asking for the time, getting directions, trying to find an English speaker…the list goes on. The phrases below are a good starting point for expanding your vocabulary, but you can also refer to the numerous resources on TurkishClass101.com for a greater selection. 

Turkish	English
Pardon?	Excuse me?
İngilizce konuşuyor musunuz?	Do you speak English?
Yavaş konuşabilir misiniz lütfen?	Can you speak slowly, please?
Anlamadım.	I didn’t understand.
Türkçe de “___” nasıl diyorsunuz?	How do you say “___” in Turkish?
Pardon, Ayasofya’ya nasıl gidebilirim?	Excuse me, how can I get to Hagia Sophia?
Saatiniz kaç?	What time is it? Literally: How many is your watch?

Our article on Turkish sentence patterns might also help you to begin expressing yourself and fulfilling your daily needs more easily. In addition, it will serve as a foundation upon which you can build a stronger knowledge of Turkish grammar. 

6. Practice Beginner Phrases with TurkishClass101

You now know quite a number of basic Turkish phrases for beginners. However, there are many more to explore. Learning Turkish is simple with TurkishClass101, which has numerous audio recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and other free resources (including this dictionary you can refer to at any time).

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

What’s more, you can download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

Last but not least, please continue to provide us with feedback about all the resources we offer at TurkishClass101.com.

Happy learning!

Have you completed the intermediate level in your Turkish studies? Would you like to continue improving your language skills in order to stand out and impress native speakers? 

Then you’ve hit the bullseye! You’re at the right address. 

In this article, we will introduce you to all of the essential advanced Turkish words you should know. This includes general vocabulary for everyday life, as well as words related to academia, business, the legal system, and medicine. At the end, we’ll also show you several words you can incorporate into your essays or writing tests to score higher. 

Learning these advanced Turkish vocabulary words will require more diligence and effort, but if you stay focused on the target, you’ll reap the fruits of your hard work.

→ You can also visit our lesson on the 25 must-know advanced Turkish phrases to familiarize yourself with more advanced structures.

Table of Contents

1. Advanced Words for Everyday Life
2. Advanced Academic Vocabulary
3. Advanced Business Vocabulary
4. Advanced Medical Vocabulary
5. Advanced Legal Vocabulary
6. Advanced Vocabulary for Essay Writing
7. Raise the Bar with TurkishClass101

1. Advanced Words for Everyday Life

First, let’s look at advanced Turkish words you’ll find useful in your day-to-day interactions with native speakers. We have categorized these words based on part of speech and included an example sentence for each one. 

Nouns

Maden	Türkiye’nin en büyük altın madeni Kışladağ altın madenidir.
Mine	The Kışladağ gold mine is the largest gold mine in Turkey.

Kapşon	Kapşonunu geçir; dışarıda hava soğuk.
Hood	Put your hood up; it’s cold outside.

Madde	Maddenin üç hali vardır: sıvı, gaz ve katı.
Matter	Matter has three states: liquid, gas, and solid.

Mazeret	Dersi kaçırdım ama geçerli bir mazeretim vardı.
Excuse	I missed the class, but I had a legitimate excuse.

Ciddiyet	Hayatın ciddiyetini yeni fark etti.
Seriousness	(S)he just realized the seriousness of life.

Çare	Ölümden başka her şeyin bir çaresi vardır.
Remedy	There is a remedy for everything except death.

Adjectives

Cimri	Henry çok cimri bir insandır.
Stingy	Henry is a very stingy person.

Art niyetli	Ondan uzak dur; o çok art niyetli biri.
Malevolent	Stay away from him/her; (s)he is a very malevolent person.

Marifetli	O el işlerinde çok marifetlidir.
Skillful	(S)he is very skillful with handicrafts.

Masum	Bence o masum; ben ona inanıyorum.
Innocent	I think (s)he is innocent; I believe him/her.

Suçlu	O suçlu bulundu ve ceza aldı.
Guilty	(S)he was found guilty and was sentenced.

Aç gözlü	Mary hep daha fazlasını ister; o çok aç gözlüdür.
Greedy	Mary always wants more; she is very greedy.

Adverbs

Cesurca	Tebrik ederim, cesurca her şeyi söyledin ona.
Bravely	Congratulations, you bravely said everything to him/her.

Cömertçe	Tüm parasını cömertçe ağlayan çocuğa verdi.
Generously	(S)he gave all his/her money generously to the crying boy/girl.

Ciddi bir şekilde	Bu konuyu ciddi bir şekilde düşünmeni istiyorum.
Seriously	I want you to think about this subject seriously.

Tam olarak	Tam olarak nerede olduğunu bilmek istiyorum.
Exactly	I want to know exactly where you are.

Verbs

Eleştirmek	Eleştir ama lütfen yapıcı ol.
To criticize	Criticize, but please be constructive.

Fısıldamak	Kardeşim annemin duymasını istemediği için kulağıma yavaşça fısıldadı.
To whisper	My sibling whispered softly in my ear because (s)he didn’t want my mom to hear.

Eşleştirmek	Aşağıdaki kelimeleri tanımları ile eşleştirin.
To match	Match the words below with their definitions.

Tepki vermek/göstermek	Bu duruma aşırı tepki gösteriyorsun.
To react	You are overreacting to this situation.

Karşılaştırmak	Bu iki tabloyu karşılaştırman gerek.
To compare	You need to compare these two tables.

Katlamak	Kazaklarını bavula koymadan önce katla lütfen.
To fold	Please fold your sweaters before you put them in the suitcase.

Aşırmak	Mutfaktan bir tane kurabiye aşırdım.
To steal	I stole a cookie from the kitchen.

Fırlatmak	Topu yukarı fırlattım ama pencereye çarptı.
To throw	I threw the ball up, but it hit the window.

Sarkmak	Kollarınızın omuzlarınızdan serbestçe sarkmasına izin verin.
To dangle from	Let your arms dangle freely from your shoulders.

2. Advanced Academic Vocabulary

Do you plan to attend university in Turkey? Then you’ll greatly benefit from learning these advanced Turkish words related to academia. These words will help you understand lectures, write essays, and perform well on tests. 

Nouns

Tez	Tezinizi yazarken net cümleler kullanın.
Thesis / Paper	Use clear sentences when writing your thesis/paper.

Makale	Makale yazarken alıntılama kurallarına dikkat etmen gerekir.
Article	When writing an article, you should pay attention to the rules of citation.

Araştırma	Araştırma konun nedir?
Research	What is your research topic?

Taslak	Makaleni yazmadan önce bir taslak oluşturmalısın.
Outline	Before you write your article, you should create an outline.

Anket	Bu araştırma için on tane anket yaptım.
Survey	I did ten surveys for this research.

Kanıt / Delil	Teorini ispatlamak için kanıt sunman gerekir.
Evidence	To prove your theory, you have to provide evidence.

Alıntı	Lütfen alıntı kurallarına dikkat et.
Citation	Please pay attention to the citation rules.

Veri	Verileri göndermeniz gerekiyor.
Data	You need to submit the data.

Sunum	Araştırmam ile ilgili bir sunum yapacağım.
Presentation	I will make a presentation about my research.

Proje	Bitirme projemi yarın teslim etmem lazım.
Project	I have to deliver my graduation project tomorrow.

Tablo	Verileri Excel tablosuna aktarmak gerekiyor.
Table	It is necessary to transfer the data to the Excel table.

Satır	Tablo 50 satırdan oluşmaktadır.
Row	The table consists of 50 rows.

Sütun	Tablo 50 sütundan oluşmaktadır.
Column	The table consists of 50 columns.

Verbs

Göstermek	Bu çalışmanın sonuçlarını göstermek gerek.
To demonstrate	It is necessary to demonstrate the results of this study.

İçermek	Bu dosya tüm verileri içermektedir.
To include / To involve	This file includes all the data.

Analiz etmek	Analiz etmeden sonuca varamazsın.
To analyze	You can’t come to a conclusion without analyzing it.

Çözmek	Bu soruyu çözmek için tam 20 dakika harcadım.
To solve	I spent 20 minutes solving this question.

Deney yapmak	Deney yapmak için laboratuvara gidiyorum.
To experiment	I’m going to the lab to do an experiment.

Sunmak	Yarın projemi sunacağım.
To present	I will present my project tomorrow.

Ölçmek	Tabloyu oluşturmak için önce malzemeleri ölçmek lazım.
To measure	In order to create the table, we first need to measure the materials.

Yorumlamak	Öncelikle bu rakamları yorumlamak lazım.
To interpret	First of all, these numbers should be interpreted.

Kontrol etmek	Kendini kontrol etmeyi öğrenmelisin.
To control	You have to learn to control yourself.

Tartışmak	Bilim adamları bu konuyu kendi aralarında tartıştılar.
To discuss	Scientists discussed this topic among themselves.

Kanıtlamak	O hipotezini kanıtladı.
To prove	(S)he proved his hypothesis.

Etkinleştirmek	Şifreni etkinleştirmeyi unutma!
To activate	Don’t forget to activate your password.

3. Advanced Business Vocabulary

Impress your colleagues by using the following advanced Turkish vocabulary words related to the business world. 

Genel müdürlük	Genel müdürlük başka bir yere taşındı.
Headquarters	The headquarters moved to another location.

Vizyon	Çalıştığım şirket vizyonunu geliştiren bir şirket olduğu için çok şanslıyım.
Vision	I’m very lucky that the company I work for is a company that enhances its vision.

Misyon	Bir şirketin vizyonu kadar misyonu da önemlidir.
Mission	A company’s mission is as important as its vision.

Strateji	Pandemi dolayısıyla satış stratejimizi değiştirmemiz gerek.
Strategy	Because of the pandemic, we need to change our sales strategy.

Kâr	Bu yılki kâr marjımız %10 daha yüksek.
Profit	Our profit margin is 10% higher this year.

Yatırım	Bu yıl yatırımlarımızı artırmamız lazım.
Investment	This year, we need to increase our investments.

Fon	Yeterince fonumuz yok.
Fund	We don’t have enough funds.

Masraf	Sabit masraflarımızı düşürmemiz gerek.
Expense	We need to reduce our fixed costs.

Mali	Bu yıl mali açıdan güçlüyüz.
Financial	This year, we are strong in terms of finances.

Faiz oranı	Faiz oranları düştü.
Interest rate	Interest rates have dropped.

Varlık	Araçlar sabit varlık olarak kabul edilir.
Asset	Vehicles are considered fixed assets.

Mal	Bu mallar için büyük bir depoya ihtiyacımız var.
Merchandise / Goods	We need a large warehouse for these goods.

Malzeme	Malzeme ihtiyaç listesi üzerinde çalışıyorum.
Material	I am working on a material requirements list.

Envanter	Yarın envanter sayımı yapılacak.
Inventory	There will be an inventory count tomorrow.

Departman	Satınalma departmanında çalışıyorum.
Department	I work in the purchasing department.

Muhasebe	Bordro kesintilerinizi muhasebe departmanına sorabilirsiniz.
Accounting	You can tell the accounting department about your payroll deductions.

İnsan Kaynakları	Özgeçmişinizi insan kaynakları departmanına gönderin.
Human Resources	Send your CV to the human resources department.

Satış	Satış hedeflerimizi belirledik.
Sales	We determined our sales goals.

Satın alma	Onların merkezi bir satın alma departmanları var.
Purchasing	They have a central purchasing department.

Sözleşme	Yeni bir satış sözleşmesi yaptık.
Contract	We made a new sales contract.

4. Advanced Medical Vocabulary

Another set of important words in Turkish for advanced learners is medical vocabulary. Whether you plan to attend medical school in Turkey or happen to find yourself in the ER during your travels, knowing these words and terms will prove quite useful. 

Nouns

Acil servis	Baş ağrım beni öldürüyordu, bu yüzden acil servise gitmem gerekti.
Emergency room	My headache was killing me, so I had to go to the emergency room.

Yoğun bakım	Teyzem henüz yoğun bakımdan çıkmadı.
Intensive care	My aunt has not left intensive care yet.

Ameliyathane	Ameliyat için beni ameliyathaneye götürmek üzereler.
Surgery room	They are about to take me to the surgery room for the operation.

Tansiyon	Tansiyonum yüksek; hemen hastaneye gitmem lazım.
Blood pressure	My blood pressure is high; I have to go to the hospital.

Alerji	Baharda alerji belirtileri artıyor.
Allergy	Allergy symptoms increase in the spring.

Bağışıklık	Bağışıklık sistemini güçlü tutman gerek.
Immunity	You need to keep your immune system strong.

Röntgen	Acilen röntgen çektirmem gerekiyor.
X-ray	I urgently need to get an X-ray.

Kalp krizi	Arkadaşım yakın zaman içinde kalp krizi geçirdi.
Heart attack	My friend has recently had a heart attack.

Kanser	Amcam kanserden öldü.
Cancer	My uncle died of cancer.

Ameliyat	Ameliyat gayet başarılı geçti.
Surgery	The surgery was very successful.

Anestezi	Ameliyat genel anestezi ile yapıldı.
Anesthesia	The surgery was carried out under general anesthesia.

Teşhis	Sam’in teşhisinde çok geç kaldılar.
Diagnosis	They were too late for Sam’s diagnosis.

Travma	Okulda çıkan yangının ardından öğrenciler travma tedavisi gördü.
Trauma	The students were treated for trauma after the fire at school.

Yara	Şaşırtıcı bir şekilde, yara kendi kendine iyileşti.
Wound	To my surprise, the wound healed itself.

Tedavi	O kanser tedavisi görüyor.
Treatment	(S)he is getting cancer treatment.

Reçete	Doktor reçete yazdı mı?
Prescription	Has the doctor written a prescription?

Yan etki	Bu ilacın bilinen bir yan etkisi yoktur.
Side effect	This medicine has no known side effects.

Aşı	Corona aşısını uzun bir süre bekledik.
Vaccine	We have waited for the Coronavirus vaccine for a long time.

İğne	Doktor başımın ağrısı için iğne yaptı.
Injection	The doctor gave me an injection for my headache.

Adjectives

Bulaşıcı	Corona bulaşıcı bir virüstür.
Contagious	The Coronavirus is a contagious virus.

Steril	Ameliyathaneler mutlaka steril olmalı.
Sterile	Surgery rooms must be absolutely sterile.

5. Advanced Legal Vocabulary

As you approach an advanced level in Turkish, you’ll benefit from picking up at least a few words related to the legal system. This will allow you to follow the news with greater ease, engage in more complex conversations, and even avoid unfortunate misunderstandings. Here’s the advanced legal vocabulary in Turkish you should start learning: 

Nouns

Hukuk	Hukuk önünde herkes eşittir.
Law	Everyone is equal before the law.

Adalet	Adalete inanıyorum.
Justice	I believe in justice.

İnsan hakları	İnsan hakları hakkında hiçbir şey bilmiyorlar.
Human rights	They know nothing about human rights.

Avukat	Bu konuda with avukata danışmam lazım.
Lawyer	I need to consult with a lawyer on this matter.

Hâkim	Hâkim davayı erteledi.
Judge	The judge adjourned the case.

Noter	Bu belgenin bir noter tarafından onaylanması gerekiyor.
Notary	This document needs to be certified by a notary.

Tanık / Şahit	Tanık hırsızın kaçtığını söyledi.
Witness	The witness said the robber escaped.

Mahkeme	Mahkemede çok heyecanlandım.
Court	I got very excited in court.

Hapishane	Hapishanede kavga çıktı.
Jail / Prison	A fight broke out in prison.

Sabıkalı	Onun bir sabıkalı olduğunu duyduğumda şok oldum.
Criminal	I was shocked when I heard he was a criminal.

Şüpheli	Şüpheli polis koruması altındaydı.
Suspect	The suspect was under police protection.

Dava	Onları dava açmakla tehdit ettim.
Lawsuit	I threatened to file a lawsuit against them.

Duruşma	Avukat duruşma sırasında kalp krizi geçirdi.
Trial	The lawyer had a heart attack during the trial.

Soruşturma	Soruşturma henüz bitmedi.
Investigation	The investigation is not over yet.

Para cezası	Hapis yerine para cezası aldı.
Fine	(S)he got a fine rather than prison.

Adjective

Kanuni / Yasal	Uyuşturucu kullanmak kanuni/yasal değildir.
Legal	It’s not legal to use drugs.

Verbs

Savunmak	Avukatım seni iyi savunacaktır.
To defend	My attorney will defend you well.

İhlal etmek	Trafik kurallarını ihlal ettiği için para cezası aldı.
To violate	(S)he was fined for violating traffic rules.

Beraat etmek	Arkadaşım nihayet suçsuz bulundu ve beraat etti.
To be acquitted	My friend was finally found not guilty and has been acquitted.

Teşhis etmek	Sonunda şüpheliyi teşhis edebildi.
To identify	Finally, (s)he was able to identify the suspect.

6. Advanced Vocabulary for Essay Writing

Are you attending school in Turkey? Then there are a few advanced Turkish words and phrases you should know in order to write better essays, score higher on exams, and impress your teachers. 

Nouns

Önemli nokta	Kitabın önemli noktası ana karakterin psikolojisiydi.
Highlight	The highlight of the book was the main character’s psychology.

İçerik	İçerik belirleme konu seçimi kadar önemlidir.
Content	Content determination is as important as topic selection.

Uygulama	Uygulama bazen teoriden daha önemlidir.
Practice / Application	Practice is sometimes more important than theory.

Terminoloji	Doktorun dediklerinden hiçbir şey anlamadım; sürekli tıp terminolojisi kullanıyor.
Terminology	I did not understand anything the doctor said; he was constantly using medical terminology.

Adjectives

Yüzeysel	Yüzeysel bir yaklaşımdan uzak durmalısın.
Superficial	You should avoid a superficial approach.

Ayrıntılı	Bunu daha ayrıntılı bir şekilde anlatmalısın.
Detailed	You should explain this in a more detailed way.

Gerekli	Örneklerin verilmesi gereklidir.
Necessary	Providing examples is necessary.

Geçerli	Bana geçerli bir neden söylemelisin.
Valid	You must tell me a valid reason.

Geçersiz	Bu veriler geçersiz.
Invalid	This data is invalid.

Adverbs

İstikrarlı bir şekilde	Jack, öğretmeni onu uyardığından beri her gün istikrarlı bir şekilde okula zamanında geliyor.
Consistently	Jack has been coming to school consistently on time every day ever since his teacher warned him.

Kesinlikle	Sana kesinlikle katılıyorum.
Definitely	I definitely agree with you.

Tamamen	Bu durumda tamamen sen haklısın.
Exactly	In this case, you are exactly right.

Verbs

İfade etmek	Yanlış anlaşılmak istemiyorsan kendini daha iyi ifade etmelisin.
To express	If you don’t want to be misunderstood, you should express yourself better.

Yönlendirmek	Tüm çabalarınızı kitabınızı yazmaya yönlendirin.
To direct	Direct all your efforts into writing your book.

Etkilemek	Okuyucuları etkilemek istiyorsan daha içten yazmalısın.
To impress	If you want to impress readers, you have to write more sincerely.

Vurgulamak	Ana fikri daha çok vurgulamalısın.
To emphasize	You should emphasize the main idea more.

Algılamak	Bu sessizliği kabullenme olarak algılama.
To perceive	Don’t perceive this silence as acceptance.

Keşfetmek	Senin nasıl bir hayal dünyan olduğunu keşfetmek istiyorum.
To explore	I want to explore what kind of a fantasy world you have.

Maruz kalmak	Nükleer santralde meydana gelen kaza nedeniyle çok sayıda kişi radyasyona maruz kaldı.
To be exposed to	Many people were exposed to radiation because of the accident at the nuclear plant.

Ortaya çıkarmak	Tanık onun aradığı cevapları ortaya çıkardı.
To reveal	The witness revealed the answers (s)he was looking for.

Onaylamak	Bu siparişi onaylıyorum.
To confirm	I’m confirming this order.

Desteklemek	Bu fikrini destekleyecek argümanlar bulmalısın.
To support	You need to find arguments to support this idea.

Reddetmek	Teklifi neden reddettiğini bana hemen söylemelisin.
To reject	You need to tell me right now why you rejected the offer.

Düzene sokmak/düzenlemek	Bütçemizi düzenlemek için elimizden gelenin en iyisini yapmalıyız.
To regulate	We must try our best to regulate our budget.

Kısıtlamak	Aslında o, onun faaliyetlerini kısıtlamak istemedi.
To restrict	Actually, (s)he didn’t mean to restrict his/her activities.

7. Raise the Bar with TurkishClass101

You now have easy access to a long list of advanced Turkish words in a variety of categories. Make sure to add the most relevant words to your flashcard deck and start practicing right away! 

You can learn even more advanced Turkish words at TurkishClass101.com by making use of our vocabulary lists, free resources, and online Turkish dictionary. For 1-on-1 coaching and personalized assignments, you can upgrade to Premium PLUS and take advantage of our MyTeacher service. 

Not sure where to start? We recommend checking out our advanced Turkish lesson series, which contains 25 lessons and assignments designed for advanced learners like yourself.  

What’s more, you can download the free app to learn Turkish wherever you are! 

Last but not least, please continue to provide us with feedback about all the resources provided at TurkishClass101. 

Happy learning!

Are you approaching the intermediate level in Turkish? Great job! I hope you realize how remarkable your accomplishment is. 

Of course, you still have a long way to go and more milestones to complete. 

To make the transition from beginner to intermediate Turkish easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of about 300 intermediate Turkish words you should start memorizing at this stage. You’ll find words in a variety of categories, from large numbers to pronouns and adverbs. 

Ready to expand your Turkish vocabulary and start having deeper conversations? Let’s go!

Table of Contents

1. Numbers from Teens to Millions
2. Pronouns
3. Nouns
4. Adjectives
5. Adverbs
6. Prepositions
7. Verbs
8. Conjunction Words
9. Level up to intermediate Turkish with TurkishClass101.com.

1. Numbers from Teens to Millions

In our beginner words article, you learned the numbers 0-10. Now you’re ready to learn larger numbers, starting with the teens. But first, I’d like to remind you that when a number precedes a noun in Turkish, the noun does not take the plural suffix (unlike in English). 

Example:

• Sandalye (“Chair”)
• Bir sandalye (“One chair”)
• Dokuz sandalye (“Nine chairs”)

Teens

Number	Turkish
11	On bir
12	On iki
13	On üç
14	On dört
15	On beş
16	On altı
17	On yedi
18	On sekiz
19	On dokuz

Tens

Number	Turkish
10	On
20	Yirmi
30	Otuz
40	Kırk
50	Elli
60	Altmış
70	Yetmiş
80	Seksen
90	Doksan

Hundreds

In Turkish, the number 100 is yüz. To form the numbers from 200 to 900, all you have to do is place a number from 2-9 in front of this word: 

Number	Turkish
100	Yüz
200	İki yüz
300	Üç yüz
400	Dört yüz
500	Beş yüz
600	Altı yüz
700	Yedi yüz
800	Sekiz yüz
900	Dokuz yüz

Thousands

The thousands follow a similar pattern. The Turkish word for 1,000 is bin; simply place a number 2-9 in front of this word to form your intended “thousands” number. 

Number	Turkish
1,000	Bin
2,000	İki bin
3,000	Üç bin
4,000	Dört bin
5,000	Beş bin
6,000	Altı bin
7,000	Yedi bin
8,000	Sekiz bin
9,000	Dokuz bin

Let’s Count Even Higher…

Here are some numbers with many zeros!

Number	Turkish
10,000	On bin
100,000	Yüz bin
1,000,000	Bir milyon
1,000,000,000	Bir trilyon

2. Pronouns

At the beginner level, you learned…

• …the six personal pronouns in Turkish.
• …the possessive and interrogative pronouns. 
• …that Turkish has no grammatical gender. 
• …that Turkish has a polite “you,” which is the same as the plural “you.”

Now, it’s time for you to learn even more Turkish pronouns in different categories. Keep in mind that we also have an article all about Turkish pronouns on our website, so check it out if you need a refresher. 

Indefinite Pronouns

Turkish	English
Biri	Someone Somebody
Bir şey	Something
Bir yer	Somewhere
Herkes	Everyone Everybody
Her yer	Everywhere
Her şey	Everything
Hiç kimse	No one Nobody
Hiçbir şey	Nothing
Hiçbir yer	Nowhere

Examples:

• Biri senin nerede olduğunu sordu. (“Someone asked where you were.”)
• Bugün hiçbir şey yapmadım. (“I did nothing today.”)

Relative Pronouns

Turkish	English
Hangi	Which
Kim	Who
Kimin	Whose

Examples:

• O arabanın kimin arabası olduğunu buldum. (“I figured out whose car that is.”)
• O kızın hangi oyunu sevdiğini biliyorum. (“I know which game that girl likes.”)

Accusative Pronouns

Turkish	English
Beni	Me
Seni	You
Onu	Her Him
Bizi	Us
Sizi	You
Onları	Them

Examples:

• Beni yalnız bırak. (“Leave me alone.”)
• Onları seviyorum. (“I love them.”)

Dative Pronouns 

Turkish	English
Bana	To me
Sana	To you
Ona	To her To him
Bize	To us
Size	To you
Onlara	To them

Examples:

• O notlarını bana verdi. (“He/she gave his/her notes to me.”)
• O resimleri sana gönderdi mi? (“Did he/she send the pictures to you?”)

3. Nouns

I’m sure you already know many Turkish nouns by now! Are you ready to study more complex ones to bulk up your intermediate Turkish vocabulary?

Time 

Turkish	English
İlkbahar	Spring
Yaz	Summer
Sonbahar	Fall
Kış	Winter
Asır Yüzyıl	Century

Places

Turkish	English
Başkent	Capital
Şehir merkezi	Downtown
Liman	Harbor
Ada	Island
Plaj	Beach
Hayvanat bahçesi	Zoo
Müze	Museum
Kütüphane	Library
Banka	Bank
Eczane	Pharmacy
Karakol	Police station
Postane	Post office

Technology

Technology is everywhere, so let’s add more technology-related words to your vocabulary.

Turkish	English
Televizyon	TV
Ekran	Screen
Klavye	Keyboard
Kamera	Camera
Mikrofon	Microphone
Yazılım	Software
Donanım	Hardware
Sosyal medya	Social media
Blog	Blog
Sunucu	Server
Ağ	Network

Home 

Turkish	English
Ev	House
Apartman	Apartment building
Daire	Flat
Çatı	Roof
Balkon	Balcony
Bahçe	Garden
Kat	Floor
Oda	Room
Yatak odası	Bedroom
Yemek odası	Dining room
Salon	Living room
Mutfak	Kitchen
Banyo	Bathroom

Tableware 

Turkish	English
Çatal	Fork
Bıçak	Knife
Kaşık	Spoon
Tabak	Plate
Servis kaşığı	Serving spoon
Bardak	Glass
Şarap bardağı Şarap kadehi	Wineglass
Kase	Bowl
Sürahi	Pitcher
Kürdan	Toothpick

Clothing

Dear fashionistas, the list below is specifically for you. 

Turkish	English
Etek	Skirt
Elbise	Dress
Takım elbise	Suit
Pantolon	Pants
Kot pantolon	Jeans
Şort	Shorts
Bluz	Blouse
Gömlek	Shirt
Tişört	T-shirt
Kazak	Sweater
Yelek	Vest
Ceket	Jacket
Yağmurluk	Raincoat
Palto	Coat
Atkı	Scarf
Eldiven	Gloves
Mayo	Swimsuit
Şapka	Hat
Ayakkabı	Shoes
Bot	Boots
Terlik	Slipper
Çanta	Purse
Yaka	Collar
Düğme	Button
Cep	Pocket
Uzun kollu	Long sleeve
Kısa kollu	Short sleeve
Bisiklet yaka	Crew-neck
V yaka	V-neck

Please note that the word pantolon (“pants”) is singular in Turkish, unlike in English.

4. Adjectives

Now that you have a better understanding of the Turkish language and a solid vocabulary base, you’re able to start making the most of adjectives and other descriptive words. Below are several intermediate Turkish adjectives to start practicing right away. 

Turkish	English
Özel	Special
Değerli	Precious
Komik	Funny
Tehlikeli	Dangerous
Masum	Innocent
Suçlu	Guilty
Esprili	Witty
Gerçek	Real
Doğru	Correct
Yanlış	Wrong
Güvenilir	Trustworthy
Temiz	Clean
Kirli/pis	Dirty
Yoğun	Busy Intense Dense
Gururlu	Proud
Korkunç	Scary
Sakin	Calm
Ünlü	Famous
Sinir bozucu	Annoying
Taze	Fresh
Bayat	Not fresh
Acı	Bitter
Tatlı	Sweet
Tuzlu	Salty
Ekşi	Sour
Baharatlı	Spicy
Sulu	Juicy Watery
Derin	Deep
Sığ	Shallow
Dağınık	Untidy
Yassı	Flat
Kibirli	Arrogant
Renkli	Colorful
Karanlık	Dark
Süslü	Fancy
Vahşi	Wild

5. Adverbs

Adverbs are words that provide more information about a verb, an adjective, or even another adverb. Using the right Turkish adverbs in your conversations or writing can add clarity and structure to your thoughts. 

Turkish	English
Özellikle	Especially
Sonunda	At last Finally
Zaten	Already
Henüz	Already
Hâlâ	Still
Artık	No longer Anymore
Şimdi	Now
Sonra	Then
Son zamanlarda	Lately
Hemen hemen	Almost
Zaman zaman	From time to time
Hemen şimdi	Right now
Şu anŞu anda	At the moment Currently
Aynı zamanda	At the same time
Mümkün olan en kısa zamanda	As soon as possible
Yakında	Soon
Uzun zamandır	For a long time
Birazdan	In a little while
Yakında	Soon
Yaklaşık	Approximately
Kesinlikle	Definitely
Mutlaka	Absolutely
Çoğunlukla	Mostly
Yavaşça	Slowly
Dikkatlice	Carefully
Hızlıca	Quickly
Güçlükle	Hardly
Nazikçe	Kindly
Kolayca	Easily
Sessizce	Quietly
Açıkça	Frankly Openly Clearly
Kibarca	Politely
Sakince	Calmly

6. Prepositions

Turkish	English
Önünde	In front of
Arkasında	Behind
Karşısında	Across
Etrafında	Around
Ötesinde	Beyond
Tarafından	By
İçin	For
Yanında	Next to
Yakınında	Near
Altında	Under
Üzerinde	On Over
Yukarıda Yukarısında	Above
Aşağıda Aşağısında	Below
İçinde	In Inside of
Arasında	Between
Aracılığıyla	Via
Önce	Before Ago
Sonra	After

7. Verbs

As a beginner, you learned basic action words and auxiliaries that helped you get your point across. Learning more advanced verbs is a great way to improve your Turkish, and it will enable you to speak on a greater variety of topics. Here are the essential intermediate Turkish verbs: 

Turkish	English
Yaşamak	To live
Ölmek	To die
Büyümek	To grow
Yaşlanmak	To get old
Hastalanmak	To get sick
İyileşmek	To recover
Yorulmak	To get tired
Dinlenmek	To rest
Ertelemek	To postpone
Seyahat etmek	To travel
Satmak	To sell
Satın almak	To buy To purchase
Ödemek	To pay
Ödünç almak	To borrow
Borç vermek	To lend
Seçmek	To choose
Gözlemlemek	To observe
Tercih etmek	To prefer
Kabul etmek	To accept
Reddetmek	To refuse
İptal etmek	To cancel
Sormak	To ask
Cevaplamak	To answer To reply
Fark etmek	To realize
Hazırlamak	To prepare
Aramak	To look for
Bulmak	To find
Çözmek	To solve To untie
Bağlamak	To tie To link
Saklamak	To hide
Gizlemek	To hide
Teklif etmek	To propose To offer
Sağlamak	To provide
Elde etmek	To achieve
Tavsiye etmek	To recommend
Taşınmak	To move
Hatırlatmak	To remind
Şikâyet etmek	To complain
Tehdit etmek	To threaten
Tırmanmak	To climb
Uçmak	To fly
Kesmek	To cut
Kırmak	To break
Suçlamak	To blame
İtmek	To push
Çekmek	To pull
Başarmak	To succeed
Pes etmek	To give up
Kazanmak	To win
Kaybetmek	To lose
Çalmak	To steal
Girmek	To enter
Çıkmak	To exit

Examples: 

• Bu durumda, ölmek mi yaşamak mı daha iyi sence? (“Do you think in this situation it’s better to live or to die?”)
• Kazanmak kadar kaybetmek de doğal! (“Losing is as natural as winning!”)

8. Conjunction Words

Our final set of intermediate Turkish words consists of conjunctions. These little words can help you build more complex sentences and add structure to your thoughts. 

Turkish	English
İle	With
Ama	But However
Fakat	But However
Ancak	However
Bu nedenle	Therefore
Böylece	So
Dolayı	Because of Due to
Bile	Even Even if
Yani	In other words
Halbuki	However
Aslında	Actually In fact
Ayrıca	Furthermore
Ne…ne de	Neither…nor
Ya…ya da	Either…or
Aksi takdirde	Otherwise
Yeterki	As long as

Examples:

• Ne balık severim ne de tavuk. (“I like neither fish nor chicken.”)
• Ne istersen yaparım yeterki beni affet. (“I’d do whatever you want as long as you forgive me.”)

9. Level up to intermediate Turkish with TurkishClass101.com.

Now you’ve learned quite a number of intermediate Turkish words in different categories. Did you know any of these words already, or were they all new to you? 

→ Feeling confident in your Turkish abilities and ready to explore some new territory? We recommend heading over to our intermediate Turkish course.

Learning Turkish is simple with TurkishClass101. We provide our students with numerous audio lessons and recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and a variety of free resources (including this Turkish dictionary) that you can refer to. You can also utilize our MyTeacher service, which allows you to study and practice 1-on-1 with a native Turkish teacher. 

What’s more, you can download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

It’s our goal to help you learn Turkish in a fun and effective manner, all at your convenience. As such, we welcome any feedback or questions you may have.

Last but not least, happy Turkish learning!

Are you an animal lover? 

If so, today is your lucky day! 

In this article, we’ll teach you the names of different animals in the Turkish language. We have divided the animals by category as follows: 

• Pets
• Farm animals
• Wild animals
• Sea animals
• Bugs and insects
• Birds
• Reptiles and amphibians

In addition, we’ll teach you what to call the body parts of animals, some relevant verbs, and even a few interesting idioms that mention animals. 

But first things first: The word for “animal” in Turkish is hayvan. 

The fact that the Turkish word is totally different from its English counterpart might have scared you, but don’t worry! Many animal names are written identically in Turkish as they are in English. For example: hamster, iguana, jaguar, koala, panda, tarantula, and zebra.  

There are also some animals whose Turkish spelling is very close to its English spelling. Are you ready for a test? Let’s see if you can guess which animals these are: leopar, panter, pelikan, penguen, pirana, and piton. 

I bet you passed the test. But just in case, here are the answers: leopard, panther, pelican, penguin, piranha, and python.

Now, it’s time to move ahead to our list of animal names in Turkish! 

Table of Contents

1. Pets (Evcil Hayvanlar)
2. Farm Animals (Çiftlik Hayvanları)
3. Wild Animals (Vahşi Hayvanlar)
4. Sea Animals (Deniz Hayvanları)
5. Bugs & Insects (Böcekler & Haşarat)
6. Birds
7. Reptiles & Amphibians
8. Body Parts of Animals
9. Animal-Related Idioms and Slang Expressions
10. Animal-Related Verbs
11. Learn More About the Turkish Language with TurkishClass101

1. Pets (Evcil Hayvanlar)

The most popular pet animals in Turkey are cats, dogs, birds, and fish. There are also some families that prefer to have hamsters, turtles, or rabbits at home.

Here are the names of some common pets in Turkish:

Turkish	English
Balık	“Fish”
Hamster	“Hamster”
Kaplumbağa	“Turtle”
Kedi	“Cat”
Köpek	“Dog”
Kuş	“Bird”
Tavşan	“Rabbit”

2. Farm Animals (Çiftlik Hayvanları)

Like other countries, Turkey is home to a range of farm animals. They are bred for their meat, milk, eggs, skin, and wool. Most of the livestock in Turkey can be found in the Aegean and Marmara regions, as well as in Central and Eastern Anatolia. 

Here are the names of common farm animals in Turkish:

Turkish	English
At	“Horse”
Domuz	“Pig”
Eşek	“Donkey”
Horoz	“Rooster”
İnek	“Cow”
Kaz	“Goose”
Keçi	“Goat”
Koyun	“Sheep”
Kuzu	“Lamb”
Ördek	“Duck”
Tavuk	“Chicken”

3. Wild Animals (Vahşi Hayvanlar)

Below are the names of wild animals that we most often find in zoos. However, I’m sure that some people get to see them in the highlands, woods, or rural areas. 

Turkish	English
Aslan	“Lion”
Ayı	“Bear”
Fil	“Elephant”
Geyik	“Deer”
Kaplan	“Tiger”
Kurt	“Wolf”
Leopar	“Leopard”
Maymun	“Monkey”
Tilki	“Fox”
Zebra	“Zebra”
Zürafa	“Giraffe”

4. Sea Animals (Deniz Hayvanları)

Turkey is surrounded by seawater on its three sides and has around 8333 kilometers (5178 miles) of shoreline. Due to the country’s geographic location, we have a booming fishing industry! 200 fish species live in the Sea of Marmara, 247 in the Black Sea, 300 in the Aegean Sea, and 500 in the Mediterranean. Of these, about 100 fish species are of particular economic value for Turkey. 

Let’s see some of the sea animal names in Turkish:

Turkish	English
Ahtapot	“Octopus”
Balina	“Whale”
Deniz atı	“Seahorse”
Istakoz	“Lobster”
Karides	“Shrimp”
Köpek balığı	“Shark”
Yengeç	“Crab”
Yunus	“Dolphin”

5. Bugs & Insects (Böcekler & Haşarat)

While insects are not within the scope of my expertise, I did a little research on the topic before writing this article. I learned that there’s a bug museum in Istanbul where a range of different bugs have been preserved and kept on display since 1937. If you’re interested in bugs, you might want to check out the museum if you ever get the chance to visit Turkey!

Now, let’s learn the Turkish words for the most common bugs and insects:

Turkish	English
Arı	“Bee”
Ateş böceği	“Firefly”
Çekirge	“Grasshopper”
İpek böceği	“Silk worm”
Karınca	“Ant”
Kelebek	“Butterfly”
Sinek	“Fly”
Sivrisinek	“Mosquito”
Örümcek	“Spider”
Uğur böceği	“Ladybug”

6. Birds

Turkey’s different climate zones are suitable for the survival of many different species of birds. There are about 515 bird species in Turkey, and about a quarter of them are migratory birds that arrive in Turkey during the winter months.

Here are the Turkish names for the most popular birds:

Turkish	English
Ağaç kakan	“Woodpecker”
Baykuş	“Owl”
Güvercin	“Dove”
Karga	“Crow”
Kartal	“Eagle”
Kumru	“Pigeon”
Martı	“Seagull”
Papağan	“Parrot”

7. Reptiles & Amphibians

I’m learning more and more as I go! Did you know there are 120 reptile species in Turkey? 

One popular example is the Caretta Carettas sea turtles, which make their home in Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan. Because they’re in danger of extinction, the beach is under protection. It’s closed at certain hours, May through August, during which period the sea turtles lay their eggs. You can visit the Caretta Carettas without approaching their conservation areas. It’s a unique experience!

Below are the names of some reptiles in Turkish:

Turkish	English
Bukalemun	“Chameleon”
Kertenkele	“Lizard”
Kurbağa	“Frog”
Timsah	“Crocodile”
Yılan	“Snake”

8. Body Parts of Animals

Now that you know several Turkish animal names, you should learn what to call their unique body parts. This will be especially helpful if you have a pet of your own or if you’d like to describe a recent animal encounter!

Turkish	English
Boynuz	“Horn”
Filin hortumu	“Trunk”
Gaga	“Beak”
Kanat	“Wing”
Kuş tüyü	“Feather”
Kuyruk	“Tail”
Kürk	“Fur”
Pati	“Paw”
Pençe	“Claw”

9. Animal-Related Idioms and Slang Expressions

This is the part I love. I enjoy learning the idioms and slang expressions of foreign languages, and I always find it interesting how different languages come up with their own unique idioms.

I’m curious if you’ll also find the following Turkish idioms and slang terms interesting, creative, and fun. Make sure to let us know your favorite one(s) in the comments! 

Turkish	Literally	English Equivalent
İnek	İnek means “cow.” However, Turkish people also call asocial, hardworking students inek.	Nerd
Kuş beyinli	It’s translated as “bird-brained,” and it’s used in reference to stupid people.	Bird-brain
Devede kulak	This one is translated as “ear on the camel.” It refers to a very small part/amount of something.	A drop in the bucket
Keçi gibi inatçı	It’s translated as “stubborn as a goat.” As it implies, it’s used in reference to people who are very persistent.	Stubborn as a mule
Tilki gibi kurnaz	It’s translated as “cunning as a fox.” It refers to shrewd people.	Cunning as a fox
Besle kargayı oysun gözünü	It’s translated as “Feed the crow, and he will carve your eyes.” It refers to a situation where someone helps you, and then you hurt them in return. In other words, a situation where you are ungrateful for the help you’ve received.	Bite the hand that feeds you
Dut yemiş bülbüle dönmek	It’s translated as “to become a nightingale who has eaten a mulberry.” It means to be silent or speechless.	To be tongue-tied
Keçileri kaçırmak	It’s translated as “slipping the goats.” It refers to losing one’s mind.	Lose one’s mind
Kedi köpek gibi kavga etmek	This one means “to fight like a cat and a dog.” You get the idea.	Go at each other tooth and nail
Kurt gibi acıkmak	It’s translated as “to be hungry as a wolf.”	To be as hungry as a horse
Tavşana kaç, tazıya tut demek	This one means “to say ‘run away’ to the rabbit and to catch the greyhound.” It refers to acting hypocritically. In other words, to speak or act differently depending on who you’re around.	Run with the hares and hunt with the hounds
Sudan çıkmış balık gibi olmak	It’s translated as “to be like a fish out of water.” It means that you’re uncomfortable or nervous in a new environment.	To be like a fish out of water

10. Animal-Related Verbs

Finally, let’s look at some useful verbs that are related to animals: 

Turkish	English
Aşılamak	“To vaccinate”
Beslemek	“To feed”
Dörtnala koşmak	“To gallop”
Eğitmek	“To train”
Evcilleştirmek	“To tame”
Havlamak	“To bark”
Isırmak	“To bite”
Kişnemek	“To neigh”
Kükremek	“To roar”
Miyavlamak	“To meow”
Sevmek/okşamak	“To pet”
Tırmalamak	“To claw”
Vızıldamak	“To buzz”
Yalamak	“To lick”

You can also visit our website to learn the sounds that animals make in Turkish! 

11. Learn More About the Turkish Language with TurkishClass101

You now have a sizable Turkish animal vocabulary list you can refer back to anytime. Did we forget to include the name of your favorite animal? Please let us know in the comments, and we’ll get back to you! 

To continue learning Turkish and improving your skills, create your free lifetime account today on TurkishClass101.com. Start benefiting from our numerous video and audio lessons, vocabulary lists, blog posts, and other free resources, and never look back! Our Premium PLUS students also have access to our MyTeacher service, which allows you to study and practice 1-on-1 with your own private teacher. What’s more, you can download the app for free and start studying wherever you are.

Last but not least, please continue to provide us with feedback about all the resources provided at TurkishClass101.com!

When you first start learning a language, it can be hard enough having face-to-face conversations with native speakers. Can you imagine how challenging a phone conversation would be? During a phone call, we have no body language cues to fall back on—only our own language skills and the patience of our interlocutor. 

But listen up, Turkish learners: You no longer need to get tense when making or receiving a call in Turkish!

In this article, we’ll introduce you to Turkish phone terminology as well as several Turkish phone words and phrases to help you navigate your next phone call.

Table of Contents

1. Phone-Related Vocabulary
2. Making a Call
3. Receiving a Call
4. Phone/Connection Issues
5. Sample Turkish Phone Conversations
6. Discover More About Turkish with TurkishClass101

1. Phone-Related Vocabulary

Below, you’ll find some useful terms that will make your life easier next time you need to talk about phones or phone conversations in general. 

Turkish	English
Telefon	Phone
Cep telefonu	Cell phone / Mobile phone
Telefon numarası	Phone number
Şarj aleti	Charger
Sms / Mesaj	SMS
Arama / Çağrı	Call
Gelen arama	Incoming call
Meşgul	Busy
Aramak	To call
Çalmak	To ring
Mesaj bırakmak	To leave a message
Sesli mesaj bırakmak	To leave a voicemail
Kapatmak	To hang up

2. Making a Call

Are you hesitant to make a call in Turkish? Are you worried you won’t be able to express yourself correctly? 

In this section, you’ll learn a variety of useful phrases for each part of a typical phone conversation in Turkish. To make sure you’re well-equipped for any type of phone call, we’ve included two sets of phrases for each part: formal and informal. 

Introduction

Formal

In formal contexts, there are a few different ways of answering the phone in Turkish:

Turkish	English
Merhaba	Hello
Günaydın	Good morning
İyi günler	Good day
İyi akşamlar	Good evening

Informal

When you’re making an informal call, you can start the conversation one of the following greeting words:

Turkish	English
Alo	Hello
Merhaba	Hello
Selam	Hi

The word alo has no literal meaning and it’s only used in phone conversations. The only exception is when it’s used as a slang term, usually to draw someone’s attention if you think they haven’t heard you (or have pretended not to). Please note that it doesn’t sound too polite in this context. 

For more useful words and phrases related to introductions, please read our article Turkish Greetings: How to Introduce Yourself in Turkish. 

Providing more information

Formal

Now that you’ve greeted the person you called, it’s time to introduce yourself. Here are three ways you could give your name and state where you’re calling from: 

Turkish	English
___ firmasından arıyorum.	I’m calling from ___ company.
Ben ___ firmasından John.	This is John from ___ company.
Ben ___ firmasının genel müdürü John Denning.	This is the general manager of ___ company, John Denning.

Informal

In most cases, the receiver will be able to see your name or number come up on their cell phone screen. But if you have a private number or are using a landline, you may need to introduce yourself. Here are a few introductions in Turkish you could use during an informal call: 

Turkish	English
Ben John.	This is John.
John ben.	This is John.
Ben Mary’nin arkadaşı John.	This is Mary’s friend, John.	If you’re calling a friend and someone else picks up the phone, you can introduce yourself this way.
Mary’nin arkadaşı John ben.	This is Mary’s friend, John.

Stating your reason for calling / Making a request

Now, it’s time for you to tell the answering party why you’re calling or whom you’re trying to reach. 

Formal

These are common questions or requests you might have when calling a company, store, or business: 

Turkish	English
Çalışma saatlerinizi öğrenebilir miyim?	May I ask about your work hours?
Adresinizi sormak için aramıştım.	I called to ask for your address.
Satın alma müdürünüzle görüşebilir miyim?	May I speak to your Purchasing manager?
Finans departmanından biri ile görüşebilir miyim?	Can I speak to someone from the Finance department?

Informal

Here are some informal Turkish phone phrases you can use to state your reason for calling or to ask for someone: 

Turkish	English
Sinemaya gidelim mi diye sormak için aradım.	I called to ask if we could go to the movies.
Ali’nin numarasını soracaktım.	I was going to ask Ali’s number.
Mehmet ile konuşabilir miyim?	Can I talk to Mehmet?	If you’re calling a friend and one of their family members answers, you can ask for them using one of these phrases.
Mehmet evde mi?	Is Mehmet at home?
Mehmet orada mı?	Is Mehmet there?

Leaving a message

If you’re unable to reach the person you called, you can leave them a message as shown below.

Formal

Turkish	English
Aradığımı söyleyebilir misiniz lütfen?	Could you please tell him/her that I called?
Beni aratabilir misiniz lütfen?	Could you please have him/her call me?

Informal

Turkish	English
Beni aramasını söyler misin?	Can you tell him/her to call me?
Notumu iletebilir misin lütfen?	Can you pass on my note, please?

Concluding a call

Before you hang up, you should thank the receiver and tell them goodbye. 

Formal

Turkish	English
Teşekkür ederim, iyi günler.	Thank you, have a good day.
Teşekkürler, iyi akşamlar.	Thanks, have a good evening.
Hoşçakalın.	Goodbye.

Informal

Turkish	English
Hoşçakal.	Bye.
Bay bay.	Bye-bye.
Görüşürüz.	See you.

If you’d like some more inspiration, we also have a free vocabulary list of the most common ways to say goodbye. 

3. Receiving a Call

Are you afraid of picking up the phone if a Turkish speaker calls? That’s quite understandable! 

Memorizing and practicing some of the Turkish phone words and phrases below will help you build confidence and enter any phone conversation better prepared.

Answering a call

Formal

Here are some formal greeting words you can use when picking up the phone: 

Turkish	English
Buyurun.	Yes, please.	The word buyurun is used in many different contexts. It also means: “Welcome!” / “Here you go!” / “Have a seat!” / etc.
___ firması, nasıl yardımcı olabilirim?	___ firm, how may I help you?
Merhaba.	Hello.
Günaydın.	Good morning.
İyi günler.	Good day.
İyi akşamlar.	Good evening.

Informal

Turkish	English
Alo.	Hello.
Merhaba.	Hello.
Selam.	Hi.

Asking for information

If you need to get some info from the caller, the following Turkish phone phrases will help you ask the relevant questions and get the info you’re after.

Formal

Turkish	English
Kiminle görüşüyorum?	With whom am I speaking?
Kimsiniz?	Who is this?
Nereden arıyorsunuz?	Where are you calling from?
Hangi firmadan arıyorsunuz?	Which company are you calling from?

Informal

Turkish	English
Kim arıyor diyeyim?	Whom should I say is calling?

Checking availability / Transferring a call

Here are some phrases you can use if the caller asks to speak to someone:

Formal

Turkish	English
Lütfen hatta kalın.	Please stay on the line.
Aktarıyorum.	I’m transferring.

Informal

Turkish	English
Bir saniye, bakayım.	One second, let me check.
Veriyorum.	I’m putting him/her on the phone.

Taking a message

Of course, the person the caller asked for may not be available. In this case, it would be polite to ask if the caller would like to leave them a message. 

Formal

Turkish	English
Mesaj bırakmak ister misiniz?	Would you like to leave a message?
Bir mesajınız var mıydı?	Did you have a message?

Informal

Turkish	English
Gelince arasın mı?	Should he call you when he comes?
Aradığını söylerim.	I will let him/her know that you called.

Concluding a call

Formal

Turkish	English
İyi günler.	Have a good day.
İyi akşamlar.	Have a good evening.
Hoşçakalın.	Goodbye.
Rica ederim.	You are welcome.	You would use this phrase if the calling party thanked you.

Informal

Turkish	English
Hoşçakal.	Bye.
Bay bay.	Bye-bye.
Görüşürüz.	See you.

4. Phone/Connection Issues

When we make a phone call, there’s always a chance we’ll encounter issues of some sort. Whether there’s a bad connection, your phone’s battery is running low, or you didn’t quite understand what the other person said, you can use one of these phrases to express that there’s a problem.

Turkish	English
Pardon, tekrar edebilir misiniz lütfen?	“Sorry, could you say that again please?”
Sizi duyamıyorum.	“I can’t hear you.”
Sizi çok zor duyabiliyorum.	“I can barely hear you.”
Sesiniz gelmiyor.	“I can’t hear you.”
Hat kesildi.	“The line has been cut off.”
Şarjım bitmek üzere.	“I’m about to run out of battery.”
Pardon yanlış oldu.	“Sorry, I dialed the wrong number.”
Bağlantı çok kötü.	“The connection is very bad.”

5. Sample Turkish Phone Conversations

Now that you’ve learned several useful phrases for a phone call in Turkish, it’s time to see how these expressions might be used in a real conversation. Below, you’ll find two Turkish phone conversation examples: one informal and one formal. 

Informal

Two friends are talking on the phone and planning to go out to dinner on Saturday evening. Let’s see how their telephone conversation goes.

A: Merhaba. (“Hello.”)

B: Selam, ne haber? (“Hi, what’s up?”)

A: İyilik, senden? (“I’m fine, how about you?”)

B: Ben de iyiyim, sağol. (“I’m fine, too, thank you.”)

A: Cumartesi akşamı ne yapıyorsun? (“What are you doing on Saturday evening?”)

B: Henüz bir planım yok. (“I don’t have a plan yet.”)

A: Yemeğe gidelim mi? (“Shall we go to dinner?”)

B: Olur, tabi. Nereye gidelim? (“Okay, sure. Where shall we go?”)

A: Deniz’in yerine gidelim mi? (“Shall we go to Deniz’s Place?”)

B: Olur ama rezervasyon yaptırmak lazım. (“Okay, but we need to make a reservation.”)

A: Sorun değil, ben hallederim. Saat 8 iyi mi? (“No problem, I’ll take care of it. Is eight o’clock okay?”)

B: Tamam, sağol. Cumartesi akşamı saat 8’de orada görüşürüz o zaman. (“Okay, thank you. I’ll see you there at eight o’clock on Saturday evening, then.”)

A: Okey, görüşürüz. (“Okay, see you.”)

B: Bay bay. (“Bye-bye.”)

Formal

In this Turkish phone call, one of the friends is calling to make a reservation at Deniz’s Place. Note how the tone and language change here to match the formal context.

A: Deniz’in yeri, ben Ece. (“Deniz’s Place, this is Ece.”)

B: İyi günler. Cumartesi akşamı için rezervasyon yaptırmak istiyorum. (“Good day. I’d like to make a reservation for Saturday evening.”)

A: Tabi. Saat kaçta? (“Sure. At what time?”)

B: 8’de lütfen. (“At eight, please.”)

A: Saat 8’de yerimiz mevcut. Kaç kişilik rezervasyon yaptırmak istiyorsunuz? (“We have availability at eight. How many people do you want to make the reservation for?”)

B: İki kişi için. (“For two people.”)

A: 28 Kasım Cumartesi akşamı saat 8 için 2 kişilik rezervasyonunuzu yaptım. Başka yardımcı olabileceğim bir şey varmı? (“I made your reservation for two people for eight on Saturday evening, November 28th. Is there anything else I can help with?”)

B: Yok, teşekkür ederim. İyi günler. (“No, there isn’t. Thank you. Have a good day.”)

A: Rica ederim. İyi günler. (“You are welcome. Have a good day.”)

6. Discover More About Turkish with TurkishClass101

Did you enjoy learning these Turkish phone call phrases with us? We hope that you now feel more confident and prepared for making and taking calls, and that the sample conversations we provided were useful to you. 

If you’d like to continue learning useful Turkish words and phrases, then create your free lifetime account on TurkishClass101.com. We provide numerous audio and video lessons, tons of free vocabulary lists, and a variety of other free resources (like this dictionary) that you can refer to. For a more accelerated and personal learning approach, Premium PLUS members can also take advantage of our MyTeacher service which allows you to practice and study with a private teacher. 

Always on the go? Then download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

Last but not least, please continue to provide us with feedback so we can continue to improve and best serve your language learning needs!

Are you a yeni başlayan (“beginner”) in Turkish?

If you’ve just started learning the language, it’s a good idea to begin with the basics. 

Acquiring a rudimentary vocabulary is the first step toward proficiency. By learning the essential Turkish words for beginners, you’re building a base upon which to further develop your language skills. With only a few words, you’ll be able to start communicating with native speakers and fulfilling your daily obligations while in Turkey. Then, you can start working on the grammar and building sentences using the simple words you’ve learned. 

In this article, we’ve compiled a masterlist of the most useful Turkish beginner words. We’ve included everything from numbers to conjunctions to ensure you’re not missing out on any essentials! 

Ready? Let’s start with something simple.

Table of Contents

1. Numbers
2. Pronouns
3. Nouns
4. Adjectives
5. Adverbs
6. Verbs
7. Conjunctions
8. Discover More About the Turkish Language on TurkishClass101.com

1. Numbers

One of the first things you should add to your Turkish vocabulary are numbers. We use them every day in a variety of contexts, from shopping to planning dates. 

Let’s count from 0 to 10 in Turkish:

0	Sıfır
1	Bir
2	İki
3	Üç
4	Dört
5	Beş
6	Altı
7	Yedi
8	Sekiz
9	Dokuz
10	On

Important note: 

When a Turkish noun is plural and preceded by a number, the noun does not take the usual -lar / -ler plural suffixes. Rather, it retains its singular form as the number indicates that it’s plural. 

Examples:

• Elma – “Apple”
• Bir elma – “One apple”
• İki elma – “Two apples”

2. Pronouns

As you start speaking Turkish, pronouns will have your back time and again. There are four categories of pronouns we’ll be looking at today: personal, demonstrative, possessive, and interrogative. 

Personal Pronouns

There are six personal pronouns in Turkish. Since Turkish has no grammatical gender, there’s only one personal pronoun for the third person singular (he / she / it).

I would like to point out one more thing: The second person plural pronoun (siz) also functions as the polite form of the second person singular.

Turkish	English
Ben	I
Sen	You
O	He / She / It
Biz	We
Siz	You
Onlar	They

Demonstrative Pronouns

Turkish	English
Bu	This
Şu	That
Bunlar	These
Şunlar	Those

Possessive Pronouns

Turkish	English
Benim	My
Senin	Your
Onun	His / Her / Its
Bizim	Our
Sizin	Your
Onların	Their

Interrogative Pronouns

Turkish	English
Ne	What
Kim	Who
Hangi	Which

You’ll see some of these pronouns used in example phrases below. Take note, because understanding their use in context will be helpful as you start learning how to build sentences with your new vocabulary. 

3. Nouns

Nouns are the words we use to label people, places, things, and concepts. Unlike some other languages, Turkish nouns do not have grammatical gender. 

Below, you’ll find the most essential nouns in Turkish for beginners grouped by category. If you want to pick up even more words, though, you should check out our dedicated Turkish nouns article! 

Time 

Here are the days of the week and some other words related to time.

Turkish	English
Pazartesi	Monday
Salı	Tuesday
Çarşamba	Wednesday
Perşembe	Thursday
Cuma	Friday
Cumartesi	Saturday
Pazar	Sunday
Gün	Day
Hafta	Week
Ay	Month
Yıl	Year
Saat	Hour
Dakika	Minute

Now, let’s use some of these words with numbers:

• Üç ay – “Three months”
• İki saat – “Two hours”
• Beş dakika – “Five minutes”

Places

Turkish	English
Dünya	World
Kıta	Continent
Ülke	Country
Şehir	City
Deniz	Sea
Restoran	Restaurant
Market	Market
Hastane	Hospital
Postane	Post office

Let’s see how these words might be used with the Turkish pronouns we saw earlier: 

• Şu market – “That market”
• Benim ülkem – “My country”
• Hangi restoran? – “Which restaurant?”

Transportation

While trying to get around in Turkey, you’ll benefit from knowing the basic words and terms for transportation. 

Turkish	English
Metro	Subway
Otobüs	Bus
Taksi	Taxi
Araba	Car
Tren	Train
Uçak	Airplane
Bisiklet	Bicycle
Yol	Road
Trafik ışıkları	Traffic lights
Otobüs durağı	Bus stop
Havaalanı	Airport
Tren istasyonu	Train station

And here’s how these beginner Turkish words might be used with pronouns:

• Bu otobüs durağı – “This bus stop”
• Benim arabam – “My car”
• Hangi otobüs? – “Which bus?”

Technology

Technology is everywhere. Who knows where and when you’ll need to know a few technology-related words?

Turkish	English
İnternet	Internet
Web sitesi	Website
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi
Bilgisayar	Computer
Dizüstü bilgisayar	Laptop
Tablet	Tablet
Cep telefonu	Cellphone
Şarj aleti	Charger

School

If you’ve decided to pursue your studies in Turkey, memorizing these essential school-related terms will prove useful. 

Turkish	English
Okul	School
Lise	High school
Ortaokul	Middle school
İlkokul	Elementary school
Ödev	Homework
Öğretmen	Teacher
Sınav	Exam
Kitap	Book
Defter	Notebook
Kalem	Pen / Pencil

Occupations

Knowing the terms for common occupations will come in handy when introducing yourself or someone else. 

Turkish	English
Doktor	Doctor
Hemşire	Nurse
Avukat	Lawyer
Mühendis	Engineer
Öğretmen	Teacher
İş adamı	Businessman
İş kadını	Businesswoman
Yönetici	Manager
Mimar	Architect

Family Members

Here are some nouns you can use to introduce your family:

Turkish	English
Aile	Family
Eş	Spouse
Kız evlat	Daughter
Erkek evlat	Son
Anne	Mom
Baba	Dad
Ebeveyn	Parent
Kardeş	Sibling
Kuzen	Cousin
Çocuk	Child

Body Parts

In case of a medical emergency, knowing the body parts in Turkish will be crucial. Here’s a handy list for your reference: 

Turkish	English
Vücut	Body
Baş / Kafa	Head
Omuz	Shoulder
Kol	Arm
El	Hand
Bacak	Leg
Ayak	Foot
Yüz	Face
Göz	Eye
Burun	Nose
Ağız	Mouth
Kulak	Ear
Parmak	Finger

Food and Beverages

Food is vital to our wellbeing, so these words should be some of the first you memorize! You’ll use them while grocery shopping, ordering at a restaurant, or cooking at home. 

Turkish	English
Sebze	Vegetable
Et	Meat
Tavuk	Chicken
Balık	Fish
Meyve	Fruit
Tatlı	Dessert
Su	Water
Bira	Beer
Şarap	Wine
Çay	Tea
Türk kahvesi	Turkish coffee

You can learn even more Turkish nouns for food, utensils, and tableware on our website. 

4. Adjectives

Adjectives are used to describe nouns, whether we’re talking about objects, people, feelings, situations, or environments. As a beginner in Turkish, learning a few common adjectives will help you better express yourself and add flair to your speech or writing.

Describing Objects

You just need two words to describe an object: the correct noun and the adjective of your choice. Below are some frequently used adjectives for describing objects.

Turkish	English
Büyük	Big
Küçük	Small
Uzun	Long
Kısa	Short
İnce	Thin
Kalın	Thick
Geniş	Wide
Dar	Narrow
Ağır	Heavy
Hafif	Light
Sivri	Sharp
Yassı	Flat
Sert	Hard
Yumuşak	Soft

Now, let’s use some of these adjectives with the nouns we learned above:

• Büyük şehir – “Big city”
• Dar yol – “Narrow road”
• Yumuşak kalem – “Soft pen/pencil”
• Küçük burun – “Small nose”

Describing People

Turkish	English
Güzel	Beautiful
Yakışıklı	Handsome
Çekici	Attractive
Çirkin	Ugly
Kısa boylu	Short
Uzun boylu	Tall
Zayıf	Thin
Şişman	Fat
Yaşlı	Old
Genç	Young

Examples:

• Güzel çocuk – “Beautiful child”
• Yakışıklı öğretmen – “Handsome teacher”
• Genç bir mühendis – “A young engineer”

Describing Emotions

Turkish	English
Mutlu	Happy
Üzgün	Sad
Heyecanlı	Excited
Şaşkın	Surprised
Neşeli	Joyful
Kızgın	Angry
Gergin	Tense
Sinirli	Nervous
Sakin	Calm
Endişeli	Worried

Examples:

• Mutlu bir anne – “A happy mother”
• Endişeli bir baba – “A worried father”

Describing the Weather

Turkish	English
Yağmurlu	Rainy
Bulutlu	Cloudy
Rüzgarlı	Windy
Güneşli	Sunny
Karlı	Snowy
Sisli	Foggy
Soğuk	Cold
Sıcak	Hot
Ilık	Warm

Examples:

• Yağmurlu bir gün – “A rainy day”
  Soğuk bir gün – “A cold day”

5. Adverbs

An adverb gives additional information about a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause. It basically answers questions regarding where, when, how, and why something happened. You can refer to our relevant blog article for more about adverbs.

Once we go over some verbs in the following section, you’ll see some examples of how these adverbs might be used. 

Qualitative Adverbs

Turkish	English
İyi	Well
Kolayca	Easily
Sessizce	Quietly
Hafifçe	Lightly
Basitçe	Simply
Açıkça	Frankly / Openly / Clearly

Adverbs That Indicate the Time of Action

Turkish	English
Dün	Yesterday
Dün gece	Last night
Bugün	Today
Bu sabah	This morning
Bu gece	Tonight
Yarın	Tomorrow
Gelecek hafta	Next week
Şimdi	Now
Hemen	Immediately
Hemen şimdi	Right now

Adverbs That Show Quantity / Measurement

Turkish	English
Az	Little / Few / A bit
Biraz	Some / A little
Çok	Much / Many / Very / Too much

Adverbs That Indicate Frequency

Turkish	English
Bazen	Sometimes
Asla	Never
Daima	Always
Sık sık	Frequently
Nadiren	Rarely

Interrogative Adverbs

Turkish	English
Ne zaman	When
Ne kadar	How much / How long
Nasıl	How
Niçin	Why

6. Verbs

Verbs are the most important building block of sentences. They show actions, occurrences, processes, conditions, and states of being.

Verbs Used for Daily Routine

Turkish	English
Uyumak	To sleep
Uyanmak	To wake up
Kalkmak	To get up
Gelmek	To come
Gitmek	To go
Yemek	To eat
İçmek	To drink
Çalışmak	To work
Ders çalışmak	To study

Examples:

• O sessizce gitti. – “He/she/it went quietly.”
• Dün gece çok az uyudum. – “I slept very little last night.”
• O ne kadar ders çalışır? – “How long does he study?”

Action Verbs

Turkish	English
Koşmak	To run
Oynamak	To play
Yürümek	To walk

Examples:

• O sık sık koşar. – “He/she/it frequently runs.”
• O ne zaman koşar? – “When does he/she/it run?”

Verbs of Emotion

Turkish	English
Sevmek	To love
Nefret etmek	To hate
İstemek	To want

Examples:

• Seni seviyorum. – “I love you.”
• Ondan niçin nefret ediyorsun? – “Why do you hate him/her/it?”

Possession Verbs

Turkish	English
Sahip olmak	To have / To own
Ait olmak	To belong

Example:

• Bu araba bana ait. – “This car belongs to me.”

Verbs Related to the Senses

Turkish	English
Duymak	To hear
Görmek	To see
Koklamak	To smell

Thought-related Verbs

Turkish	English
Düşünmek	To think
Bilmek	To know
İnanmak	To believe
Hatırlamak	To remember

 Example:

• Onu daima iyi hatırlayacağım. – “I will always remember him/her/it well.”

7. Conjunctions

Conjunctions are those small words we use to connect words or phrases together. These are essential beginner words in Turkish as they’ll allow you to sound more fluid when speaking and add clarity to your writing, even if you have a limited vocabulary. 

Here are some common conjunctions in Turkish:

Turkish	English
Fakat / Ama	But
Çünkü	Because
Ve	And
Veya	Or
Böylece	So

Examples:

• Okula bisiklet ile veya araba ile gidiyorum. – “I go to school by bike or by car.”
• Kuzenim mutlu ama endişeli. – “My cousin is happy but worried.”

8. Discover More About the Turkish Language on TurkishClass101.com

You’ve now learned quite a number of useful beginner Turkish words. However, there are many more words to memorize and grammatical concepts to explore. 

Learning Turkish is simple with TurkishClass101. We provide our students with numerous audio lessons and recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and a variety of free resources (including this Turkish dictionary) that you can refer to. You can also utilize our MyTeacher service, which allows you to study and practice 1-on-1 with a native Turkish teacher. 

What’s more, you can download the app for free and use it wherever you are.

It’s our goal to help you learn Turkish in a fun and effective manner, all at your convenience. As such, we welcome any feedback or questions you may have! 

Before you go: How many of these words did you know already? Were most of them new to you? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments!