Flags and national anthems are the two most important tokens of the representation of national identities. However, since national anthems consist of lyrics and music, it’s a little more effective in getting the feelings across. The lyrics usually express a country’s power, independence, and patriotic sentiments, which touch people’s hearts deeply. Furthermore, with the help of music and the act of singing, the nation becomes as one heart, which beats as one together.

Every national anthem is unique and has its own story behind it. Would you like to know the history of the Turkish national anthem? What is the national anthem of Turkey called? How about learning the Turkish national anthem’s lyrics in English?

Table of Contents

1. Vocabulary Relevant to National Anthems
2. History of Turkish National Anthem – ‘İstiklal Marşı’
3. Lyrics of İstiklal Marşı
4. Where, When, and How is the Turkish National Anthem Sung?
5. All about Turkish Language and Turkish Culture

1.   Vocabulary Relevant to National Anthems

Turkish	English
Milli	“National”
Marş	“March”
Bayrak	“Flag”
Saygı	“Respect”
Ceremony	“Tören”
Geçit töreni	“Parade”
Vatansever	“Patriot”
Vatanseverlik	“Patriotism”
Official	“Resmi”
Güfte/söz	“Lyrics”
Orkestrasyon	“Orchestration”
Beste	“Composition”

2.   History of Turkish National Anthem – ‘İstiklal Marşı’

1. Content and the origin of content

Turkish history goes back thousands of years, and the rule of theOttoman Empire is a significant period. Upon the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War 1, some regions of the Ottoman Empire were occupied by other countries. In 1919, the War of Independence was started to ensure and protect the integrity of the country. This war ended successfully in 1923 and led to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.

In 1921, it was announced in the nation that an original National March was going to be selected and awarded in a competition. The aim was to motivate the battling military forces and to encourage and honor the whole nation for an independent land at the end of the war.

724 poems took part in the competition. However, none of them were found to be suitable as a National March.

It was realized that Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who was a famous poet at that time, hadn’t participated in the competition. He hadn’t sent a poem because he disapproved of the fact that there was a monetary reward for the winner.

The National Parliament convinced him to write and present a poem and ignore the prize. Finally, he sent his poem, which consisted of 10 verses. He expressed his confidence in the courage and self-sacrifice of the Turkish soldiers and the Turkish nation’s commitment to independence, God, homeland, and religion in this poem. He was, basically, referring to the Turkish War of independence.

2. Adoption and the lyricist

Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s poem, which was titled İstiklal Marşı (“Independence March”), was adopted as the Turkish National Anthem on March 12th, 1921, before the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

Do you know what happened to the reward he was entitled to? It was donated to a foundation, which provided poor women and children with new skills so that they could find jobs and make some money.

3. Composer and Orchestrator

After the adoption of the lyrics, there was a Turkish national anthem composer competition for the musical composition of the poem. 24 composers participated in this competition. However, due to the war in the country, there was no time to evaluate the results. Therefore, the poem was sung differently in the country’s different regions.

In 1924, Ali Rıfat Çağatay’s composition was selected. His music was used until 1930. Then, the composition, prepared in 1922 by Osman Zeki Üngör, the conductor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, started being used. However, it’s claimed that this music was composed for some other lyrics, not for the İstiklal Marşı.Later on, it was orchestrated by Edgar Manas.

3.   Lyrics of İstiklal Marşı

İstiklal Marşı consists of 10 verses. Only verses 1 and 2 are sung as the National Anthem!

Please note that the words “the star and the crescent,” which are mentioned a few times in the poem, represent the star and the crescent on the Turkish flag.

Below, you can find the Turkish national anthem in English. Please note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey has translated the first two verses below. The remaining 8 verses below have been translated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Günil Özlem Ayaydın Cebe.

1	Korkma, sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak; Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak. O benim milletimin yıldızıdır, parlayacak; O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak.	Fear not, the crimson flag, waving in these dawns will never fade Before the last hearth that is burning in my nation vanishes. That is my nation’s star, it will shine; That is mine, it belongs solely to my nation.
2	Çatma, kurban olayım çehreni ey nazlı hilâl! Kahraman ırkıma bir gül… ne bu şiddet bu celâl? Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helâl, Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan, milletimin istiklâl.	Oh coy crescent, do not frown for I am ready to sacrifice myself for you! Please smile upon my heroic nation, why that anger, why that rage? If you frown, our blood shed for you will not be worthy. Freedom is the right of my nation who worships God and seeks what is right.
3	Ben ezelden beridir hür yaşadım, hür yaşarım. Hangi çılgın bana zincir vuracakmış? Şaşarım! Kükremiş sel gibiyim; bendimi çiğner, aşarım; Yırtarım dağları, enginlere sığmam, taşarım.	I have been free since eternity, and free shall I be. What fool dares to shackle me? I defy the temerity! I am like a roaring flood; I overflow trampling down my banks, I tear apart mountains, surge into depths, and surpass.
4	Garb’ın âfâkını sarmışsa çelik zırhlı duvar; Benim iman dolu göğsüm gibi serhaddim var. Ulusun, korkma! Nasıl böyle bir îmânı boğar, “Medeniyet!” dediğin tek dişi kalmış canavar?	Western horizons may be encircled by walls armored in steel But I have my chest brimful of faith as my homeland’s frontier. Let it howl, fear not! How can it smother such solid faith That single-fanged monster, “Civilization!” as you call it?
5	Arkadaş! Yurduma alçakları uğratma sakın; Siper et gövdeni, dursun bu hayâsızca akın. Doğacaktır sana va’dettiği günler Hakk’ın… Kim bilir, belki yarın… belki yarından da yakın.	My friend! Never ever let the dastards into my land! Render your body a shield; bring this heinous raid to an end. For soon shall break the blissful days God promised, for sure; Perhaps tomorrow, who knows, perhaps even sooner than that.
6	Bastığın yerleri “toprak!” diyerek geçme, tanı! Düşün altındaki binlerce kefensiz yatanı. Sen şehîd oğlusun, incitme, yazıktır atanı; Verme, dünyâları alsan da, bu cennet vatanı	Do not assume what you tread on is mere “earth”, recognize it! Think of the thousands, without shrouds, lying beneath. You’re the son of a martyr, take shame, hurt not your ancestor; Cede not this heavenly homeland, even if it’s the worlds you’re granted.
7	Kim bu cennet vatanın uğruna olmaz ki fedâ? Şühedâ fışkıracak, toprağı sıksan şühedâ! Cânı, cânânı, bütün varımı alsın da Hudâ, Etmesin tek vatanımdan beni dünyâda cüdâ	Who would not offer his life for this homeland of paradise? Martyrs would pour forth, all martyrs, should one simply clutch the earth! If God will, He may take my life, my beloved, and my wealth, But may He not, for the world, just deprive me of my homeland.
8	Ruhumun senden, İlâhî, şudur ancak emeli: Değmesin ma’bedimin göğsüne nâ-mahrem eli! Bu ezanlar-ki şehâdetleri dînin temeli Ebedî yurdumun üstünde benim inlemeli	The sole wish of my soul, oh glorious God, from You is that, No heathen would ever, on the bosom of my temple, lay hand! These calls to prayer, whose testimonies are the ground of religion, Should resound far and wide over my eternal homeland.
9	O zaman vecd ile bin secde eder –varsa- taşım; Her cerîhamdan, İlâhî, boşanıp kanlı yaşım, Fışkırır rûh-i mücerred gibi yerden na’şım; O zaman yükselerek Arş’a değer, belki başım.	Then, my tombstone, if any, prostrates in rapture a thousand-fold, Of my every wound, oh glorious God, tears of blood gush forth, And out spurts my corpse, in pure spirit, from the ground, Perhaps then, shall ascend and to the heavens touch my crown!
10	Dalgalan sen de şafaklar gibi ey şanlı hilâl; Olsun artık dökülen kanlarımın hepsi helâl. Ebediyen sana yok, ırkıma yok izmihlâl: Hakkıdır, hür yaşamış bayrağımın hürriyet; Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan milletimin istiklâl!	So ripple and wave, like dawning skies, oh glorious crescent, So that every drop of my blood finally be blessed and worthy! Neither you nor my race shall ever be annihilated, For my flag, who has lived ever freely, has the right to liberty; For my nation, who worships God, has the right to independence!

4. Where, When, and How is the Turkish National Anthem Sung?

1. Occasions

There is more to know about the Turkish national anthem. Let’s see when and where it’s played and sung.

1.  At the beginning of the ceremonies of the official holidays,

2. At the welcoming and farewell ceremonies of the presidents of other countries,

3. At the welcoming and farewell ceremonies of the high-ranking commanders,

4. At the flag hoisting and lowering ceremonies,

5. In the reception of foreign ambassadors and other diplomats,

6. At the beginning of the ceremonies held in military units, schools, and institutions,

7. In special ceremonies where the president of the Turkish Republic will be present,

8. At the start and end times of radio and television broadcasts,

9. At the beginning of the association board meetings,

10. At the flag ceremonies held in schools (Every Monday morning and Friday afternoons and on special days),

11. At the military oath of enlistments,

12. In the visits of the statesmen to Anıtkabir (Ataturk‘s monumental tomb) and in other cases Anıtkabir visits,

13. At medal ceremonies,

14. In international sports games,

15. In the farewell of martyrs,

16. At state ceremonies,

17. In sports games,

18. In oath ceremonies and other ceremonies of military schools, unions and institutions,

19. Before the ceremonies and meetings of various parties, associations and organizations, etc.

2. National Anthem Etiquette in Turkey

Every country has its own national anthem etiquette. Here is what you should and shouldn’t do when the Turkish anthem is played:

1. Everyone must stop.

2. Everyone must stand up.

3. Everyone must stand at attention.  (Straight, with feet together and arms by the sides)

4. Civilians have to take their hats off.

5. No eating, no talking, and no moving around during the march.

6. It must be sung in a respectful way.

One more piece of extra information about the Turkish anthem:

The lyrics of the Turkish national anthem, the Turkish flag, and the picture of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, are framed and hung on the walls of every classroom in Turkey.

5.   All about Turkish Language and Turkish Culture

In this article, you found out the answer to the question: “What is the name of the national anthem of Turkey?” Then you learned other facts about the Turkish national anthem, such as the Turkish national anthem’s lyrics in English, the history of the Turkish national anthem, the Turkish national anthem’s composer, and the national anthem etiquette in Turkey, etc. However, there is a lot more to know about Turkish culture and the Turkish language.

Therefore, visit TurkishClass101, which has numerous audio recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and free resources, including the dictionary you can refer to, to get a better grasp of the Turkish language and its culture.

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 provided at TurkishClass101!

Are you a foreign student who is planning to study in Turkey or are you a teacher who will be teaching in Turkey? In both cases, you will need to learn Turkish classroom words and phrases Turkish native speakers use.

If you are a student, you need to know school related vocabulary such as supplies, equipment, subjects etc. Furthermore, you should be able to understand the instructions given by your teacher. There are quite a number of Turkish classroom phrases for students in this article, which will make your life easier.

Dear teachers, I got you covered as well. I also included classroom phrases for teachers in Turkish so that you can communicate with your students smoothly.

Now, 1, 2, 3, eyes on me everybody; we are starting!

Table of Contents

1. School Related Vocabulary
2. Teacher’s Phrases
3. Student’s Phrases
4. Tests/Quizzes/Exams
5. Learn More with TurkishClass101!

 1.   School Related Vocabulary

Here is a huge list of school related vocabulary you can refer to.

 1.      General vocabulary

 Let’s follow the “general to specific” structure and start with general vocabulary.  

Turkish	English
Devlet okulu	“Public school”
Özel okul	“Private school”
İlkokul	“Elementary school”
Ortaokul	“Middle school”
Lise	“High school”
Üniversite	“University”
Dönem	“Semester”
Sömestr tatili	“Semester break”
Ödev	“Homework”
Not	“Grade”
Karne	“Report card”

2. School buildings and rooms

 There will be times when you need to find your way around in your school. The following vocabulary will be very helpful at those times: 

Turkish	English
Ana bina	“Main building”
Sınıf	“Classroom”
Kantin	“Canteen”
Kafeterya	“Cafeteria”
Kütüphane	“Library”;
Amfi	“Amphitheater”
Müzik odası	“Music room”
Öğretmenler odası	“Teachers’ room”
Sekreterlik	“Secretariat”

3.      Classroom equipment

Every classroom has some equipment used by students and teachers. Let’s see what they are called in Turkish.  

Turkish	English
Tahta	“Blackboard”
Akıllı tahta	“Smart board”
Tahta silgisi	“Blackboard eraser”
Tebeşir	“Chalk”
Tahta kalemi	“Board marker”
Bilgisayar	“Computer”
Projektör	“Projector”

4.      School supplies

Can you imagine that you forgot one of your school supplies at home and wanted to borrow it from a friend and you don’t know what it is called in Turkish? There is always a solution; maybe you can show it to your friend, so he/she would understand what you want. However, is this an efficient communication? Of course not. Why should you struggle? Just note the following list: 

Turkish	English
Okul çantası	“School bag”
Defter	“Notebook”
Kitap	“Book”
Kurşun kalem	“Pencil”
Tükenmez kalem	“Pen”
Silgi	“Eraser”
Kalemtıraş	“Pencil sharpener”
Kalem kutusu	“Pencil case”
Tablet	“Tablet”

 5.      List of school subjects

Here comes Turkish to English translations of some vocabulary related to school subjects, which is important for both students and teachers:  

Turkish	English
Türkçe	“Turkish”
Türk dili ve edebiyatı	“Turkish Language and Literature”
İngilizce	“English”
Matematik	“Math”
Geometri	“Geometry”
Coğrafya	“Geography”
Tarih	“History”
Biyoloji	“Biology”
Kimya	“Chemistry”
Fizik	“Physics”
Müzik	“Music”
Resim	“Art”
Beden Eğitimi	“Physical Education”
Ekonomi	“Economics”
Felsefe	“Philosophy”

2.   Teacher’s Phrases

Our beloved teachers here comes your part where I will cover some classroom phrases for teachers in Turkish. 

1.      Greetings

Let’s begin with basic Turkish classroom greetings . Turkish native speakers use

Turkish	English
Günaydın çocuklar/gençler	“Good morning children/youth”
Tünaydın	“Good afternoon”
İyi günler	“Good day”
Kendinize iyi bakın	“Take care of yourselves”
İyi dersler	“Enjoy your classes”

2.      Instructions

 If you are looking for the answer to the question “How should a teacher give instructions in Turkish?” go ahead and check the basic Turkish phrases below:   

Turkish	English
Dikkatli dinleyin.	“Listen carefully.”
Tahtaya bakın lütfen.	“Look at the board, please.”
Hep beraber tekrar edelim.	“Let’s repeat together.”
Sorunuz varsa elinizi kaldırın.	“Raise your hand if you have a question.”
Sayfa 5’i açın.	“Open page 5.”
3’lü gruplar oluşturun.	“Form groups of 3.”

3.      Questions

Teachers use questions as a teaching tool; sometimes they are used to find out what students have learnt or haven’t learnt and at times, they are used to make students participate. Let’s take a look at some questions teachers can use in a classroom where Turkish is spoken.  

Turkish	English
Bugün herkes burada mı?	“Is everybody here today?”
Herkes ödevini yaptı mı?	“Has everyone done their homework?”
Buraya kadar anladınız mı?	“Did you understand up to here?”
Kim cevap vermek ister?	“Who wants to answer?”
Bu konuyu kim anlatmak ister?	“Who wants to explain this topic?”
Kim okumak ister?	“Who wants to read?”
Herhangi bir sorunuz var mı?	“Do you have any questions?”
Sıra kimde?	“Who is next?”
Herkes bitirdi mi?	“Has everyone finished?”

4.      Discipline 

When you are dealing with kids, sometimes things may go out of control. At that point, teachers have to use certain phrases to maintain discipline in the classroom. Make sure to note the following basic Turkish phrases; one day you might need them.

Turkish	English
Oturun!	“Take a seat!”
Susun!	“Quit talking!”
Sessiz olun!	“Be quiet!”
Sorunuz varsa, elinizi kaldırın.	“Please raise your hand if you have a question.”
Cevabı biliyorsanız elinizi kaldırın.	“Raise your hand if you know the answer.”

5.      Praise and motivation 

I believe the power of praise and motivation is unquestionable in education. Therefore, the Turkish classroom phrases below, will be another strong tool for teachers.  

Turkish	English
Aferin!	“Good job!”
Tebrikler!	“Congratulations!”
Aferin, böyle devam et.	“Keep up the good work.”
Tam isabet!	“Right on!”
İngilizceniz çok gelişti.	“Your English has improved a lot.”

3.   Student’s Phrases

Dear students, here are some Turkish classroom phrases for students you can use in different cases. 

1.      Greetings  

Here are a few Turkish classroom greetings for students they can use to greet their teacher:  

Turkish	English
Günaydın hocam/öğretmenim	“Good morning teacher”
Tünaydın hocam	“Good afternoon teacher”
Hoşçakalın	“Good-bye”

2.      Concerns and questions

Are you wondering how you can address your concerns with your teacher in Turkish? Also, would you like to know how you can ask your questions in Turkish? Here comes a little help for you:  

Turkish	English
Anlamadım.	“I didn’t understand.”
Bunu tekrar edebilir misiniz lütfen?	“Can you repeat that please?”
Biraz daha yavaş anlatabilir misiniz?	Can you explain a little slower?”
Hangi sayfadayız?	“Which page are we on?”
Bir kere daha anlatabilir misiniz?	“Can you explain it one more time?”
Bana hiç anlamlı gelmiyor.	“It doesn’t make any sense to me?”
Bu doğru mu?	“Is this correct?”
Bana yardım edebilir misiniz?	“Can you help me?”;
Bir soru sorabilir miyim?	“May I ask a question?”
‘xxx’ ne demek?	“What does ‘xxx’ mean?”

 3.      Talking about problems

Problems are everywhere, even in classrooms. Following basic Turkish phrases will help you to talk about your problems:

Turkish	English
Kendimi iyi hissetmiyorum, dışarı çıkabilir miyim?	“I am not feeling well, may I go out?”
Kitabımı kaybettim.	“I lost my book.”
Kitabımı evde unuttum.	“I forgot my book at home.”
Ödevimi yapamadım.	“I couldn’t do my homework.”
Tuvalete gidebilir miyim?	“Can I go to the restroom?”
Geç kaldığım için özür dilerim.	“I apologize for being late.”
Daha fazla süreye ihtiyacım var.	“I need more time.”
Alıştırmaları bitiremedim.	“I couldn’t complete the exercises.”
Yarın okula gelemeyeceğim.	“I won’t be able to come to school tomorrow.”

4.      Talking about school subjects

If you are a student, talking about school subjects is inevitable. Here is how you can do it in Turkish: 

Turkish	English
En sevdiğim ders ‘xxxx’.	“My favorite subject is ‘xxxx.”
Matematikte hiç iyi değilim.	“I am not good at Math, at all.”
Tarih dersini hiç sevmiyorum.	“I don’t like history class, at all.”

4.   Tests/Quizzes/Exams

Exams are parts of the education system, but also, they are the nightmares of most students. Let’s take a look at some Turkish classroom phrases for students related to exams.

1.      Basic vocabulary

 Here is Turkish to English translations of some vocabulary related with tests and exams you can refer to: 

Turkish	English
Test	“Test”
Sınav	“Exam”
Quiz	“Quiz”
Sınava girmek	“To take an exam”
Sınavı geçmek	“To pass the exam”
Sınavdan kalmak	“To fail an exam”

2.      Instructions 

Reading the instructions in an exam can be as important as studying for the exam. You might know the answer, but if you don’t do exactly what the instructions tell you to do, you might fail your exam. Therefore, I strongly suggest that you pay attention to the following test instructions in Turkish.

Turkish	English
Metni okuyun.	“Read the text.”
Boşlukları doldurun.	“Fill in the blanks”
Bu cümleleri tamamlayın.	“Complete these sentences.”
Doğru seçeneği işaretleyin.	“Mark the correct option.”

5.   Learn More with TurkishClass101!

In this article, you learned quite a number of Turkish classroom phrases for students and classroom phrases for teachers in Turkish. However, there are a lot more useful classroom phrases in Turkish!

Therefore, visit TurkishClass101, which has numerous audio recordings, tons of vocabulary lists and free resources including the dictionary you can refer to, in order to learn Turkish language faster or to improve your Turkish language learning. 

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 provided at TurkishClass101!

Turkish cuisine has a good reputation amongst the different cuisines in the world. Its variety and deliciousness are very well known.  

If you are reading this article, you may either be visiting Turkey for some reason or possibly you are interested in the different flavors of Turkish cuisine.

If you don’t speak the language, I can imagine what crosses your mind:

“I don’t know how to order food in Turkish; I should learn Turkish restaurant vocabulary/phrases; How do I call a waiter/waitress in Turkey? How much tip should I leave?”  

You don’t need to get stressed because we will cover common Turkish restaurant phrases as well as the relevant traditional facts in this article.

All you need to do is to note all the information below and dream of enjoying every bit of the amazing Turkish food.

Table of Contents

1. Dining Vocabulary
2. Making a Reservation at a Restaurant
3. Conversations During Dining
4. Ordering food and beverages
5. After Dining
6. Compliments and Complaints
7. All About Turkish

1. Dining Vocabulary  

Before going into Turkish restaurant phrases, you should learn some dining vocabulary such as utensil names, food, beverages, tastes, etc. in Turkish. Let’s start with utensils.  

1. Utensils  

Below are the names of utensils in Turkish. If you want another plate or if you drop your fork, with the help of this vocabulary, you will be able to ask for another one.  

Turkish	English
Tabak	“Plate”
Kâse	“Bowl”
Bardak	“Glass”
Çatal	“Fork”
Bıçak	“Knife”
Kaşık	“Spoon”

2. Food 

The following vocabulary will make your life easier when you are ordering your food:  

Turkish	English
Tavuk	“Chicken”
Balık	“Fish”
Et	“Meat”
Salata	“Salad”
Ekmek	“Bread”
Çorba	“Soup”
Tatlı	“Dessert”
Dondurma	“Ice cream”

3. Beverages  

We got you covered for beverages as well.  

Turkish	English
Su	“Water”
Soda	“Sparkling water”
Bira	“Beer”
Şarap	“Wine”
Çay	“Tea”
Kahve	“Coffee”

4. Tastes 

As I mentioned above, Turkish cuisine is very rich and has many different varieties. Every region has its own unique tastes. Some regions are known for their very spicy foods. We suggest you take a close look at the following vocabulary to make sure the food you eat is not only pleasing to your eyes but also your mouth.

Turkish	English
Tatlı	“Sweet
Acı	“Bitter”
Ekşi	“Sour”
Tuzlu	“Salty”
Baharatlı	“Spicy” Other

5. Other   

Here are some other restaurant-related words you might need: 

Turkish	English
Restoran	“Restaurant”
Masa	“Table”
Rezervasyon	“Reservation”
Menü	“Menu”
Peçete	“Napkin”
Bahşiş	“Tip”

2. Making a Reservation at a Restaurant 

In Turkey, you usually don’t need to make a reservation in a small or a mid-size restaurant. You might wait for a short time if there is no availability because the “first come, first served” principle will work. However, if you are celebrating a special occasion, if you are a large group of friends, if you are having a business dinner, or if you have special guests, then you shouldn’t take a risk, and you must make a reservation in advance.

Also, breakfast/brunch places are usually packed on the weekends. It might be a good idea to make a reservation in advance not to wait too long.

Furthermore, on special days like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve, restaurants get booked way in advance, so try to get a reservation a month prior; do not wait until the last minute to make one; you won’t have any luck!

On the other hand, almost all luxurious restaurants and prestigious bars with live music require a reservation.

1. Reservation on the phone

If you are making a reservation on the phone, the following Turkish restaurant dialogue will help you tremendously:  

Restaurant: 
İyi günler. “Şamdan” restoran, nasıl yardımcı olabilirim? – “Good day. “Şamdan” restaurant, how may I help you?”

Customer: 
İyi günler. 28 Temmuz Salı akşamı için iki kişilik rezervasyon yaptırmak istiyorum? – “Good day. I’d like to make a reservation for two on Tuesday, July 28th.”

Restaurant: 
Tabi, hemen kontrol ediyorum. Saat kaç için rezervasyon yaptırmak istiyorsunuz? – “Sure, I’m checking right away. What time would you like to make a reservation?

Customer: 
Akşam saat sekiz için lütfen. Bir de deniz kenarındaki masalardan biri olursa çok iyi olur. – “For eight o’clock in the evening, please. Also, it would be great if it could be one of the tables by the sea.”

Restaurant: 
Tamam. 28 Temmuz Salı akşamı sekiz için iki kişi için deniz kenarında rezervasyonunuzu yaptım. Rezervasyonunuzu o akşam 8:15’e kadar tutabiliriz. Başka bir arzunuz var mı? – “Okay. I made a reservation for two people on Tuesday evening, July the 28th at 8 o’clock. We can hold your reservation until 8:15 p.m. that evening. Do you have any other requests?”

Customer: 
Teşekkürler, hoşçakalın. – “Thanks. Good-bye.”

Restaurant: 
Hoşçakalın – “Good-bye”

2. At the restaurant  

If you are at the restaurant and trying to get a table or informing them about an existing reservation, the following phrases will be life savers for you:

– Brad James adına rezervasyonumuz vardı. –  “We had a reservation under the name of Brad James.”

– 4 kişilik bir masa istiyoruz lütfen. – “We’d like a table for 4, please.”

– Nerede oturmak istersiniz? – “Where would you like to sit?”

– Sigarasız bölümde oturmak istiyoruz. – “We’d like to sit in the non-smoking section.”

– Bahçede yeriniz var mı? – “Do you have a table in the garden?”

– Ne kadar beklememiz gerekir? – “How long do we have to wait?”

3. Conversations During Dining 

If you finally manage to get a table, you can take a deep breath and get ready for the next step! 

1. Getting the waiter’s attention

Displaying a menu outside of the restaurant is not that common in Turkey. This is more common in tourist destinations. These days even though many cafes use QR code menus, which are accessible via smartphones by scanning a QR code, most restaurants still offer traditional printed menus. Therefore, you might still need the help of a waiter/waitress.

Here are a few ways you can call a waiter/waitress.

– Pardon, bakar mısınız? – “Excuse me.”

– Pardon, sipariş verebilir miyiz? – “Excuse me, can we order?”  

2. All about the menu

Below are some common Turkish restaurant phrases you can use to get a menu and information about the food on the menu:  

– Menüyü görebilir miyiz? –  “Can we see the menu?”

– Şarap menüsünü alabilir miyiz lütfen? – “Could we have the wine menu please?”

– Tatlı menüsünü getirebilir misiniz lütfen? – “Could you bring the dessert menu please?”

– Ne tavsiye edersiniz? – “What would you recommend?”

– Bugünün spesiyalleri neler? – “What are today’s specials?”

– Günün çorbası nedir? – “What’s the soup of the day?”

– Menüde yöresel bir yemek var mı? – “Is there a regional dish on the menu?”  

4. Ordering food and beverages

Here comes the most exciting part: ordering food and beverages.

1. Food

Your waiter/waitress will probably ask the following questions to get your order:

– Sipariş vermek için hazır mısınız? – “Are you ready to order?”

– Siparişinizi alabilir miyim? – “Can I have your order?”

– Ne yemek istersiniz? – “What would you like to eat?”

You can order your food with the following Turkish restaurant phrases:

– Ben sadece salata istiyorum. – “I just want a salad.”

– Çok pişmiş bonfile istiyorum ama yanında kızarmış patates istemiyorum. – “I’d like well-done steak, but I don’t want fried potatoes on the side.”

– Benim çileğe karşı alerjim var. Bu tatlıda çilek var mı? – “I’m allergic to strawberries. Are there any strawberries in this dessert?”

2. Beverages

Here is a Turkish restaurant dialogue for ordering beverages:

Waiter/waitress: Ne içmek istersiniz? – “What would you like to drink?”

Customer: – Sadece su alayım. – “Let me just get water.”

                  – Bir kadeh kırmızı şarap rica edeyim. – “I’d like a glass of red wine, please.”

                  – Çocuklar için portakal suyu lütfen. – “Orange juice for the children, please.”

3. Requesting additional sauces/ingredients and utensils 

Let’s take a look at other basic Turkish phrases restaurant customers can refer to:  

– Birkaç tane daha peçete alabilir miyim? – “Can I have a few more napkins?”

– Çatalımı düşürdüm. Bir tane daha alabilir miyim? – “I dropped my fork. Can I have another one?”

– Ketçap ve mayonez de getirebilir misiniz? – “Can you also bring ketchup and mayonnaise?”

– Kahve için biraz daha süt alabilir miyiz lütfen? – “Can we have some more milk for the coffee please?”

4. Providing feedback  

Would you like to know how you can give feedback while you are still at the table? Here you go:

– Bu bardak kirli; değiştirebilir misiniz? – “This glass is dirty; can you change it?”

– Çorba çok tuzluydu. – “The soup was too salty.”

– Yemek çok lezzetliydi. – “Food was very delicious.”

– Ben bunu sipariş etmedim. – “I didn’t order this.”

– Biz bundan 3 tane sipariş ettik; iki değil. – “We ordered three of these, not two.”

5. Other information  

– Pardon, sigara içilen kısım nerede? – “Sorry, where is the smoking area?”

– Pardon. tuvalet nerede acaba? – “Excuse me, where is the restroom?”

5. After Dining 

Your meal is over, and I am sure you still have some questions. “Is it okay to ask for a doggy bag? How can I pay? How much of a tip do I need to give?”

In Turkey, it has recently started getting popular to ask for a doggy bag. However, it’s still not acceptable to ask for a box if you are at a luxurious restaurant.

As for tipping, in Turkey, there is nothing set in stone for the percentage. You can leave as much as you want. Giving around 10% of the bill as a tip has recently become popular.

Furthermore, tipping with a credit card is still not a common behavior in Turkey.

Note the following phrases:

– Kalanı paket yapabilir misiniz? – “Can you put the rest in a box?”

– Hesap lütfen. – “Bill, please.”

– Hesabı alabilir miyiz lütfen? –  Could we get the bill, please?

– Ayrı ayrı ödeyebilir miyiz?  –   “Can we pay separately?”

– Kredi kartı kabul ediyor musunuz? – “Do you accept credit cards?”

– Üstü kalsın. – “Keep the change.”

– Kasada ödeyebilir miyiz? – “Can we pay at the register?”

– Bahşiş kutusu var mı? – “Is there a tip box?”  

6. Compliments and Complaints 

We hope you had an enjoyable and unforgettable dining experience. If that is the case, you can show your appreciation not only with a big tip but also with a sincere compliment. How? Here you go:

– Her şey çok güzeldi, teşekkürler. – “Everything was great, thank you.”

– Hızlı ve iyi servis için teşekkürler. – “Thanks for the fast and good service.”

– Yemekler harikaydı, çok beğendik. – “The food was great, we loved it.”

– Şefe teşekkürlerimizi iletin. – “Give our thanks to the chef.”

We hope not, but if you had a bad experience, that also has to be shared with a positive attitude. Here is how you can tell your dissatisfaction:

– Servisten hiç memnun kalmadık. Müdürle konuşmak istiyorum. – “We were not satisfied with the service at all. I’d like to speak with the manager.”

– Yemeklerden hiç memnun kalmadık. Müdürle konuşmak istiyorum. – “We were not satisfied with the food at all. I’d like to speak with the manager.”

7. All About Turkish 

In this article, you learned some Turkish restaurant vocabulary/phrases and how to order food in Turkish. However, there is a lot more to know!

Therefore, visit TurkishClass101, which has numerous audio recordings, tons of vocabulary lists, and free resources including the dictionary you can refer to, in order to get a better grasp of the Turkish language and the culture.

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 provided at TurkishClass101!

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. 

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Last but not least, happy Turkish learning!