The Around the World phrasebook
Let's learn traveller's Turkish
Not the school kind — the airport, taxi and dinner-table kind. Every phrase with a say-it-out-loud pronunciation.
Nobody expects you to speak fluent Turkish. But ten words in the right places — and the market seller smiles, the driver drops the price, the waiter brings the good stuff. We've gathered 64 phrases that actually work, sorted by the moment you'll need them: the landing, the taxi, check-in, the table. Each with a pronunciation you can read aloud without cringing.
Phrasebook · 1/8
First words
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | Merhaba | MER-ha-bah |
| Hello (informal) | Selam | seh-LAM |
| Goodbye | Hoşça kal | HOSH-chah KAL |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederim | teh-SHEK-kur eh-deh-RIM |
| Please | Lütfen | LOOT-fen |
| Yes | Evet | EH-vet |
| No | Hayır | HA-yir |
| Sorry | Üzgünüm | ooz-GOO-noom |
| I don't understand | Anlamıyorum | an-LAH-mee-yo-room |
| Do you speak English? | İngilizce biliyor musunuz? | in-gee-LEEZ-jeh BEE-lee-yor moo-soo-NOOZ? |
Phrasebook · 2/8
Courtesy & introductions
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Günaydın | gyu-NAY-din |
| Good evening | İyi akşamlar | ee ak-SHAM-lar |
| How are you? | Nasılsınız? | na-sil-suh-NIZ |
| My name is… | Benim adım… | BE-neem a-DIM… |
| Nice to meet you | Memnun oldum | mem-NUN ol-DUM |
| I am from Israel | İsrail'denim | is-ra-EEL-de-neem |
| See you | Görüşürüz | guh-ru-SHU-ruhz |
Phrasebook · 3/8
At the airport & on the flight
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the gate? | Kapı nerede? | ka-PI NE-reh-deh? |
| Is the flight delayed? | Uçuş gecikti mi? | u-CHUSH ge-JIK-ti mi? |
| Boarding pass | Biniş kartı | bi-NISH KAR-ti |
| My luggage hasn't arrived | Bagajım gelmedi | ba-GA-zim GEL-me-di |
| I have a connecting flight | Aktarmalı uçuşum var | ak-TAR-ma-li u-CHU-shum VAR |
| Window/aisle seat | Pencere/koridor koltuğu | PEN-je-reh/ko-ri-DOR KOL-tu-u |
| Where is passport control? | Pasaport kontrolü nerede? | pa-sa-PORT kon-TRO-lu NE-reh-deh? |
Phrasebook · 4/8
Transport & directions
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| To this address, please | Bu adrese, lütfen | bu a-DRE-se, LUT-fen |
| How much to the center? | Merkeze ne kadar? | mer-KE-ze ne ka-DAR |
| One ticket to… | Bir bilet… | bir bi-LET… |
| Which platform? | Hangi peron? | HAN-gi pe-RON |
| Where is the bus station? | Otobüs durağı nerede? | o-to-BUS du-ra-ĞI NE-re-de |
| Stop here, please | Burada dur, lütfen | BU-ra-da DUR, LUT-fen |
| Is it far? | Uzak mı? | u-ZAK mı |
| Turn left/right | Sola/Sağa dön | SO-la/sa-A dön |
| Straight | Düz | DUZ |
Phrasebook · 5/8
Hotel & stay
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation. | Rezervasyonum var. | re-zer-va-SYO-num VAR |
| Check-in / Check-out | Giriş / Çıkış | gi-RISH / chi-KISH |
| Is breakfast included? | Kahvaltı dahil mi? | kah-vahl-TI DA-hil mi? |
| Room key | Oda anahtarı | O-da a-nah-TA-rı |
| Wi-Fi password | Wi-Fi şifresi | wi-fi SHIF-re-si |
| Can I leave my luggage? | Bagaj bırakabilir miyim? | ba-GAJ bi-ra-ka-BI-lir mi-YIM? |
| The air conditioner doesn't work. | Klima çalışmıyor. | KLI-ma cha-lish-MI-yor |
Phrasebook · 6/8
Restaurant & food
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two | İki kişilik bir masa | ee-KEE kee-SHEE-leek beer MAH-sah |
| The menu, please | Menüyü lütfen | me-NYOO LOOT-fen |
| What do you recommend? | Ne tavsiye edersiniz? | neh TAV-see-yeh e-DER-see-neez |
| The bill, please | Hesabı lütfen | he-SAH-bee LOOT-fen |
| Tap water | Musluk suyu | MOOS-look SOO-yoo |
| I have a nut allergy | Fındık alerjim var | FIN-dik a-LER-jeem VAR |
| No meat | Et yok | et YOK |
| It was excellent | Harikaydı | ha-REE-kai-dee |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödeyebilir miyim? | KART-la o-de-ye-bee-LEER mee-yeem |
Phrasebook · 7/8
Shopping & money
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Bu ne kadar? | bu NEH ka-DAR? |
| It's too expensive. | Bu çok pahalı. | bu CHOK pa-HA-li. |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Kredi kartı kabul ediyor musunuz? | KRE-di KAR-tı ka-BUL e-di-YOR mu-su-NUZ? |
| I'm just looking. | Sadece bakıyorum. | SA-de-je ba-KI-yo-rum. |
| Can I have a receipt? | Fiş alabilir miyim? | FISH a-la-bi-LIR mi-YIM? |
| Where is an ATM? | ATM nerede? | A-te-EM NE-re-de? |
| A smaller size, please. | Daha küçük bir beden, lütfen. | DA-ha ku-CHUK bir BE-den, LUT-fen. |
Phrasebook · 8/8
Emergencies & health
| What you want to say | Turkish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Yardım edin! | YAR-dim e-DIN |
| Call a doctor. | Doktor çağırın. | dok-TOR CHA-ghi-rin |
| Call the police. | Polisi arayın. | po-LI-si a-RA-yin |
| Where is a pharmacy? | Eczane nerede? | ej-ZA-ne NE-re-de |
| I don't feel well. | Kendimi iyi hissetmiyorum. | KEN-di-mi i-YI HIS-set-mi-yo-RUM |
| I'm lost. | Kayboldum. | KAI-bol-dum |
| I need a hospital. | Hastaneye ihtiyacım var. | has-ta-NE-ye i-hti-YA-jim VAR |
| It hurts here. | Buram ağrıyor. | bu-RAM a-RI-yor |
Q&A
Answers to your questions
How do you say "thank you" in Turkish?
"Teşekkür ederim" (teh-SHEK-kur eh-deh-RIM). It's one of the five words worth knowing by heart before you land.
How much Turkish do I need for a trip?
Not much. Five or six courtesy words (hello, thank you, please, sorry, yes/no) open doors, and another ten to fifteen phrases for fixed situations — a taxi, check-in, the restaurant bill — cover almost any trip. The rest: a camera-translation app.
Can you get by in English where Turkish is spoken?
In city centres, hotels and tourist sites — usually yes, especially with younger people. Outside them — markets, transport, small towns — a few words of the local language make a real difference and are warmly received.
Which countries have Turkish as an official language?
Turkish is a main language in 1 countries: Turkey.
What's the difference between the formal and casual greeting?
Most languages have a formal "hello" for strangers, service staff and elders, and an everyday version for friends and peers. As a traveller it's always safer to open with the formal one — nobody is offended by too much politeness.
How do you politely ask someone to speak English?
"İngilizce biliyor musunuz?" (in-gee-LEEZ-jeh BEE-lee-yor moo-soo-NOOZ?) — "do you speak English?". Lead with "excuse me" in the local language and it comes across as respectful.
About this page
Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.
Sources: Phrasebook: the Around the World team · Language-to-country: Around the World data