Turkish is the sole official language of Turkiye and is spoken by virtually the entire population. The good news for travellers is that Turkish uses the Latin alphabet with a few extra characters, and pronunciation is consistent — each letter always makes the same sound. English is widely spoken in Istanbul’s tourist districts and coastal resorts, but drops off quickly in central Anatolia and the east.
Greetings and Basics
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello | Merhaba | mer-HA-ba |
| Good morning | Gunaydin | goo-nay-DIN |
| Goodbye | Hosca kalin | hosh-CHA ka-LIN |
| Please | Lutfen | LOOT-fen |
| Thank you | Tesekkur ederim | te-shek-KOOR e-de-RIM |
| Yes | Evet | e-VET |
| No | Hayir | ha-YIR |
| Excuse me | Afedersiniz | af-e-der-si-NIZ |
| Sorry | Ozur dilerim | o-ZOOR di-le-RIM |
| How are you? | Nasilsiniz? | na-sul-su-NIZ |
Getting Around
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Where is…? | …nerede? | ne-RE-de |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar? | ne ka-DAR |
| Left | Sol | SOL |
| Right | Sag | SAH |
| Stop here | Burada durun | bu-RA-da du-RUN |
| Taxi | Taksi | TAK-si |
| Bus station | Otogar | o-to-GAR |
| Airport | Havaalani | ha-va-a-la-NI |
| Train station | Tren gari | tren GA-ri |
| I don’t understand | Anlamiyorum | an-la-mi-yo-RUM |
Food and Dining
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|
| The menu, please | Menu, lutfen | me-NU LOOT-fen |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lutfen | he-SAP LOOT-fen |
| Water | Su | SOO |
| Delicious | Cok guzel | chok goo-ZEL |
| Not spicy | Acimasiz | a-ji-ma-SIZ |
| I am vegetarian | Ben vejeteryanim | ben ve-je-ter-ya-NIM |
| Bread | Ekmek | ek-MEK |
| Tea | Cay | CHAI |
| Coffee | Kahve | KAH-ve |
| Cheers! | Serefe! | she-re-FE |
Numbers
| Number | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|
| 1 | Bir | BEER |
| 2 | Iki | i-KI |
| 3 | Uc | OOCH |
| 4 | Dort | DOORT |
| 5 | Bes | BESH |
| 6 | Alti | al-TI |
| 7 | Yedi | ye-DI |
| 8 | Sekiz | se-KIZ |
| 9 | Dokuz | do-KUZ |
| 10 | On | ON |
Emergency Phrases
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Help! | Imdat! | im-DAT |
| Hospital | Hastane | has-ta-NE |
| Police | Polis | po-LIS |
| I need a doctor | Doktora ihtiyacim var | dok-to-RA ih-ti-ya-JIM VAR |
| Call an ambulance | Ambulans cagirin | am-bu-LANS cha-gi-RIN |
Turkish pronunciation is refreshingly predictable compared to English. Every letter is pronounced, there are no silent letters, and stress usually falls on the last syllable. The key letters to watch are: “c” is pronounced like “j” in “jam,” “c” with a cedilla sounds like “ch,” “s” with a cedilla makes a “sh” sound, and the soft “g” (with a breve) lengthens the preceding vowel rather than being pronounced itself. When in doubt, read each letter individually and you will usually be understood.
