The Turkish Language: Alphabet and Vocabulary
A practical guide to Turkish pronunciation and essential phrases that will make your trip easier and bring a smile to the locals' faces.
Fundamentals of the Turkish Alphabet
The Turkish language uses a Latin-based alphabet with 29 letters. The language is highly phonetic – each letter has only one sound, making it much easier to learn to read than English.
VOWELS (Ünlüler) - 8 Letters
Like the "a" in "father". Examples: Anne, Araba, Akşam
Like the "e" in "bed". Examples: Ev, Ekmek, Gel
A short, back vowel, like the "u" in "supply" or the second "o" in "color". IMPORTANT: Not "i"! Examples: Kış, Işık, Kız
Like the "ee" in "see". IMPORTANT: I and İ are different letters! Examples: İyi, İstanbul
Like the "o" in "go". Examples: Okul, Otel, Çok
Like the "u" in "burn" or German "ö". Examples: Göz, Öğle, Köfte
Like the "oo" in "moon". Examples: Uzun, Uçak, Su
Like the "u" in "cute" or German "ü". Examples: Üç, Gümüş, Tütün
CONSONANTS (Ünsüzler) - 21 Letters
Like the "j" in "jam". IMPORTANT: Never "s" or "k"! Examples: Cami (jah-mee), Cuma (joo-mah)
Like the "ch" in "church". Examples: Çay (chai), Çok (chok)
A "soft g" that is mostly silent. It lengthens the preceding vowel. Examples: Dağ (daa), Yağmur (yaa-moor)
Like the "s" in "pleasure" or French "j". Example: Jilet (zhee-let)
Like the "sh" in "shoe". Examples: Şeker (sheh-ker), Kaş (kash)
Like the "y" in "yes". IMPORTANT: Not like the "y" in "sky". Examples: Yeni, Ay
Like the "z" in "zoo". Examples: Zor, Deniz
The rest (B, D, F, G, H, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V): Are pronounced very similarly to English. G is always hard (as in 'go').
Special Rules and Nuances
1. Vowel Harmony
This is a fundamental rule of Turkish. Vowels in a word must belong to the same "family" (e.g., back vowels or front vowels), which affects how suffixes are added. For example, the suffix for "in" is "-de" or "-da" depending on the last vowel of the word: Ev-de (in the house), but Okul-da (at school).
2. No Gender
Unlike many European languages, Turkish has no grammatical gender. The pronoun "o" means he, she, and it. This simplifies the language greatly.
3. Agglutination
Turkish is an agglutinative language, meaning suffixes are added to a root word to create new meanings. For example: Ev (house) → Evler (houses) → Evlerim (my houses) → Evlerimde (in my houses).
4. Stress
Stress is usually on the final syllable of a word. Exceptions include place names (like İstanbul) and some adverbs.
Practical Tip: Turkish people greatly appreciate it when you try to speak their language, even if it's just a few words. It shows respect and opens doors!
Greetings and Politeness
- MerhabaHello
- GünaydınGood morning
- İyi akşamlarGood evening
- İyi gecelerGood night
- Hoşça kalGoodbye (said by the one staying)
- Güle güleGoodbye (said to the one leaving)
- Nasılsınız? / Nasılsın?How are you? (formal / informal)
- İyiyimI'm fine
- Teşekkür ederimThank you
- Rica ederimYou're welcome
- LütfenPlease
- Özür dilerim / PardonI'm sorry / Excuse me
- Hoş geldinizWelcome
- Hoş buldukPleased to be here (the reply to "welcome")
Basic Questions and Answers
- Evet / HayırYes / No
- Tamam / PekiOK / Alright
- BilmiyorumI don't know
- Anlıyorum / AnlamıyorumI understand / I don't understand
- Türkçe bilmiyorumI don't speak Turkish
- İngilizce biliyor musunuz?Do you speak English?
- Bu ne demek?What does this mean?
- Kaç para? / Ne kadar?How much is it?
- Çok pahalı / UcuzVery expensive / Cheap
- İndirim var mı?Is there a discount?
In a Restaurant and Shopping
- Hesap, lütfenThe bill, please
- Afiyet olsun!Enjoy your meal!
- Su / Çay / KahveWater / Tea / Coffee
- Nakit / Kredi kartıCash / Credit card
- Açık / KapalıOpen / Closed
Numbers 1-10
- Bir1
- İki2
- Üç3
- Dört4
- Beş5
- Altı6
- Yedi7
- Sekiz8
- Dokuz9
- On10
Emergency and Useful Expressions
- Yardım!Help!
- PolisPolice
- HastaneHospital
- EczanePharmacy
- İyi yolculuklar!Have a good trip!
- Kolay gelsinMay your work be easy (to someone working)
- Ellerinize sağlıkHealth to your hands (to the cook)