Things to Do·Updated April 2025·8 min read
250 Useful Turkish Words and Expressions for Tourists
Knowing a few basic Turkish words and expressions will not only please locals, it will also come in handy during your stay. Turks will try their best to help you, but not all Turks speak English — and that’s an understatement. Most restaurants have menus in both Turkish and English, but especially in snack bars the translations may be far from perfect.
This list of 250 basic Turkish words and expressions allows you to establish some kind of communication to address most inconveniences or questions you may have during your stay. Make sure to check out the Turkish pronunciation rulesTurkish Language and Pronunciation Rules (for Tourists), too. At for your convenience, at the bottom you’ll find a link to print this page in a printer-friendly fashion.
Accommodation
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| air-conditioning | klima |
| balcony | balkon |
| entrance | giriş |
| exit | çıkış |
| luggage | bagaj |
| pull | çekiniz |
| push | itiniz |
| reception | resepsiyon |
| restaurant | restoran / lokanta |
| shampoo | şampuan |
| shower | duş |
| soap | sabun |
| swimming poolTop Hotel Pools in Istanbul | havuz |
| toilet | tuvalet |
| toilet paper | tuvalet kağıdı |
| towel | havlu |
Transportation
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| airport | havalimanı |
| avenue | cadde |
| bus / coach | otobüs |
| fareIstanbul Taxi Fares Every Tourist Ought To Know | ücret |
| ferryUse Public Transportation in Istanbul to Reach Most Places of Interest | vapur |
| map | harita |
| passenger | yolcu |
| plane | uçak |
| platform | peron |
| port | liman |
| quay | iskele |
| road | yol |
| sea bus | deniz otobüsü |
| sea | deniz |
| ship | gemi |
| station | istasyon |
| street | sokak |
| subway / underground | metro |
| taxiTips To Prevent Popular Istanbul Taxi Scams | taksi |
| ticket office | bilet gişesi |
| ticket | bilet |
| timetable | tarife |
| train | tren |
Touristic Places
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| carpet | halı |
| castle | hisar |
| church | kilise |
| island | ada |
| mosque | cami |
| museumWhat Is the Istanbul Museum Pass, and Should I Get One? | müze |
| palace | saray |
| park | park |
| square | meydan |
| tourism | turizm |
| tourist information office | turizm danışma bürosu |
| tourist | turist |
| tower | kule |
| Turkish bath | hamam |
Colors
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| black | siyah |
| blue | mavi |
| brown | kahverengi |
| green | yeşil |
| orange | turuncu |
| pink | pembe |
| purple | mor |
| red | kırmızı |
| white | beyaz |
| yellow | sarı |
Food and Drink
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| beer | bira |
| black pepper | karabiber |
| bottle | şişe |
| bread | ekmek |
| breakfastWhat Does a Typical Turkish Breakfast Look Like? | kahvaltı |
| butter | tereyağı |
| dessert | tatlı |
| dinner | akşam yemeği |
| enjoy your meal | afiyet olsun |
| fillet steak | bonfile |
| fishFresh Fish in Istanbul – How to Pick and Order a Nice One | balık |
| food | yemek |
| fork | çatal |
| glass | bardak |
| ice cream | dondurma |
| ice | buz |
| knife | bıçak |
| lamb grilled on a spit and served in thin slices | döner kebapKnow Your Döner Kebap — History Overview and Selected Dishes |
| layered pastry with cheese/meat/spinach filling | börekIstanbul’s Street Food – What’s Hot And What’s Not! |
| lemon | limon |
| lunch | öğle yemeği |
| main course | ana yemek |
| meat | et |
| menu | menü |
| peppers | biber |
| plate | tabak |
| rare (cooked) | az pişmiş |
| salad | salata |
| salt | tuz |
| serviette | peçete |
| soup | çorba |
| spoon | kaşık |
| starter | meze |
| steak | biftek |
| sugar | şeker |
| table | masa |
| teaTurkish Tea, an Offer You Can’t Refuse | çay |
| tip | bahşiş |
| toast | tost |
| waiter / waitress | garson |
| walnuts | ceviz |
| water | su |
| well done | iyi pişmiş |
| white cheese | beyaz peynir |
| white wine | beyaz şarap |
| wine list | şarap listesi |
| with meat | etli |
| yoghurt drink | ayran |
Small Talk
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| but | ama |
| child | çocuk |
| good evening | iyi akşamlar |
| good morning | günaydın |
| good night | iyi geceler |
| goodbye | hoşça kalın or bye bye |
| hello | merhaba |
| How many? | Kaç tane? |
| How much? (price) | Kaç para? |
| Mr | bay |
| Mrs | bayan |
| no | hayır |
| ok | tamam |
| or | ya da / veya |
| please | lütfen |
| sorry / excuse me | pardon / affedersiniz |
| thank you | teşekkür ederim, teşekkürler, sağol or mersi |
| yes | evet |
Adjectives
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| a little | az |
| a lot / very / too | çok |
| average / medium | orta |
| bad | kötü |
| big | büyük |
| closed | kapalı |
| cold | soğuk |
| good | iyi |
| hot | sıcak |
| open | açık |
| quick | hızlı / çabuk |
| slow | yavaş |
| small | küçük |
Directions
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| broken | bozuk |
| down | aşağı |
| far | uzak |
| here | burada |
| left | sol |
| near | yakın |
| right | sağ |
| straight on | doğru |
| there | orada |
| up | yukarı |
In Case of Emergency
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| accident | kaza |
| Call an ambulance! | Ambulans çağrın! |
| Call the police! | Polis çağrın! |
| dentist | diş hekimi |
| diarrhea | ishal |
| doctor | doktor |
| fever | ateş |
| Fire! | Yangın! |
| headache | baş ağrısı |
| Help! | İmdat! |
| hospital | hastane |
| medication | ilaç |
| pain | ağrı |
| pharmacy | ezcane |
| police | polis |
| sick / ill | hasta |
| Stop! | Dur! |
| Where is the nearest hospital? | En yakın hastane nerede? |
Money Matters
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| ATM | bankamatik |
| bank | banka |
| bill | hesap |
| cash moneyIstanbul Money Strategy: Cash Or Credit Card? | nakit |
| cheap | ucuz |
| cheque | çek |
| coins / small money | bozuk para |
| credit card | kredi kartı |
| deposit | depozito |
| discount | indirim |
| expensive | pahalı |
| foreign exchange office | döviz bürosu |
| free | bedava |
| high quality | kaliteli |
| invoice | fatura |
| money | para |
| paper money | kağıt para |
| price | fiyat |
| quality | kalite |
| receipt | makbuz |
| tax excluded | KDV hariç |
| tax included | KDV dahil |
| to buy | satın almak |
Prompts
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Can I have …? | … rica ediyorum. |
| Can you help me? (in a shop) | Bakar mısınız? |
| Can you help me? | Bana yardım edebilir misiniz? |
| Do you speak English? | İngilizce konuşuyor musunuz? |
| Excellent! | Çok güzel. |
| Go away! | Çekil! |
| How are you? | Nasılsın? |
| How much is it? | Bu ne kadar? |
| I can’t speak Turkish. | Türkçe bilmiyorum. |
| I don’t understand. | Anlamıyorum. |
| I would like … | … istiyorum. |
| I’m fine. | İyiyim. |
| Is there a … here? | Burada … var mı? |
| Please speak more slowly. | Lütfen, daha yavaş konuşur musunuz? |
| Please write it down for me. | Lütfen yazar mısınız? |
| Pleased to meet you. | Memnun oldum. |
| See you soon. | Görüşmek üzere. |
| What time is it? | Saat kaç? |
| Where are the toilets? | Tuvaletler nerede? |
| Where can I get …? | … nerede bulabilirim? |
| Where do I pay? | Kasa nerede? |
| Where is/are …? | … nerede? |
Numbers
| Number | Turkish |
|---|---|
| 0 | sıfır |
| 1 | bir |
| 2 | iki |
| 3 | üç |
| 4 | dört |
| 5 | beş |
| 6 | altı |
| 7 | yedi |
| 8 | sekiz |
| 9 | dokuz |
| 10 | on |
Days of the Week
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Monday | Pazartesi |
| Tuesday | Salı |
| Wednesday | Çarşamba |
| Thursday | Perşembe |
| Friday | Cuma |
| Saturday | Cumartesi |
| Sunday | Pazar |
Time Expressions
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| afternoon | öğleden sonra |
| at the moment | şu anda |
| early | erken |
| evening | akşam |
| last week | geçen hafta |
| late | geç |
| later | sonra |
| morning | sabah |
| next week | gelecek hafta |
| night | gece |
| now | şimdi |
| soon | yakında |
| this evening | bu akşam |
| this morning | bu sabah |
| today | bugün |
| tomorrow | yarın |
| yesterday | dün |