share but you shouldn’t insist.
5 When drinking Turkish coffee, never drink to the bottom of the cup. It’s ground coffee which leaves a thick sediment, like non-filtered espresso! It’s a popular superstition to read your fortune in the shapes created by the coffee dregs – simply turn your coffee cup upside-down onto the plate when you’re finished, swirl it, and leave it to dry.
6 When greeting people, shake the hands of the eldest person first. You will also see younger people kiss an older person’s right hand and then put it on their forehead. If you are the eldest in the group, be prepared for this, especially from the kids!
7 Shoes are removed when entering someone’s home. You shouldn’t point the sole of your foot towards anyone, especially an older person, as this can be considered disrespectful.
8 Turks love talking about current affairs, but approach religious and other sensitive political matters with caution – there may often be strong viewpoints on both sides of the debate.
9 If you are invited to somebody’s home, it is polite to take a small gift such as a dessert, especially if you are invited for dinner.
10 While in the company of Turkish people, if you are snacking on something (such as a bag of crisps or a packet of biscuits) it is very rude not to offer some to the people around you. If you are not going to offer it to others, do not eat it in front of them! It is also courteous to refrain from eating and drinking in public in fasting hours during Ramadan.
Watch out for some confusing body language. In Turkey shaking your head means ‘I don’t understand’, not ‘no’. A Turkish person indicates ‘no’ by tilting their head up and back, and raising their eyebrows. This may be accompanied by a click of the tongue. ‘Yes’ is a forward nod of the head.
| Please | Lütfenlewt-fen |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederimte-shek-kewr e-de-reem |
| Thanks | Teşekkürlerte-shek-kewr-ler |
| Yes | Evete-vet |
| No | Hayırha-yuhr |
| Sorry! | Pardon!par-don! |
| You’re welcome | Rica ederimree-dja eh-de-reem |
| OK | Tamamta-mam |
| Excuse me! | Afedersiniz!a-fe-der-see-neez! |
| Hello/Hi | Merhaba/Selammer-ha-ba/se-lam |
| Goodbye | Hoşçakal (if leaving)/Güle güle (if staying behind) hosh-cha-kal/gew-le-gew-le |
| Good morning | Günaydıngew-nay-duhn |
| Good afternoon | Tünaydıntew-nay-duhn |
| Good day | İyi günleree-yee gewn-ler |
| Good evening | İyi akşamlaree-yee ak-sham-lar |
| Goodnight | İyi geceleree-yee ge-dje-ler |
| I don’t understand | Anlamıyoruman-la-muh-yo-room |
| I don’t speak Turkish | Türkçe bilmiyorumtewrk-che beel-mee-yo-room |
| Is there…?/Are there…?/Do you have…? | …var mı? …var muh? |
| Do you have bread? | Ekmek var mı? ek-mek var muh? |
| Do you have beer? | Bira var mı? bee-ra var muh? |
| Do you have stamps? | Pul var mı? pool var muh? |
| I want/need… | …istiyorum …ees-tee-yo-room |
| I want a loaf | Bir ekmek istiyorum beer ekmek ees-tee-yo-room |
| I want this | bunu istiyorum boo-noo ees-tee-yo-room |
| I don’t want this | bunu istemiyorum boo-noo ees-te-mee-yo-room |
| How much is this? | Bu ne kadar? boo ne ka-dar? |
| How many? | Kaç tane? kach ta-ne? |
| When is…? | …ne zaman? …ne za-man? |
| When is breakfast? | Kahvaltı ne zaman? kah-val-tuh ne za-man? |
| What time is it? | Saat kaç? sa-at kach? |
| At what time…? | …saat kaçta? …sa-at kach-ta? |
| Where is…? | …nerede? …ne-re-de? |
| Where is the bank? | Banka nerede? ban-ka ne-re-de? |
| Where is the toilet? | Tuvalet nerede? too-va-let ne-re-de? |
| Which one? | Hangisi? han-gee-see? |
| Why? | Neden? ne-den? |
| Please go away! | Lütfen gidin! lewt-fen gee-deen! |
| Is … included? | …dahil mi? …da-heel mee? |
| a/an/one … please | bir … lütfen beer … lewt-fen |
| two beers please | iki bira lütfen ee-kee bee-ra lewt-fen |
| some … please | biraz … lütfen bee-raz … lewt-fen |
| açık | open |
| kapalı | closed |
| bayan | ladies |
| bay | gentlemen |
| self-servis | self-service |
| itiniz | push |
| çekiniz | pull |
| kasa | cash desk |
| içme suyu | drinking water |
| tuvalet | toilets |
| boş | vacant |
| dolu | engaged |
| acil servis | emergency department |
| ilk yardim | first aid |
| dolu | full |
| dur | stop |
| bozuk | out of order |
| kiralık | for hire/rent |
| satılık | for sale |
| indirim | sales |
| bodrum | basement |
| zemin kat | ground floor |
| giriş | entrance |
| gişe | ticket office |
| karakol | police station |
| kayıp bürosu | lost property |
| kalkış | departures |
| varış | arrivals |
| yasak | prohibited |
| emanetçi | left luggage |
| özel | private |
| sıcak | hot |
| soğuk | cold |
| tehlike | danger |
| sigara içilmez | no smoking |
| dokunmayınız | do not touch |
| çıkış | exit |
| kabin | changing room |
| banyo | bathroom |
| dikkat! | caution! |
| enformasyon | information |
| danışma | enquiries |
Good manners are very important to Turkish people. You may see people kissing each other on both cheeks when they meet, but this happens only if they know each other very well. To address someone formally, use bey for men or hanım for women after their first name e.g. Mehmet Bey, Fatma Hanım.
| How do you do? | Nasılsınız? na-suhl-suh-nuhz? |
| Pleased to meet you | Memnun oldum
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