Commonly Used Turkish FORMULAIC Expressions

Commonly Used Turkish FORMULAIC Expressions

Turkish has many formulaic expressions that are appropriate for use in various social situations. Such expressions will help you greatly in holding/understanding a conversation. Here are some common ones:

GREETINGS
Merhaba
Selam
Selamın aleyküm
Aleyküm selam (reply) "Hello"
(informal hello)
Religious greeting exchange; used usually by older males only
Alo or efendim "Hello" (when answering the telephone)
Efendim "my esteemed person" (a polite way to address any person, male or female, married or single; efendi means Lord or Master in Turkish)
Hanım
Bey (female first name)…… Hanım (lit. “lady”)
(male first name) ….... Bey (lit. “gentlemen”)
Hocam
Öğretmenim “my professor” (university/college level)
“my teacher” (K-12)
Günaydın "Good morning" (lit. "The morning is bright")
Tünaydın “Good afternoon”
İyi günler
İyi hafta sonları
İyi tatiller "Good day" (lit. "Good days")
"Have a good weekend" (lit. "Good weekends")
"Have a nice vacation" (lit. "Good holidays")
İyi akşamlar "Good evening" (lit. "Good evenings")
İyi geceler "Good night" (lit. "Good nights") (when going to bed or leaving somebody’s house really late at night)
A. Hoş geldiniz "Welcome" (lit. "You came well")
B. Hoş bulduk "We're glad to be here" (lit. "We found it well")
Nasılsın? "How are you?"
Ne var, ne yok? “How is it going?”
Ne haber (Naber?) “What’s up?”
• İyiyim; sen nasılsın? "I'm fine; how are you?"(informal/intimate)
Nasılsınız? "How are you?" (formal/respectful)
• İyiyim; siz nasılsınız? "I'm fine; how are you?" (formal/respectful)
• Ben de iyiyim "I too am fine"
• (Eh işte) Fena değilim/ Kötüyüm “ I am not bad”, “I am not well/bad”
INVITE OR OFFER (object)

Buyur(un) “Come in” (to invite guests through doors) OR when offering an object to so someone.
LEAVE TAKING AND PARTINGS SEQUENCES
Opener (informal)
Polite (formal) Bana müsaade
Sizi çok tuttum/Çok zamanınızı aldım It is time for me to go (lit. "approval to leave for me)
I have held you for too long/I have kept you from your work for too long.
Güle güle (git) "Fare well" (lit. "[Go] with a smile" (said to somebody departing)
Hoşça kal Bye (lit. "Stay with pleasantness" (said to somebody staying)
Allah'a ısmarladık
"Good-bye" (lit. "We commended* [you] to God") (said to the person staying behind)
*commend: deliver to one's care or keeping
İyi yolculuklar Have a nice trip
Görüşürüz See you
Sağ salim git Hope you go unharmed
Allah kavuştursun Hope god reunites you
DURING REUINION

Gözün(üz) aydın Usually uttered by a third party to express recognition of happiness for someone when one of their loved ones and they unite. (Lit. Your eye is sparkling)
Hoş geldiniz, sefalar getirdiniz Welcome, you have brought happiness/pleasure to us/our home.
APOLOGIZING

Özür dilerim
Af edersin(iz)
Pardon

Affet beni “I am sorry”
"Excuse me" OR “I am sorry””(lit. "Forgive [me]")
“Excuse me, I am sorry…” (for very minor accidents/incidents OR when trying to pass people in a street, bus, etc.) When intended as an attention getter: “Pardon, bakar mısınız?”
“Forgive me”
Kusura bakma(yın) “forgive my fault” (lit. "Don’t see/look at my fault")
REQUESTING

Lütfen "Please"
THANKING

Teşekkür ederim "Thank you" (lit. "I thank [you]")
Teşekkürler “Thanks”
• Bir şey değil "It's nothing"
• Rica ederim "Don't mention it", "You're welcome", "Don't say such bad things of yourself", "Don't say such good things of me" (lit. "I request")
WHEN NOTICING SOMEBODY HARD AT WORK
Kolay gelsin "May it come easy" (said to somebody working, e.g. janitor sweeping floors)

DIRECT VERBAL REWARD/APPROVAL

Aferin
Bravo
Çok iyi
Mükemmel Well done!
Bravo!
Very good!
Excellent!
Su gibi aziz ol
El öpenlerin çok olsun =a younger person brings an older one water
=Lit. May you have lots that also kiss your hand
ACCEPTANCE OR REFUSAL

Evet
Tabi (hemen)
Baş üstüne
Emredersiniz
Maalesef
Olmaz
Hayır
Yok Yes
Of course, at once
Your wish is my command (Lit. on my head)
(Lit. You command) ((army context)
Unfortunately
No I/we can’t
No
No (Lit. there isn’t)

WISHES OF GOOD HEALTH

Geçmiş olsun

Allah şifa(lar) versin
Allahtan umut kesilmez "May it pass" (said to somebody in difficulty such as sickness, or somebody who has just come through difficulty)
May god give you cure
Never give up hope from god (to relatives of terminally ill patients)
OR Sıhhatler olsun
"May it be healthy/bring health" (said to somebody who has bathed or had a shave or got a new haircut)
CONDOLANCES

Başınız sağ olsun

Allah (kalanlara/size) sabır versin. "May your head be healthy" (said to somebody in mourning during or after a funeral in recognition of the loss)
May god give patience to those left behind.
DURING/AFTER A MEAL

Elinize sağlık "Health to your hand" (that is, to the hand that made this delicious food or another good thing, object, etc.)
Afiyet olsun "bon appétit" (lit. "May it be healthy/bring health")

Şerefe!
Sağlığınıza!
“cheers!” (lit. to honour)
“cheers!” (lit. to your health)

Boosting other’s face during conversation

Senden/sizden iyi olmasın

Estağfurullah

Rahatsız ediyorum
• Rica ederim
Zahmet etmeyin After praising someone or mentioning them with positive attributes -..(Lit. is not better than you.)

[usually to show modesty] ]Don't mention it (not worth it); don't say so (after one puts him/herself down); not at all.
I am disturbing you.
Of course not. (Lit. I request)
Please do not trouble yourself by doing that.
GİFT GIVING
Güle güle kullan(ın)

İyi günlerde kullan(ın)

Niye zahmet ettiniz? Çok mahçup ettiniz /mahçup oldum.

Hayırlı olsun
"Use with a smile" . Also used with
Giy(wear for new dress)/oturun (live-for new house)
"Use it in good days"
(both said to somebody with a new possession)
Why did you go to all this trouble? You really embarrassed me with your kindness.

“May it be prosperous/bring goodness” (also for marriages and new babies)
GOOD WISHES/ CONGRATULATIONS

Tebrikler! Congratulations
Doğum günün kutlu olsun! Happy Birthday
Mutlu yıllar Happy New Year
İyi bayramlar Good/Happy bayram
Evlilik yıldönümünüz kutlu olsun Happy wedding anniversary
Allah bir yastıkta kocatsın [to newly weds] Hope god lets you both grow old on the same (one) pillow
Bayramınız kutlu olsun “May your bayram (national or religious festival) be merry”
Kandiliniz* mübarek olsun

“May your feast* be sacred/blessed”

*Kandil: the night of one of the four Muslim feasts
Ellerinizden öperim.

Küçükler(im)in gözlerinden öperim. [Usually on the phone or in a letter] I kiss your hands (to older/elderly people)
I kiss my little ones on their eyes.
Allah kabul etsin (When other makes a sacrifice during Ramadan or feasts) Hope god accepts
Other
Aşk olsun! Come on, how could you say/think that? (Lit. Let there be love)
İnşallah Hope so!

Maşallah Expression of Joy and Wow! (e.g. toexpress amazement at a kid’s success in front of parents). Also uttered to protect against the evil eye (e.g. when cuddling someone else’s new born).

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