Learn Turkish by speaking it

Your first Turkish phrases

From section 1, First Steps. Every phrase in the course comes with a tip like these.

• 👋
  Merhaba Hello

  Works at any hour and with anyone. Among friends the shorter selam is the everyday choice.

• ☀️
  Günaydın Good morning

  Günaydın is gün + aydın, day plus bright. Only until midday; after that people say iyi günler.

• ☕️
  Bir kahve, lütfen A coffee, please

  Bir is both 'one' and 'a'. An indefinite object like this takes no case ending at all.

• 🪑
  İki kişilik bir masa A table for two

  -lik builds 'for' or 'worth of': iki kişilik, bir günlük. Kişi is the counting word for people.

• 🚉
  İstasyon nerede? Where is the station?

  Nerede is 'at where': the -de ending marks position. A main train station is also called gar.

• ⬅️
  Sola dönün Turn left

  Dönmek takes the dative - you turn 'to' the left - so sol becomes sola. -ün is the polite command.

• 🔢
  Bir, iki, üç One, two, three

  The ü of üç is said with rounded lips, like the French u, and is a different letter from plain u.

• ✋
  Dört ve beş Four and five

  Ve joins two words, but in speech Turks usually drop it and just pause instead.

• 🔢
  Yirmi bir, yirmi iki, yirmi üç Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three

  Turkish stacks number words in order with no 'and' and no hyphen: yirmi bir is twenty one.

• 💶
  Toplam kırk euro That will be forty euros

  Toplam is the total. A price is often given with no verb at all when the meaning is obvious.

The Turkish course, section by section

Each section has five units of five lessons, a review and a grammar guidebook.

1. A1 Section 1: First StepsSay hello, order, count and find your way

   First Words

   Say hello and introduce yourself

   Greetings · Introductions · Politeness · Getting Help · Small Talk

   “Merhaba”

   Food & Drinks

   Order like a local

   At the Café · Ordering Food · Tastes · Drinks · The Bill

   “Bir kahve, lütfen”

   Getting Around

   Find your way in a new city

   Asking the Way · Taking a Taxi · Public Transport · At the Hotel · Sightseeing

   “İstasyon nerede?”

   Numbers & Money

   Count, pay and tell the time

   Counting · Prices · Time · Days · At the Bank

   “Bir, iki, üç”

   The Calendar

   Bigger numbers, months and dates

   Bigger Numbers · Months · Dates · Picking a Day · How Long

   “Yirmi bir, yirmi iki, yirmi üç”

   Guidebook: 19 grammar notes

   • There is no verb 'to be'. A personal ending does the whole job: iyi-yim (I am fine), vejetaryen-im, yirmi yaşında-yım. Turkish has no separate word for am, is or are.
   • Vowel harmony. Every suffix copies the vowel of the word in front of it: iyiyim but memnunum, günler but sabahlar. Get that vowel wrong and the word sounds foreign.
   • Sen and siz. The -sın endings are for friends, family and children. The -sınız endings are for staff, strangers, officials and anyone clearly older than you.
   • The question word mi. Mi is written as a separate word, harmonizes to mı, mu or mü, and carries the person ending: uzak mı, var mı, biliyor musunuz.
2. A1 Section 2: Everyday LifeShops, health, family, food and your routine

   Shopping

   Buy what you need

   At the Shop · Sizes & Colors · At the Market · Pharmacy · Returns

   “Sadece bakıyorum”

   Health & Safety

   Get help when you need it

   How You Feel · At the Doctor · Emergencies · The Body · Staying Safe

   “Kendimi iyi hissetmiyorum”

   Family & Friends

   Talk about the people in your life

   My Family · Friends · About You · Describing People · Invitations

   “Bu benim annem”

   Daily Life

   Your day from morning to night

   Morning · At Work · Evening · Free Time · Chores

   “Yedide kalkıyorum”

   Food & Cooking

   Groceries, the kitchen and eating at home

   At the Supermarket · Fruit & Vegetables · In the Fridge · Simple Cooking · Eating at Home

   “Ekmek nerede?”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • Asking a shop for something. Turkish asks with var mı, 'does it exist': daha büyüğü var mı, güneş kremi var mı. The answer comes back as var or yok.
   • Daha makes comparatives. Turkish has no -er ending. Daha in front of the adjective is the entire comparison: daha büyük, daha iyi, daha yavaş.
   • Joining two nouns. The second noun takes -i or -si: güneş kremi, soyunma kabini, para iadesi. This pairing is Turkish's answer to English compound nouns.
   • Verbs built with etmek. A noun plus etmek makes a verb: iade etmek to return, yardım etmek to help, tercih etmek to prefer, teşekkür etmek to thank.
3. A2 Section 3: Making PlansWeather, feelings, home, clothes and your phone

   Weather & Plans

   Talk about today and tomorrow

   Weather · Seasons · Making Plans · Trips · Changing Plans

   “Bugün hava güneşli”

   Feelings & Opinions

   Say what you think and feel

   Feelings · Opinions · Likes & Dislikes · Compliments · Wishes

   “Çok mutluyum”

   Home & Living

   Your place and the people around it

   My Home · Renting · Problems at Home · Neighbors · Guests

   “Apartmanda oturuyorum”

   Phone & Internet

   Calls, messages and Wi-Fi

   Phone Calls · Messages · Wi-Fi & Data · Apps & Photos · Tech Problems

   “Seni sonra arayabilir miyim?”

   What to Wear

   Clothes, the weather and your own style

   Getting Dressed · Dressing for the Weather · What Suits You · Looking After Clothes · Style & Taste

   “Giyiniyorum”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • Talking about the weather. Hava, the air, is the subject: hava güneşli, hava çok soğuk. Rain and snow bring their own verb: yağmur yağıyor, kar yağar.
   • The present tense for plans. -yor covers arrangements just as English does: yarın ne yapıyorsun, pazartesi dönüyorum. A real future ending is saved for promises.
   • Can and cannot. -ebil inside the verb means can: buluşabilir miyiz. Its negative is -eme or -ama in the same slot: gelemem, I cannot come.
   • The mutual -ş-. -ş- inside a verb makes the action mutual: buluşmak to meet each other, görüşmek to see one another, tanışmak to get acquainted.
4. A2 Section 4: Out & AboutTravel, driving, hobbies and celebrations

   Travel

   From the airport to the road

   Check-in · Security · On the Plane · Arrival · Renting a Car

   “İşte pasaportum”

   Around Town

   Errands and everyday services

   Post Office · Hair Salon · Gym & Pool · Library · Laundry & Repairs

   “Kargo göndermek istiyorum”

   Sports & Hobbies

   What you do for fun

   Sports · Music & Movies · Books & Games · Outdoors · Hobbies at Home

   “Spor yapıyor musun?”

   Celebrations

   Parties, gifts and holidays

   Parties · Gifts · Holidays · Weddings & Babies · Traditions

   “Seni de bekliyoruz”

   On the Road

   Driving, parking and getting around on two wheels

   Driving · Parking · At the Gas Station · Problems on the Road · Walking & Cycling

   “Beni eve bırakır mısın?”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • İşte and buyurun. İşte points at something you can see: işte pasaportum. Buyurun is the word you say as you hand it over to someone.
   • Olsun for requests. A bare noun plus olsun becomes a polite wish: cam kenarı olsun, buzlu olsun, ekspres olsun. Its negative is olmasın.
   • Where the question word goes. The particle follows the word you are actually asking about and harmonizes with it: zamanında mı, serbest mi, dahil mi.
   • The -lik ending. -lik measures things out: üç günlüğüne for three days, aylık monthly, yirmi euroluk worth twenty euros.
5. A2 Section 5: Time TravelWork, the past, the future and real talk

   Work & Study

   At the office and in class

   My Job · At the Office · Meetings · At School · Applying for a Job

   “Ne iş yapıyorsun?”

   Talking About the Past

   Yesterday, last weekend and long ago

   Yesterday · Last Weekend · Childhood · Experiences · Telling a Story

   “Dün ne yaptın?”

   Future & Goals

   Plans, dreams and promises

   Tomorrow · Goals · Dreams · Promises & Offers · Predictions

   “Yarın evden çalışacağım”

   Real Conversations

   Keep a chat going like a native

   Keeping It Going · Reacting · Asking Nicely · Disagreeing Politely · Saying Goodbye

   “Ne haber?”

   Making Friends

   How you met, staying in touch and saying yes or no

   How We Met · Keeping in Touch · Inviting · Saying Yes or No · Getting Closer

   “Bir arkadaş aracılığıyla tanıştık”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • Talking about your job. Turkish asks ne iş yapıyorsun, 'what work do you do'. A job takes no article at all: babam öğretmen, ben tasarımcıyım.
   • Çalışmak and okumak. Çalışmak is to work and also to study for an exam. Okumak is to read and to study a subject: dil okuyorum, tıp okuyorum.
   • Verbs made with vermek. Vermek, to give, builds a whole family of phrases: mola vermek to take a break, söz vermek to promise, haber vermek to let someone know.
   • The -cı ending. -cı names the one who does the job, person or machine: tasarımcı designer, yazıcı printer, çekici tow truck, taksici taxi driver.
6. B1 Section 6: Connecting IdeasLonger sentences with because, but and so

   Because & But

   Give reasons and contrasts

   Giving Reasons · Contrasts · Consequences · In Order · Adding Ideas

   “Trafik yüzünden geç kaldım”

   Describing Places

   Say what a place is like

   My Neighborhood · In the City · In Nature · Inside a Place · First Impressions

   “Sakin bir mahallede oturuyorum”

   Step by Step

   Explain how to do something

   In the Kitchen · Following a Recipe · How It Works · Detailed Directions · Rules & Signs

   “Bıçağı uzatır mısın?”

   Comparing & Choosing

   Say which one and why

   Better or Worse · The Best of All · Which One? · Price & Quality · Making a Decision

   “Bu ondan daha iyi”

   Giving Advice

   Should, could and if I were you

   Asking for Advice · Suggestions · Warnings · Encouragement · Health Advice

   “Sen olsan ne yapardın?”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • Because in Turkish. -diği için follows a whole clause: hasta olduğum için. Yüzünden and nedeniyle follow a plain noun, and yüzünden always carries a note of blame.
   • Ama, ancak and rağmen. Ama is the everyday but and ancak the formal however. Rağmen means although and wants a dative in front: olmasına rağmen.
   • Saying the result. O yüzden and bu yüzden mean 'that is why' and open the second half. A bare de after the subject does the same job: ben de yürüdüm.
   • Hem ... hem de. Hem ... hem de is 'both ... and', and each half keeps its own ending: hem yorgunum hem de açım. Üstelik piles one more argument on top.
7. B1 Section 7: Handling SituationsProblems, interviews, money and paperwork

   Complaints & Problems

   Say what went wrong, politely

   At the Hotel · At the Restaurant · Faulty Products · Late & Lost · Getting It Fixed

   “Maalesef odamla ilgili bir sorun var”

   Job Interview

   Talk about yourself with confidence

   About Yourself · Strengths & Weaknesses · Your Experience · Questions to Ask · Salary & Start Date

   “Beni bu görüşmeye davet ettiğiniz için teşekkür ederim”

   Money Matters

   Accounts, bills and transfers

   Opening an Account · Paying Bills · Sending Money · Budgeting · Fees & Insurance

   “Banka hesabı açtırmak istiyorum”

   Paperwork

   Appointments, forms and documents

   Making an Appointment · Filling In Forms · At the Office · Documents · Deadlines & Renewals

   “Randevu almak istiyorum, lütfen”

   Living Abroad

   Settle in a new country

   Finding an Apartment · Utilities & Repairs · Meeting Locals · Settling In · Local Customs

   “Depozito bir kira mı, iki mi?”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • Softening a complaint. Maalesef, galiba and kusura bakmayın take the edge off. Turkish complains about the situation rather than about the person standing in front of you.
   • The passive for blame. -il or -in inside the verb quietly removes the person: odam temizlenmedi, tahsilat yapılmış, ücret kesilmiş. Nobody is accused by name.
   • -daki: the one in there. The locative plus -ki turns a place into an adjective: odamdaki klima, aklınızdaki rakam, ellerindeki en büyük.
   • Since and for. Beri wants an ablative and -dır rides on the span itself: pazartesiden beri, beş yıldır. Turkish then keeps the verb in the present.
8. B2 Section 8: Speak Your MindOpinions, stories, what-ifs and idioms

   Debating Opinions

   Argue your point and listen

   Strong Opinions · Both Sides · Persuading · Doubts · Changing Your Mind

   “Bana sorarsan bu yanlış bir yaklaşım”

   Telling Stories

   Make people listen

   Setting the Scene · What Happened Next · Surprises & Twists · Feelings in the Story · The Moral

   “Bu birkaç yıl önce oldu”

   News & Society

   Talk about the world

   In the News · The Environment · Technology & Us · Work & Life Balance · Traditions & Change

   “Şehir merkezinde olanları duydun mu?”

   What If

   Imagine, regret and wish

   If I Had Time · Imagining · Regrets · Wishes · Plan B

   “Yarın vaktim olursa seni ararım”

   Idioms & Expressions

   Sound like a native

   Everyday Idioms · Feelings in Idioms · Casual Talk · Being Funny · Sounding Natural

   “Ateş pahası”

   Guidebook: 20 grammar notes

   • Opening an opinion. Bana sorarsan, bence and açıkçası all open a stance. Kesinlikle strengthens it and hiç şüphem yok closes the door on any doubt.
   • Bir yandan, öte yandan. The pair bir yandan ... öte yandan sets two sides against each other, and bağlı plus the dative says what the answer depends on.
   • -dır-: making someone do it. -dır or -tir inside a verb means you cause it: kazandırmak to make someone gain, kaygılandırmak to make anxious, çıldırtmak to drive mad.
   • Folding a clause into a noun. -diği turns a whole clause into something you can add endings to: söylediklerine katılıyorum, nasıl baktığına bağlı, bildiğinden emin misin.

Speak Turkish with an AI partner

The same 385 scenarios work in Turkish. Your partner answers in Turkish, rates each message Perfect, Good or Revision needed, and every scenario has goals to tick off. A few to start with:

18 Turkish stories, read aloud

Short stories at A1, A2 and B1, each read by one of the characters, with questions at the end.

Elif istasyonda. Elif is at the station.

Saat sabah sekiz. It is eight o'clock in the morning.

From “Geç Kalan Tren”