30 Essential Turkish Phrases for Your First Trip to Istanbul

Good with anyone, at any time of day, and the usual reply is merhaba too. In quick speech the h almost disappears.

Said by the one leaving; the one staying answers güle güle. Görüşürüz, see you, is the casual way to part.

The everyday thanks. Teşekkür ederim is the fuller form, and çok teşekkürler is thank you very much.

Tuvalet nerede? asks for the toilet. On doors, Bay is men and Bayan is women. Some public toilets charge a small fee.

Evet, lütfen is yes, please.

A clear no. Hayır, teşekkürler is no, thank you. Many people say no with a small upward nod and raised eyebrows, sometimes with a click of the tongue.

The cry for urgent help. Yardım edin! asks people to help you. The emergency number in Turkey is 112.

Add it to any request: su, lütfen, water, please.

A full apology. For a small bump in a crowd, pardon is enough.

The polite way to get a waiter's or passer-by's attention before a question. Pardon is shorter.

It comes after the place: otel nerede?, where is the hotel?

The verb to understand. Anlamıyorum, I don't understand, is the form to have ready; anladım is I understood.

Daha yavaş, lütfen asks for more slowly, please.

The usual reply to teşekkürler. Bir şey değil, it's nothing, is another.

Bu ne kadar? asks the price of this. Prices are in Turkish lira, written TL or ₺.

Hesap, lütfen asks for the bill. Before a vowel ending the p becomes b: hesabı.

Look for a red E sign. At night and on Sundays a nöbetçi eczane, the duty pharmacy, stays open, and closed pharmacies post which one it is.

Ordered water comes still and usually bottled. Bir şişe su is a bottle of water.

Said until about late morning. Later in the day, iyi günler is good day.

Alerjim var is I have an allergy. The food goes first, with the ending -a or -e: süte alerjim var, I'm allergic to milk.

In the sentence banka kartı shortens to kart, with the ending -la, with. Cards are widely taken in Istanbul; small shops and market stalls may prefer cash.

Kişilik is "for ... people". Swap iki for üç, three, or dört, four.

Put any place before nerede, phrase 11: otobüs durağı nerede?, where is the bus stop? In Istanbul, buses, the metro, trams and ferries all take the İstanbulkart, a rechargeable travel card.

Swap bir for iki, two, or üç, three. In Istanbul a tap of the İstanbulkart usually replaces a paper ticket.

Bana is to me, and edebilir misiniz? asks politely whether someone can. Start with affedersiniz, phrase 10, to get someone's attention first.

Tekrar söyler misiniz? asks for it again. Add daha yavaş, more slowly, if it went by too fast.

For a taxi or a dolmuş, the shared minibus. Durun is the polite way to tell someone to stop.

Çağırın asks someone to call one out. The emergency number in Turkey is 112, for ambulance, fire and police alike.

Cooks and hosts love to hear it; çok lezzetli is very delicious. At the start of a meal you'll hear afiyet olsun, enjoy your meal.

Acı is spicy hot; sıcak is hot to the touch. Drop çok, very, for just spicy.