Frequently used Turkish words for tourists
Millions of tourists visit Turkey every year. You can find very comfortable English-speaking people in tourism centers and hotels in Turkey, but it can be useful to know some Turkish words.
In places such as cafes, restaurants, and bars, the menus are usually written in both Turkish and English.
In Turkey’s main tourist centers such as Antalya, Fethiye, Marmaris, and Bodrum, there are many people who speak languages other than English, such as German, Russian and Arabic.
Turks are very hospitable and try to help tourists in every way to be satisfied with their holiday in Turkey. However, sometimes you may encounter people who do not speak English.
Also, Turkish people like to speak Turkish, even if it’s just a few words, and they give you extra attention. Before we are getting start, I would like to offer a Turkish English dictionary which is an English Turkish dictionary as well. This can be very helpful to understand Turkish language better. Also you can learn free Turkish from these online resources.
Table of Contents
- Frequently used Turkish words and their English equivalents
- Most used Turkish Words
- Commonly used words in Accommodation in Turkey
- Frequently Used Words in Food and Drink in Turkey
- Frequently Used Words in Money Matters in Turkey
- Frequently Used Words in Transportation in Turkey
- Frequently Used Words in Touristic Places in Turkey
- Cappadocia Pronunciation
- Frequently Used Words in Time Expressions in Turkey
- Frequently Used Words in Case of Emergency in Turkey
- Frequently Used Words for Thank you in Turkish
- Turkish Words – Colors
- Turkish Words – Numbers
- Turkish Words – Days of the Week
- Turkish Words – Adjectives
- Turkish Words – Directions
- Frequently Asking Questions About Learning Turkish Words
Frequently used Turkish words and their English equivalents
We have prepared the most used words for you in categories.
Most used Turkish Words
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Hi | Selam | Seel-am |
| Hello | Merhaba | Mare-ha-ba |
| Good bye | Güle Güle | guul-e guul-e |
| Good morning | Günaydın | Gun-ayy-din |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederim | Te-sh-qy-err ed-err-im |
| Please | Lütfen | Lutt-fen |
| Yes | Evet | Ev-et |
| No | Hayır | Ha-ear |
| Sorry | Üzgünüm | Uzz-gu-num |
| Excuse me | Affedersiniz | Aff-ed-dir-san-iz |
| I want | İstiyorum | Iss-ti-yorr-um |
| I don’t want | İstemiyorum | Iss-te-mii-yorr-um |
| Food | Yemek | Yemm-ek |
| Drink | İçecek | Icc-e-cek |
| Mr | Bay | Bay |
| Mrs | Bayan | Bay-ann |
| But | Ama | Ama |
| Or | Veya | Vee-ya |
| And | Ve | Vee |
| Child | Çocuk | Coo-cuk |
| I can’t speak Turkish | Türkçe bilmiyorum | Turrk-ce bill-mi-yor-um |
| I don’t understand | Anlamıyorum | Ann-la-mii-yor-um |
| I’m fine | İyiyim | Iyy-iyy-im |
| What time is it? | Saat kaç? | Saa-at kac? |
| Can I have …? | … rica ediyorum | Rii-ca edd-i-yorr-um |
| Excellent! | Çok güzel | Cokk gu-zee-ll |
Commonly used words in Accommodation in Turkey
The most common Turkish words you may need during your stay.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Hotel | Otel | Ot-al |
| Hostel | Pansiyon | Pen-si-yon |
| Reservation | Rezervasyon | Rez-err-va-es-yon |
| Room | Oda | O-da |
| Entrance | Giriş | Gi-ri-s |
| Exit | Çıkış | Ci-kis |
| Luggage | Valiz | Ve-liz |
| Restaurant | Restoran | Res-to-ran |
| Cafe | Kafe | Ka-fe |
| Air-conditioning | Klima | Kl-i-ma |
| Balcony | Balkon | Baal-kon |
| Pull | Çekiniz | Cekk-i-niz |
| Push | İtiniz | Itt-i-niz |
| Cleaning | Temizlik | Tee-miz-lik |
| Clean | Temiz | tee-miz |
| Reception | Resepsiyon | Ress-ep-si-yoon |
| Shower | Duş | Du-ss |
| Soap | Sabun | Saa-bun |
| Shampoo | Şampuan | Samm-pu-aan |
| Towel | Havlu | Havv-lu |
| Toilet | Tuvalet | Tuu-a-let |
| Toilet paper | Tuvalet kağıdı | Tuu-a-let ka-gii-di |
| Swimming pool | Havuz | Haa-vu-z |
| Slipper | Terlik | Teer-liik |
| Pillow | Yastık | Yass-tik |
| Sheet | Çarşaf | Carr-saff |
| Balcony | Balkon | Ball-kon |
Frequently Used Words in Food and Drink in Turkey
The most common Turkish words you may want to use in the morning at breakfasts and restaurants.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Food | Yemek | Yemm-ek |
| Drink | İçecek | Icc-e-cek |
| I’m hungry | Açım | Acc-im |
| Meat | Et | Et |
| Vegetable | Sebze | Sebb-ze |
| Bread | Ekmek | Ekk-mek |
| Breakfast | Kahvaltı | Kahh-vall-ti |
| Dinner | Akşam Yemeği | Ak-samm yee-me-gii |
| Dessert | Tatlı | Tatt-li |
| Water | Su | Su |
| Beer | Bira | Bii-ra |
| Cola | Kola | Kol-a |
| Juice | Meyve Suyu | Meyy-ve Suu-yu |
| Black pepper | Karabiber | Ka-rra-bii-ber |
| Salt | Tuz | Tuzz |
| Sugar | Şeker | Sekk-er |
| Garlic | Sarımsak | Sarr-imm-sak |
| Onion | Soğan | Soo-gan |
| Fork | Çatal | Ca-tt-all |
| Spoon | Kaşık | Kass-ik |
| Knife | Bıçak | Bii-cak |
| Glass | Bardak | Barr-dak |
| Tea | Çay | Cayy |
| Coffee | Kahve | Kahh-ve |
| Turkish delight | Lokum | Lokk-um |
| Table | Masa | Ma-sa |
| Chair | Sandalye | Sann-dall-ye |
| Steak | Biftek | Biff-tek |
| Soup | Çorba | Coor-baa |
| Tip | Bahşiş | Bahh-sis |
| Waiter / waitress | Garson | Garr-soon |
| Well done | İyi pişmiş | Iyy piss-mis |
| Wine | Şarap | Sarr-ap |
| Yoghurt drink | Ayran | Ayy-ran |
| Serviette | Peçete | Pee-ce-te |
| Ice cream | Dondurma | Donn-durr-ma |
| Kebab | Kebap | Kee-bap |
| Cheese | Peynir | Peyy-nir |
| Regional | Yöresel | Yorr-ess-el |
Frequently Used Words in Money Matters in Turkey
Turkish words that you may want to use in shopping, bank, and hotel in Turkey.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Money | Para | Paa-ra |
| Bank | Banka | Bann-ka |
| ATM | Bankamatik | Bann-ka-maa-tik |
| Cash money | Nakit Para | Naa-kit Pa-ra |
| Credit card | Kredi Kartı | Kree-di Karr-tı |
| Cheap | Ucuz | Uu-cuz |
| Discount | İndirim | Inn-di-rimm |
| Free | Bedava | Bee-da-va |
| Expensive | Pahalı | Paa-ha-li |
| High quality | Kaliteli | Kaa-lii-te-lii |
| Fake | Sahte | Sahh-te |
| Currency | Döviz | Dov-iz |
| Foreign exchange office | Döviz Bürosu | Dov-iz Bur-oo-su |
| Invoice | Fatura | Faa-tu-raa |
| Receipt | Makbuz | Makk-buzz |
| Deposit | Depozito | Dep-oo-zii-to |
Frequently Used Words in Transportation in Turkey
Turkish words that you may want to use on the plane, bus, or train in Turkey.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Airport | Havalimanı | Ha-vaa-li-maa-ni |
| Bus | Otobüs | ott-o-buss |
| Train | Tren | Trr-een |
| Plane | Uçak | Ucc-ak |
| Car | Araba | Arr-a-baa |
| Ship / Boat | Gemi | Gee-mi |
| Taxi | Taksi | Takk-si |
| Ticket | Bilet | Bill-ett |
| Fee | Ücret | Ucc-ret |
| For rent | Kiralık | Kirr-aa-lik |
| Map | Harita | Harr-ii-ta |
| Ferry | Vapur | Vaa-pu-rr |
| Passenger | Yolcu | Yoll-cu |
| Motorway | Otoyol | Ott-oo-yol |
| Road | Yol | Yoll |
| Port | Liman | Lii-man |
| Quay | İskele | İss-kee-le |
| Station | İstasyon | Iss-tass-yon |
| Street | Sokak | Sokk-akk |
| District | İlçe | Ill-ce |
| City | Şehir | Sehh-ir |
| Speed | Hız | Hızz |
| Traffic | Trafik | Trr-aff-ik |
| Traffic penalty | Trafik cezası | Trr-aff-ik cezz-aa-si |
| Distance | Mesafe | Mee-sa-fee |
Frequently Used Words in Touristic Places in Turkey
Frequently used Turkish words that you may need in tourist places in Turkey.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Castle | Kale | Kaa-le |
| Ancient | Antik | Ann-tik |
| City | Şehir | Sehh-ir |
| Museum | Müze | Mu-ze |
| Card | Kart | Ka-rrt |
| Church | Kilise | Ki-lii-se |
| Mosque | Cami | Ca-mi |
| Palace | Saray | Sarr-ay |
| Square | Meydan | Meyy-dan |
| Tower | Kule | Ku-le |
| Tourism | Turizm | Turr-iz-im |
| Tourist | Turist | Turr-ist |
| Turkish bath | Hamam | Hamm-am |
| Island | Ada | Aa-da |
| King | Kral | Krr-al |
Cappadocia Pronunciation
Pronunciation Cappadocia is very common that wondered. It shouldn’t be too hard to pronounce the name of this magnificent place that receives millions of visitors every year, right?
Cappadocia pronunciation in English sounds like Ka-pa-dow-sha. But what about the locals?
How do Turks say Cappadocia? (Cappadocia pronunciation in Turkish)
Cappadocia Turkish pronunciation is Ka-pa-dok-ya. If it is too hard for you, just show the word either in English or Turkish. People probably will understand where do you mean it.
Frequently Used Words in Time Expressions in Turkey
Frequently used Turkish words that you may need in Time Expressions in Turkey.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Afternoon | Öğleden sonra | Ogg-le-den Sonn-ra |
| At the moment | Şu anda | Su ann-da |
| Early | Erken | Err-ken |
| Evening | Akşam | Ak-samm |
| Last week | Geçen hafta | Gecc-en Haff-ta |
| Late | Geç | Gecc |
| Later | Sonra | Sonn-ra |
| Morning | Sabah | Sa-bahh |
| Next week | Gelecek hafta | Gell-ee-cek haff-ta |
| Night | Gece | Ge-ce |
| Now | Şimdi | Simm-di |
| Soon | Yakında | Yaa-kınn-da |
| This evening | Bu akşam | Bu ak-samm |
| This morning | Bu sabah | Bu sa-bahh |
| Today | Bugün | Bu-gunn |
| Tomorrow | Yarın | Yarr-ın |
| Yesterday | Dün | Dun |
Frequently Used Words in Case of Emergency in Turkey
Frequently used Turkish words that you may need in Case of Emergency in Turkey.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Help | Yardım | Yarr-dim |
| Police | Polis | Poll-is |
| Doctor | Doktor | Dok-torr |
| Hospital | Hastane | Hass-taa-ne |
| Ambulance | Ambulans | Amm-bu-la-nss |
| Dentist | Dişci | Diss-ci |
| Medication | İlaç | Ill-ac |
| Pain | Ağrı | Agg-ri |
| Pharmacy | Eczane | Ecc-zaa-ne |
| Stop! | Dur! | Durr |
| Fire! | Yangın | Yann-gin |
| Accident | Kaza | Kaa-za |
Frequently Used Words for Thank you in Turkish
Thank you in Turkish has several versions that vary depending on the closeness between you and the person you are talking about.
Such as “TEŞEKKÜR EDERİM” tesh-hek-kuur e-de-riim is the most formal and common variation.
You can also prefer “SAĞ OL” and the pronunciation is saa-ool which means “be alive”. This version can be used if you know the people better.
Last but not least, there is a DUDE VERSION for THANK YOU in Turkish and it is “EYVALLAH”. You can say eyy-val-lah
Turkish Words – Colors
Turkish word equivalents of colors.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Black | Siyah | Sii-yah |
| Blue | Mavi | Ma-vi |
| Brown | Kahverengi | Kahh-vee-ren-gii |
| Green | Yeşil | Yess-il |
| Orange | Turuncu | Tu-run-cuu |
| Pink | Pembe | Pemm-be |
| Purple | Mor | Mor |
| Red | Kırmızı | Kırr-mı-zıı |
| White | Beyaz | Beyy-az |
| Yellow | Sarı | Sa-rı |
Turkish Words – Numbers
Turkish word equivalents of numbers.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| 0 | Sıfır | Siff-ir |
| 1 | Bir | Bii-r |
| 2 | İki | İki |
| 3 | Üç | Üçç |
| 4 | Dört | Dö-rtt |
| 5 | Beş | Beş |
| 6 | Altı | All-ti |
| 7 | Yedi | Yee-dii |
| 8 | Sekiz | Sekk-iz |
| 9 | Dokuz | Dokk-uz |
| 10 | On | On |
Turkish Words – Days of the Week
Turkish word equivalents of the days.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Monday | Pazartesi | Paa-zarr-te-sii |
| Tuesday | Salı | Saa-li |
| Wednesday | Çarşamba | Carr-sam-ba |
| Thursday | Perşembe | Perr-sem-bee |
| Friday | Cuma | Cuu-ma |
| Saturday | Cumartesi | Cuu-marr-te-si |
| Sunday | Pazar | Pazz-ar |
Turkish Words – Adjectives
Turkish word equivalents of adjectives.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| a little | az | Az |
| a lot / very / too | çok | Cok |
| average / medium | orta | Orr-ta |
| bad | kötü | Ko-tu |
| big | büyük | Buu-yu-k |
| closed | kapalı | Kaa-pa-lii |
| cold | soğuk | So-guk |
| good | iyi | Iyi |
| hot | sıcak | Sıı-cakk |
| open | açık | Ac-ikk |
| quick | hızlı / çabuk | Hızz-li |
| slow | yavaş | Ya-vass |
| small | küçük | Kuu-cuk |
Turkish Words – Directions
Turkish word equivalents of directions.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
| Broken | Bozuk | Boo-zuk |
| Down | Aşağı | Asaa-gi |
| Far | Uzak | Uzz-ak |
| Here | Burada | Bu-raa-da |
| Left | Sol | Sol |
| Near | Yakın | Yaa-kin |
| Right | Sağ | Sag |
| Straight on | Doğru | Do-gg-ru |
| There | Orada | Orr-aa-da |
| Up | Yukarı | Yuu-kaa-ri |
You can do a lot of work with these words, but if you need other words and the person in front of you does not speak English, we recommend you to translate with google translate.
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Frequently Asking Questions About Learning Turkish Words
Here, you can find top questions and answers about learning Turkish language and frequently using words that can help you during your vacation!
How do you say thank you in Turkish?
Thank you is probably the most used word by tourists. The Turkish equivalent of thank you is “Teşekkür ederim”.
How do you say hello in Turkish?
Turks love to greet, they will be very happy if you reply in Turkish. The Turkish word for Hello is “Merhaba”.
Should I learn Turkish while traveling to Turkey?
There are a lot of people who speak English in popular tourist destinations in Turkey, but it would be good to know a few simple words.
Is Turkish a difficult language?
Turkish is more difficult than English, as it is an agglutinative language.