Everyday Turkish
Turkish phrases you’ll hear every day
Many everyday Turkish phrases come with a set reply. Here is what each one means, when to say it and what people say back.
At the door
Hoş geldin(iz)
Welcome. Literally: you came pleasantly.
Said to anyone who arrives, at home, in a shop or at work. Hoş geldiniz is the polite or plural form.
Reply: Hoş bulduk (“we found it pleasant”), even if you came aloneHoşça kal / Güle güle
Stay well / Go with smiles.
The person leaving says hoşça kal; the one staying says güle güle. Mixing them up is a classic beginner’s slip.
Reply to hoşça kal: Güle güleAt the table
Afiyet olsun
Enjoy your meal. Literally: may it be good health.
Said before or after someone eats. Waiters say it when they bring your food, and again as you pay.
Reply: Teşekkürler, or Sağ ol (sağ olun to someone you don’t know)Eline sağlık
Health to your hand.
Say it to whoever cooked for you, or made you something by hand. It is one of the warmest thank-yous in Turkish.
Reply: Afiyet olsun for food, otherwise Sağ olOut and about
Kolay gelsin
May it come easy.
Said to someone who is working: a shopkeeper, a colleague, someone fixing your sink. It works as a hello and, just as often, as a goodbye.
Reply: Sağ ol, sağ olun or TeşekkürlerBuyurun
Here you are / Please, go ahead.
A polite all-rounder: handing something over, inviting someone in, answering the phone at work, or a shopkeeper asking how they can help.
No set replyKusura bakma(yın)
Sorry. Literally: don’t look at the fault.
For small apologies, like a late reply or a messy flat. Add -yın to be polite. If you bump into someone, say pardon.
Reply: Önemli değil, it’s nothingRica ederim
You’re welcome. Literally: I request.
The usual answer when someone thanks you.
Said after: TeşekkürlerGood wishes
Geçmiş olsun
May it be in the past.
Get well soon, or sorry to hear that: for an illness, a small accident or a bad day.
Reply: Sağ olHayırlı olsun
May it bring good.
Congratulations on something new: a home, a job, a car, an engagement.
Reply: Sağ ol or TeşekkürlerGüle güle kullan
Use it with smiles.
For a new purchase, like a phone or a bike. Friends will say it the moment they notice. For clothes it’s güle güle giy.
Reply: Sağ olSıhhatler olsun
Health to you.
Said after a shower, a haircut or a shave. Barbers say it as you get up from the chair.
Reply: Sağ olÇok yaşa
Live long.
What you say when someone sneezes, the Turkish “bless you”.
Reply: Sen de gör, may you see it tooWords you’ll hear all day
İnşallah
God willing / Hopefully.
Used for plans and hopes, by religious and non-religious people alike: “See you tomorrow, inşallah.”
No set replyMaşallah
Literally: what God has willed.
An expression of admiration, said when praising a baby or a new home, with the wish that nothing spoils it.
No set replyIn hard moments
Başın(ız) sağ olsun
May your head be healthy.
Condolences, said to someone who has lost a person close to them.
Reply: Dostlar sağ olsun, may friends be healthyWhat would you say?
Five everyday moments. Tap an answer to check it.
1. Your friend sneezes.
Çok yaşa, and your friend answers sen de gör.
2. Your host cooked dinner, and you’ve just finished eating.
Eline sağlık thanks the cook. Expect afiyet olsun back.
3. You walk into a small shop while the owner is busy stocking shelves.
Kolay gelsin: a friendly hello to anyone at work.
4. Someone greets you with “Hoş geldiniz!” as you arrive.
Hoş bulduk is the set reply, whether you came alone or not.
5. A colleague tells you they were ill all week.
Geçmiş olsun: may it be behind you.
+3
Say them out loud with a teacher
Phrases stick when you use them in a real conversation. Your first 25-minute lesson with each teacher is half price.
Questions
What does kolay gelsin mean?
Literally “may it come easy”. You say it to someone who is working, from a shopkeeper to a colleague, and they reply “sağ ol” or “teşekkürler”.
What do you say when someone sneezes in Turkish?
“Çok yaşa”, which means “live long”. The person who sneezed answers “sen de gör”, “may you see it too”.
How do you reply to hoş geldiniz?
With “hoş bulduk”. “Hoş geldiniz” means “welcome”, and the reply means roughly “we found it pleasant”, even if you came alone.
What does maşallah mean?
Literally “what God has willed”. People say it to admire something, like a baby or a new home, and to wish that nothing spoils it.