I can say hello and goodbye to a friend and to a stranger, ask “how are you?”, say thank you, apologize, and answer “you're welcome” — without mixing up sen and siz.
Merhaba and Hoşça kal: sen and siz
Merhaba and Hoşça kal: sen and siz
Why: to say hello, ask “how are you?”, say thank you, apologize, and say goodbye — to a friend and to a stranger.
English has one “you”. Turkish has two: Sen to one person you know well (a friend, a child, someone your age), Siz to a stranger, an older person, your teacher or doctor, and to any group. The phrase depends on it:
• to a friend: Nasılsın? Sağ ol! Hoşça kal!
• with siz: Nasılsınız? Sağ olun! Hoşça kalın!
Phrases come in pairs (see the table). To a guest you say Hoş geldiniz, and the guest replies Hoş bulduk, not “thanks”. Teşekkür ederim is answered with Rica ederim, Nasılsın? with İyiyim.
Turkish has two goodbyes. Hoşça kal is said by the one who is leaving. Güle güle is said by the one who stays. Görüşürüz (“see you”) is said by both.
Learn the phrases as a whole: what they're made of comes later.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Nasılsın?” to an elderly neighbor → Nasılsınız?
• NOT “Güle güle!” when you're the one leaving → Hoşça kal! Hoşça kalın!
• NOT “Hoş geldiniz!” in reply to Hoş geldiniz → Hoş bulduk!
sen and siz in set phrases
The same situation, two phrases: to a friend and with siz.
| What to say | To a friend (sen) | Formal (siz) |
|---|---|---|
| Asking how someone is | Nasılsın? | Nasılsınız? |
| Thanking a friend | Sağ ol! | Sağ olun! |
| Saying goodbye as you leave | Hoşça kal! | Hoşça kalın! |
Greetings by time of day
İyi günler and İyi akşamlar are said both when you meet and when you part.
| When | What people say |
|---|---|
| Any time | Merhaba! |
| To a friend | Selam! |
| In the morning | Günaydın! |
| In the daytime (and leaving in the daytime) | İyi günler! |
| In the evening (and leaving in the evening) | İyi akşamlar! |
| At night, before bed | İyi geceler! |
Pairs of lines: what people say and how they reply
Phrases come in pairs. Learn them as a whole.
| Situation | What people say | What people reply |
|---|---|---|
| A guest arrives | Hoş geldiniz! | Hoş bulduk! |
| Someone thanks you | Teşekkür ederim · Teşekkürler | Rica ederim · Bir şey değil |
| Someone asks how you are | Nasılsınız? | İyiyim. |
| You're leaving | Hoşça kalın! | Güle güle! |
| You'll see each other again soon | Görüşürüz! | Görüşürüz! |
| Handing something over, inviting someone in | Buyurun! | Teşekkürler. |
| Calling to a stranger, bumping into someone | Affedersiniz! Pardon! | (no reply expected) |
| It's your fault | Özür dilerim. | (no reply expected) |
| Asking for something | …, lütfen. | Tamam. Evet. Hayır. |
Lesson notes
Merhaba and Hoşça kal: sen and siz
Why: to say hello, ask “how are you?”, say thank you, apologize, and say goodbye — to a friend and to a stranger.
English has one “you”. Turkish has two: Sen to one person you know well (a friend, a child, someone your age), Siz to a stranger, an older person, your teacher or doctor, and to any group. The phrase depends on it:
• to a friend: Nasılsın? Sağ ol! Hoşça kal!
• with siz: Nasılsınız? Sağ olun! Hoşça kalın!
Phrases come in pairs (see the table). To a guest you say Hoş geldiniz, and the guest replies Hoş bulduk, not “thanks”. Teşekkür ederim is answered with Rica ederim, Nasılsın? with İyiyim.
Turkish has two goodbyes. Hoşça kal is said by the one who is leaving. Güle güle is said by the one who stays. Görüşürüz (“see you”) is said by both.
Learn the phrases as a whole: what they're made of comes later.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Nasılsın?” to an elderly neighbor → Nasılsınız?
• NOT “Güle güle!” when you're the one leaving → Hoşça kal! Hoşça kalın!
• NOT “Hoş geldiniz!” in reply to Hoş geldiniz → Hoş bulduk!