Istanbul phrasebook: speaking Turkish as a visitor

Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and stretches across the Bosphorus, with neighbourhoods on both the European and the Asian side. Turkish is written in the Latin alphabet and is very regular to read: each letter has one sound. The letters to learn first are ç ('ch'), ş ('sh'), ı (a dotless i, a short 'uh' sound), and ğ, which is mostly silent and lengthens the vowel before it.

Turkish builds words by adding suffixes in a fixed order, and vowels inside those suffixes change to harmonise with the word they attach to — which is why you see both -ler and -lar for plurals. Tea (çay) is offered constantly, in shops as well as homes, and accepting a glass is part of the conversation. In the Grand Bazaar and similar markets, friendly bargaining is expected; in supermarkets and chain stores, prices are fixed.

Conversation lifelines

When a conversation in Istanbul moves faster than you can follow, these keep it going instead of switching to English:

Travel phrases for Istanbul

Situations to practise before you go

At the restaurant

Key pieces: garson · acısız · vejetaryen

garson waiter, menü menu, sipariş order. Call the waiter and ask for the menu.

To say “Waiter, the menu please” in Turkish: Garson, menü lütfen (gar-SON, meh-NEW lewt-fen). Built from garson = waiter; menü = menu; lütfen = please.

acılı = spicy, acısız = not spicy. And 'I'm vegetarian' = Vejetaryenim.

To say “Not spicy, please” in Turkish: Acısız, lütfen (ah-juh-SUHZ lewt-fen). Built from acı-sız = without spice; lütfen = please.

To say “I'm vegetarian” in Turkish: Vejetaryenim (veh-zheh-tar-yeh-NIM). Built from vejetaryen = vegetarian; -im = I am.

To say “The bill, please” in Turkish: Hesap, lütfen (heh-SAP lewt-fen). Built from hesap = bill. hesap ≈ hisaab.

And two you'll hear: Afiyet olsun ('enjoy your meal') and Şerefe! ('cheers!').

To say “Cheers!” in Turkish: Şerefe! (sheh-reh-FEH). Built from şerefe = to your honour → cheers.

Politeness & survival

Key pieces: rica ederim · yavaş · tekrar

The social glue: rica ederim you're welcome, önemli değil never mind / no problem, affedersiniz excuse me.

To say “Never mind / no problem” in Turkish: Önemli değil (ur-nem-LEE deh-il). Built from önemli = important; değil = not.

To say “Excuse me” in Turkish: Affedersiniz (af-feh-der-see-NIZ). Built from affedersiniz = excuse me.

And the lifesavers when someone speaks too fast:

To say “One moment” in Turkish: Bir dakika (beer dah-kee-KA). Built from bir = one; dakika = minute.

To say “Can you speak slowly?” in Turkish: Yavaş konuşabilir misiniz? (yah-VASH ko-noo-shah-bee-lir mee-see-niz). Built from yavaş = slow; konuşabilir misiniz? = can you speak?.

To say “Can you repeat that?” in Turkish: Tekrar eder misiniz? (tek-RAR eh-der mee-see-niz). Built from tekrar = again; eder misiniz? = would you do?.

Hotel & booking

Key pieces: oda · gece · rezervasyon

"Bir oda" = a room. Duration uses için: "iki gece için" = for two nights.

• oda (oh-DAH) — room
• gece (geh-JEH) — night
• anahtar (ah-nah-TAR) — key
• kahvaltı (kah-vahl-TUH) — breakfast
• banyo (bahn-YOH) — bathroom

• rezervasyon (reh-zer-vahs-YON) — reservation
• için (ee-CHEEN) — for
• banyolu (bahn-yoh-LOO) — with bathroom
• boş (bosh) — empty / free
• kat (kaht) — floor

To say “I want a room.” in Turkish: Bir oda istiyorum. (beer oh-DAH ees-tee-YOR-oom). Built from bir = a; oda = room; iste- = want; -iyor = present; -um = I.

To say “For two nights.” in Turkish: İki gece için. (ee-KEE geh-JEH ee-CHEEN). Built from iki = two; gece = night; için = for. Bir oda istiyorum..

To say “A room with a bathroom, please.” in Turkish: Banyolu bir oda, lütfen. (bahn-yoh-LOO beer oh-DAH LUET-fen). Built from banyo = bathroom; -lu = with; bir oda = a room; lütfen = please.

To say “Is breakfast included?” in Turkish: Kahvaltı dahil mi? (kah-vahl-TUH dah-HEEL mee). Built from kahvaltı = breakfast; dahil = included; mi = question.

To say “Here is my key.” in Turkish: İşte anahtarım. (eesh-TEH ah-nah-tah-RUHM). Built from işte = here is; anahtar = key; -ım = my.

Example dialogue

Arrival & airport

At the restaurant

Turkish etiquette that helps in Istanbul

Tea is a ritual, not just a drink

You'll be offered çay constantly — in shops, offices, even mid-bargain. Accepting is a sign of friendliness; it's served in little tulip glasses with sugar cubes. Saying yes to tea opens every door in Türkiye.

Greetings are warm and physical

Handshakes are normal; close friends may do a light cheek-to-cheek (both sides). With elders, a slight nod shows respect. Buyurun ('go ahead / here you are / welcome') is the all-purpose courtesy word — you'll hear it everywhere.

Tipping (bahşiş)

Restaurants: round up or leave ~5–10%. Cafés/taxis: round up. It's appreciated, not obligatory. Hand it directly or leave it on the table.

If it's Ramadan

During Ramadan many locals fast sunrise-to-sunset. Eating/drinking in public is legal and common in tourist areas, but doing so discreetly near those fasting is courteous. The evening iftar meal is a wonderful, lively experience if you're invited.

Hospitality runs deep

Guests (misafir) are treated generously — you may be offered food, tea, even refused payment. Accept graciously; a small reciprocal gesture (sweets, a token from your country) is appreciated. Compliment the host's home or food: 'Çok güzel!'

Written by the LanguagePath editorial team from our own course material. Pronunciation guides are approximate English respellings; tap any phrase in the app above to hear it. Native-speaker review of every course is ongoing — tell us if you spot an error.