TURKISH ALPHABET
Merhaba, language enthusiasts! Let's take our first step by exploring the unique Turkish alphabet.
Turkish alphabet consists of 29 letters. 21 consonants and 8 vowels:
A, B, C, Ç, D, E, F, G, Ğ, H, I, İ, J, K, L, M, N, O, Ö, P, R, S, Ş, T, U, Ü, V, Y, Z
Some tips on how to pronounce the vowels of the Turkish:
- A is like the ‘a’ in “father.” It’s open and relaxed.
- E is similar to the ‘e’ in “bed.” Keep it short and crisp.
- I is the tricky one, it’s a bit like the ‘e’ in “roses,” but without the dots, so it’s more guttural.
- İ is the dotted counterpart, pronounced like the ‘ee’ in “see.”
- O is as you would expect, just like the ‘o’ in “more.”
- Ö is unique, try shaping your mouth as if to say ‘o’ but say ‘e’ instead.
- U is a deep sound, akin to the ‘oo’ in “moon.”
- Ü is like trying to say ‘ee’ while rounding your lips as for ‘oo.’
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Idioms and Expressions
Nazar Değmesin: Literally translates to “Don’t
let the evil eye touch you.” It’s used to protect someone after praising
them, similar to the English phrase “knock on wood.”
Example: “Ne kadar güzel
saçların var, nazar değmesin.” (You’ve got such beautiful hair, knock on
wood.)
Ateş Almaya Gelmek: Literally means “To come and
ask for a fire/light.” It refers to dropping by briefly.
Damlaya Damlaya Göl Olur: Translates to “Drop by drop, it
will become a lake.” Similar to “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
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Language Trivia
Agglutinative Structure: Turkish is an agglutinative
language, meaning that suffixes are added to root words to convey various
meanings. For example, “ev” (house) becomes “evde” (at home) with the
suffix “-de.”
Vowel Harmony: Turkish has vowel harmony,
where suffixes harmonize with the vowels in the root word. There are
front vowels (e, i, ö, ü) and back vowels (a, ı, o, u).
No Gender Distinction: Unlike many European languages,
Turkish doesn’t have gender-specific articles or pronouns. “O” means both
“he” and “she” and "it".
Word Order Flexibility: Turkish has subject, object, and verb word. But still the subject, object, and verb can appear in
different orders without changing the meaning.
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Ordering Food at Restaurants
“Garson!” (Waiter/waitress!)
“Menü, lütfen.” (Menu, please.)
“Bu ne?” (What is this?)
“Bir … istiyorum.” (I’d like a …) (Fill in the blank with the dish
you want (e.g., “Bir kebap istiyorum”for “I’d like a kebab.”)
“Çatal ve bıçak, lütfen.” (Fork and knife, please.)
“Hesap, lütfen.” (Check/bill, please.)
Understanding Menus
“Çorba” (Soup)
“Salata” (Salad)
“Ana yemek” (Main course)
“Tatlı” (Dessert)
“İçecekler” (Beverages)
Look out for local specialties
like “İskender kebap, “Mantı,” “Lahmacun,” and “Baklava.”
Appreciating Local Dishes
“Afiyet olsun!” (Bon appétit!)
“Bu çok lezzetli!” (This is very delicious!)
“Geleneksel Türk mutfağı
gerçekten harika.”(Traditional Turkish cuisine is truly amazing.)
“Bu meze nefis!” (These appetizers are
delightful!)
Café Culture
“Bir kahve, lütfen.” (A coffee, please.)
“Sade kahve” (Plain black coffee)
“Türk kahvesi” (Turkish coffee)
“Çay” (Tea)
“Bir dilim baklava alabilir
miyim?” (Can I have a slice of baklava?)
Street Food Adventures
“Kumpir alabilir miyim?” (Can I get a loaded baked potato?)
“Midye dolma” (Stuffed mussels)
“Simit” (Sesame-covered bread rings)
“Tavuk döner” (Chicken döner kebap)
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Emergency Assistance
“Yardım edin!” (Help me!)
“Acil durum!” (Emergency!)
“İmdat!” (Help!)
“Yangın var!” (There’s a fire!)
Medical Situations
“Doktora ihtiyacım var.” (I need a doctor.)
“Ambulans çağırın!” (Call an ambulance!)
“Ağrım var.” (I’m in pain.)
“İlaç gerekiyor.” (I need medicine.)
Asking for Directions
“Nerede?” (Where?)
“Bir hastane var mı?” (Is there a hospital?)
“Polis istasyonu nerede?” (Where is the police station?)
“Beni otobüs durağına götürün.” (Take me to the bus stop.)
Safety and Caution
“Dikkat!” (Be careful!)
“Tehlikeli!” (Dangerous!) “Lütfen yardım edin.” (Please help me.)
“Ben kayboldum.” (I’m lost.)
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A1 Greeting and Farewell / Selamlaşma ve Veda
