Turkish Grammar For Beginner [PDF]

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Adjective and noun clauses In this lesson, we will learn how adjective clauses (for describing a noun using an adjective, like beautiful girl) and noun clauses (for describing ownership relationships between nouns, like car's door) are formed in Turkish. First, let's start with the adjective clauses which is simpler and then we'll look at noun clause construction.



Adjective clauses Constructing adjective clauses in Turkish is very simple and straightforward, almost the same as in English. The only thing you need to do is to put the correct adjective before the noun. beautiful girl ==> güzel kız fast car ==> hızlı araba big house ==> büyük ev thick book ==> kalın kitap high building ==> yüksek bina hard lesson ==> zor ders slow train ==> yavaş tren



If you don't add the adjective before the noun but use it as the main expression in the sentence, the word order changes in English and it changes the same way in Turkish. This girl is beautiful. --> Bu kız güzel This car is fast. --> Bu araba hızlı. Ahmet is tall. --> Ahmet uzun. I am tall. --> Ben uzunum. (Note the use of verb to be with the adjective) You are tall. --> Sen uzunsun.



However, note that when you want to say a beautiful girl, the word for a (bir) is placed between the adjective and the noun. a small piece ==> küçük bir parça a greedy man ==> açgözlü bir adam a blue book ==> mavi bir kitap a short tree ==> kısa bir ağaç a long movie ==> uzun bir film



Let's now apply what we've learned in the construction of a few sentences. This is a red rose. ==> Bu kırmızı bir gül. Joe is a quiet kid. ==> Joe sessiz bir çocuk. Joe is a very quiet kid. ==> Joe çok sessiz bir çocuk. Noun clauses



Two nouns form a clause in three different ways in Turkish: Case1:



The first noun tells what the second noun is made of (i.e. metal box, plastic plate...). In this case, you just write these nouns in the same order as you do in English without adding any suffixes. metal box ==> metal kutu plastic plate ==> plastik tabak Case2:



The first noun describes the second noun, wıth any relationship except for the made-of relationship we saw above and the specific ownership relationship. Examples to this case can be car key, book shelf, garden door, window glass... In this case, you write the nouns in the same order as English, but add the suffix -i at the end of the second noun. If the noun to which you append suffix -i already ends with a vowel, you add the fusion consonant -s between these vowels to separate the two vowels. The third example below demonstrates this case.



car key ==> araba anahtarı book shelf ==> kitap rafı garden door ==> bahçe kapısı (note the fusion consonant s here) window glass ==> pencere camı Case 3:



There is a specific ownership relationship between the two nouns (the key of the car, the door of the garden, Kemal's daughter, the door of the car). In this case, you write the describing noun first and the described noun second as it was done in the preceding two cases. However, you add the suffix -in to the first noun and the suffix -i to the second noun. If the noun to which you append the suffix -in already ends with a vowel, you add the fusion consonant n between the two vowels to separate them. For the suffix -i, the fusion consonant is same as told in the previous case. You add the consonant s to separate the word ending with a vowel from the suffix -i. the key of the car ==> arabanın anahtarı (note the use of fusion consonant n here for the first noun, araba) the door of the garden ==> bahçenin kapısı Kemal's daughter ==> Kemalin kızı the door of the car ==> arabanın kapısı (note the use of fusion consonant n for the first noun and the fusion consonant s for the second noun) exception: The word for water, su, is an exception for the fusion consonants in noun clauses. The fusion consonant for water (su) is always 'y'. color of water --> su-in renk-i --> suyun rengi (not sunun rengi) water of Kemal --> Kemal-in su-i --> Kemal'in suyu. (not Kemal'in susu) (Note that ' is used in Turkish to separate the suffixes from private words that need to be always capitalized, like Kemal in this case)



Negatives 1. Negatives of nouns and adjectives



To make a noun or adjective negative, add the word değil at the end of the adjective or noun. Positive



Negative



Bu bir araba. [This is a car.]



Bu bir araba değil. [This is not a car]



O bir ev. [That is a house.]



O bir ev değil. [That is not a house]



O çok güzel. [She is very beautiful.]



O çok güzel değil. [She is not very beautiful.]



Bu araba beyaz. [This car is white.]



Bu araba beyaz değil. [This car is not white]



2. Negatives of verbs To make a verb negative, add the suffix -me at the root of the verb. to come --> gel-mek not to come --> gel-me-mek (the negating suffix is always added at the verb root) Note how the suffix is added at the root. This is always the case. A verb may have many suffixes, but the negating suffix is always immediately after the verb root. All the other suffixes follow as if they are being added to the positive of the verb. gel-di --> geldi --> he came gel-me-di --> gelmedi --> he did not come ol-mak ya da ol-ma-mak --> olmak ya da olmamak --> to be or not to be



3. There is, there is not



In Turkish, there are special words for there is and there is not. In particular:



there is --> var there is not --> yok Let's make sentences with these words: There is a book on the table. --> Masada bir kitap var. There isn't a table in this room. --> Bu odada (bir) masa yok. The words 'var' and 'yok' are more important than this, since they are used when you want to say "I have" or "I don't have" as well. In Turkish, to say "I have something", you say "There is my something". Let's give examples: I have a book. --> (Benim) kitabım var. Aylin has a car. --> Aylin'in arabası var. This woman has seven cats. --> Bu kadının yedi kedisi var. (Like saying "There is this woman's seven cats") I don't have a car. --> (Benim) arabam yok. My uncle does not have a daughter. --> Amcamın kızı yok. Noun states



In Turkish, a noun has 5 fundamental states, produced using suffixes, that correspond to meanings of some prepositions in English. It is not necessary to learn these as the states of nouns, but learning these suffixes is important since they are very commonly used. State



Meaning



Nothing state (no suffix)



Just the plain noun.



-i state



Marks the noun as the subject of an action.



-e state



Adds the meaning of direction (very similar to the proposition to)



-de state



Adds the meaning of position (Used for the prepositions in, at, on)



-den state



Adds the meaning of from, used for this preposition



An important thing to note here is the use of the -i form. It is used to denote the subject of an action, and adds the meaning of "being known, specified" just as the meaning given by "the". This will be more clear after looking at the sentences below. (bir --> one, kedi --> cat, gördüm --> I saw) Bir kedi gördüm. --> I saw a cat. (Note that although cat is the object of the action here, the -i form of kedi is not used since it is not known, i.e. it is a cat, not the cat) Kediyi gördüm. --> I saw the cat. (Note that kedi has the suffix -i, but the two -i's are separated by the fusion consonant 'y'.) Now, example sentences for all the cases. 



Nothing state: o







-i state: o







I saw the house. --> Evi gördüm.



-e state: o







This is a house. --> Bu bir ev.



Go home. --> Eve git. (House and home are the same word in Turkish, 'ev'.)



-de state: o



The pen is on the table. --> Kalem masada.



o



Joe is at school. --> Joe okulda.



o 



Your mother is in that room. --> Annen o odada.



-den state: o



I came from home. --> Evden geldim.



To be The verb to be (for the ´is´ in English) is handled in a special way, it is different from the other verbs. This is also the case in Turkish, the use of the verb to be is very unique. Unlike all the other verbs, to be is expressed with suffixes. It can be in one of present tense or past tense. Let ´s see it in present tense and past tense for different cases of personal pronouns.



English



Turkish



Suffix



Present tense to be



i am xxx



ben xxx-im



-im



you are xxx



sen xxx-sin



-sin



he \ she | is xxx it



-(none) o xxx



/



or -dir



we are xxx



biz xxx-iz



-iz



you are xxx



siz xxx-siniz



-siniz



onlar xxx



none



they are xxx



or



or



onlar xxx-ler



-ler



Past tense to be



i was xxx



ben xxx-dim



-dim



you were xxx



sen xxx-din



-din



o xxx-di



-di



we were xxx



biz xxx-dik



-dik



you were xxx



siz xxx-diniz



-diniz



they were xxx



onlar xxx(-y)-diler



(-y)diler



he \ she | was xxx it



/



NOTE 1 For the third person of the present tense to be, there are two cases. One with no suffix and one with -dir. If you are making a personal statement or you are talking in a casual way, you use the no suffix case. However, if you want to make a definitive or informative statement like one in an encyclopedia, you use the suffix -dir. Both have the same meaning, and sometimes can be used interchangeably. Let´s see examples to this.



This house is very big. --> Bu ev çok büyük. That is my house. --> O benim evim. He is a student. --> O bir öğrenci. Spider is an animal. --> Örümcek bir hayvandır. (The -dir case is used since this is an informative statement) Sun is larger than earth. --> Güneş dünyadan daha büyüktür. (Again, this is an informative statement)



NOTE 2 When constructing the third person plural past tense form of to be, the suffix -ler can be ommitted in some cases. These are explained below:



a. Humans or objects that have no individuality take singular conjugation for third person plural. But if the speaker wants to give objects individuality then he can use plural. This would be a poetic sentence.



b. Humans and other things that have individuality (for instance animals that have names) can take either singular or plural conjugation. Usually if the subject is defined (if we known them) then we use plural conjugation. If the subject is undefined then we use singular conjugation.



NOTE 3 Since the verb to be is different for each personal pronoun, personal pronouns can be omitted in



speech or writing. The meaning of person is given with this verb. To say "I am beautiful." you can use one of: "Ben güzelim." "Güzelim.". Using the personal pronoun adds the meaning of stressing person. We will use the personal pronoun in parenthesis to indicate that it is optional.



Now, let´s see where to be is used: 1. To construct a sentence with a noun or adjective instead of a verb, like in English. The verb to be is the implicit verb here. o You are beautiful. --> (Sen) güzelsin. o You were beautiful. --> (Sen) güzeldin. o This is a house. --> Bu bir ev. o That was a house. --> O bir evdi.



2. To construct verbs in different tenses, the suffix for each tense is used with either present tense of to be or past tense of to be. Actually, it is present tense of to be in all cases except the regular past tense. Infinitives and Plurals



1. Infinitives Verbs in Turkish, when used alone, have the imperative meaning as in English. do --> yap come --> gel go --> git drink --> iç sleep --> uyu



In order to make a verb infinitive, the suffix -mek is used. to do --> yapmak (changes to -mak since yap[do] is a hard word) to come --> gelmek to go --> gitmek to drink --> içmek to sleep --> uyumak



The following are examples to the use of infinitives in Turkish: It is good to sleep. --> Uyumak iyi(dir). It is difficult to study. --> Çalışmak zor(dur). I want to go. --> Gitmek istiyorum. I want to walk. --> Yürümek istiyorum.



2. Plurals To make plurals of nouns, the suffix -ler is used. Below are some examples, note how the suffix -ler becomes 'sometimes -ler, sometimes -lar' obeying the rules of vowel harmony. road(s) --> yol --> yollar tree(s) --> ağaç --> ağaçlar rose(s) --> gül --> güller room(s) --> oda --> odalar house(s) --> ev --> evler job(s) --> meslek --> meslekler Consonant Harmony



Besides the vowel harmony rules, there are other basic rules that affect the way suffixes are used. A vowel following another is never allowed in Turkish, and there are rules to avoid these situations when they occur as a result of other rules. There are also rules about consonant harmony, that make some consonants change in certain cases.



2. Consonant Harmony



Vowel harmony rules cause the vowels of suffixes to be modified when they are added to some words. There are similar rules about consonants. However, you may feel that all these rules are too many just for a simple start. Then, I advice you to omit the consonant harmony rules when you want to say or write something, just for the beginning. You will still be understood. Consonant harmony is mainly for making speech more fluent, it does not have a major effect on understandability. You will eventually learn these if you decide to continue learning Turkish, as you read sentences or listen to Turkish speakers.



Tip



Consonant harmony is mainly for making speech more fluent, it does not have a major effect on understandability.



There are two different cases of consonant harmony - either the last consonant of the main word changes, or the first consonant of the suffix changes. The trouble making consonants in this case are p, ç, t and k. Let´s call the words that end with one of p, ç, t or k the trouble words.



CASE A - Word mutation.



Two conditions must be satisfied for word mutation to occur: 1. You have a word ending with one of ´p, ç, t, k´. 2. You want to add this word a suffix that starts with a vowel. If the word has only one syllable, like saç, you are safe. The word usually does not change. saç-ı --> saçı (his/her/its hair) sap-a --> sapa (to the handle)



However, if the word has more than one syllable, than the consonant at the end usually changes. 



p becomes b







ç becomes c







t becomes d







k becomes ğ



And here are some examples to this:



ağaç-a --> ağaca (to the tree) şarap-ın --> şarabın (of the wine) kağıt-a --> kağıda (to the paper) geyik-e --> geyiğe (to the deer)



Tip There are exceptions to both the single syllable and multiple syllable cases mentioned above. For example: kap-a --> kaba (to the container) saat-in --> saatin (the clock´s)



You should still learn and apply the rules though, there are not too many of these exceptions.



CASE B - Suffix mutation.



Two conditions must be satisfied for suffix mutation to occur: 1. You have a word ending with one of p, ç, t, k, f, h, s, ş. 2. You want to add this word a suffix that starts with c or d.



In this case, the first letter of the consonant changes. 



c becomes ç







d becomes t



Examples: Leh --> Polish (people) Leh-ce --> Lehçe --> Polish (language)



Türk --> Turkish (people) Türk-ce --> Türkçe --> Turkish (lanuage)



yap --> do yap-di --> yaptı --> he did Vowel Rules



Besides the vowel harmony rules, there are other basic rules that affect the way suffixes are used. A vowel following another is never allowed in Turkish, and there are rules to avoid these situations when they occur as a result of other rules. There are also rules about consonant harmony, that make some consonants change in certain cases.



1. When two vowels come together



In Turkish, two vowels can never come together (note that there are a few exceptions to this rule). So, what do we do when we need to add a suffix that starts with a vowel at the end of a word that ends with a vowel? There are two cases here:



1.1. Dropping a vowel



To say my house, you append the suffix meaning my (-im) to the word meaning house (ev). Simple enough, ´my house´ --> evim. You want to say ´my car´. Car is araba and the suffix that gives the meaning my is -im. Change the suffix according to



vowel harmony rules so that is can be appended to araba (a hard and flat word) and -im becomes -ım. So, to put it together, my car becomes ´araba-ım = arabaım´. However, two vowels can not come together in Turkish. Trouble... To avoid this, we drop one of the vowels in this case. i. If both of the vowels are in the group "-i, -ı, -u, -ü" than these two vowels have to be the same (look at the vowel harmony rules to understand why). Since the two vowels are the same, it does not matter which one we drop in this case. ii. However, if one of the vowels is in the group "-i, -ı, -u, -ü" but the other is not (meaning that it is one of "a, e, o, ö") then generally the vowel in the group "-i, -ı, -u, -ü" is dropped. There are some exceptions to this, however, and these exceptions will be noted when necessary. Applying these rules, ´my car´ becomes ´arabam´.



1.2. Adding a buffer consonant in between



You are asked where you are going. You want to say "(to) home". Hence, you append the suffix giving the direction meaning (-e) to the word meaning home (ev) and your reply becomes "eve". However, if you are going to the car and you want to tell this to your friend, things are not that simple for you: 



First, change the suffix -e according to vowel harmony rules according to araba and it becomes -a.







Now, add this suffix -a at the end of our word araba, and get arabaa.



We have two vowels together. Drop one? Unfortunately, not this time. In this case we need to add a buffer consonant between the two vowels. There is not a simple rule to tell why. Sometimes one of the two vowels is dropped, sometimes one buffer consonant is added in between. However, what you do is consistent for a given suffix. If you are adding the suffix -e to a word



that ends with a vowel (like araba), you always add the fusion consonant y in between. Saying to the car then becomes arabaya. Too much effort spent to say a very simple word? More to come. Let´s practice on a few other words: Coast --> Kıyı



| To the coast --> Kıyı-e --> Kıyıya



Room --> Oda



| To the room --> Oda-e --> Odaya



Ship --> Gemi



| To the ship --> Gemi-e --> Gemiye



This may take some time to get used to, definitely doable. Unfortunately, that´s not everything. The buffer consonant is not y every time. y is the most common one, so you can put y whenever you don´t remember which one to put, chances are high you´ll be right. The other consonants that are sometimes used as fusion consonants are s and n.



Let´s see different cases where these fusion consonants are used:



a. The suffix -i If the suffix -i is used as the -i form of a noun, making it a direct object (like the in English), then the fusion consonant y is used. araba-i sat -> araba-y-ı sat -> arabayı sat (sell the car) yazı-i oku -> yazı-y-ı oku -> yazıyı oku (read the text) If the suffix -i is used as the third person posessive (his-her-its), then the fusion consonant s is used. araba-i -> araba-s-ı -> arabası (his-her-its car) para-i -> para-s-ı -> parası (his-her-its money) kedi-i -> kedi-s-i -> kedisi (his-her-its cat)



* Note that the word for water (su) is an exception for this case, the fusion consonant y is used with the word su (water). su-i -> su-y-u -> suyu (his-her-its water) b. The suffix -e (direction suffix, adds the meaning of preposition to) When the direction suffix -e is added to a word that ends with a vowel, the fusion consonant y is added in between. araba-e -> araba-y-a -> arabaya (to the car) konu-e -> konu-y-a -> konuya (to the topic) pencere-e -> pencere-y-e -> pencereye (to the window) c. The suffix -in (gives the genitive meaning, like Andy´s) When the suffix -in is added to a word that ends with a vowel, the fusion consonant n is added in between. araba-in -> araba-n-ın -> arabanın (of the car, the car´s) konu-in -> konu-n-un -> konunun (of the topic) pencere-in -> pencere-n-in -> pencerenin (of the window) * Note that the suffix -in is also used with the second person posessive meaning.



If the suffix -in used as second person possessive is added to a word that ends with a vowel, than the letter i of the suffix is dropped. The same is true for the first person possessive suffix, -im, first person plural possessive suffix, -imiz and second person plural possessive suffix, -iniz. araba-im -> araba-m -> arabam (my car) kedi-in -> kedi-n -> kedin (your cat) kapı-imiz -> kapı-mız -> kapımız (our door)



para-iniz -> para-nız -> paranız (your (plural) money) pencere-im -> pencere-m -> pencerem (my window) There are also other uses of fusion consonants besides separating two vowels.



d. The suffix -le (with, by) When the suffix -le is added to a word that ends with a vowel, the fusion consonant y is added in between. araba-le git -> araba-y-la git -> arabayla git (go by car) kedi-le oyna -> kedi-y-le oyna -> kediyle oyna (play with the cat) gemi-le gel -> gemi-y-le gel -> gemiyle gel (come by ship)



e. The suffix -de (location, like propositions at, in, on) and the suffix -den (proposition from) When the suffix -de or -den is added to a word as the first suffix, no fusion consonant is used. But when one of -de or -den/ is added to a word that already has a suffix or a series of suffixes that end with a vowel, the fusion consonant n is added in between. araba-de -> araba-da -> arabada (in the car) kedi-den -> kediden (from the cat) araba-si-de -> araba-sı-n-da -> arabasında (in his-her-its car) kedi-in-ki-den -> kedi-n-in-ki-n-den -> kedininkinden (from the cat´s) gemi-leri-den -> gemi-leri-n-den -> gemilerinden (from their ship) Notes on Vowel Harmony



Vowel harmony is one of the most fundamental and important aspects of Turkish grammar. Turkish words generally obey two vowel harmony rules, called the major vowel harmony and



the minor vowel harmony.



These rules change the vowels in the suffixes added to words. A good understanding of these rules is necessary to be able to use suffixes, hence to be able to make correct and meaningful sentences.



3. Practical notes about vowel harmony rules



As far as vowel harmony is concerned, we can separate all the suffixes in Turkish into two main groups. Thinking in terms of these two cases simplifies these seemingly complicated rules. These are:



Case 1: The suffixes with first vowel -i (the suffixes -i, -di, -iyor, -im, -in ...)



Case 2: suffixes with first vowel -e (the suffixes -e, -de, -den, -erek, ...)



All suffixes with first vowel -i, -ı, -u, -ü fall into the first group, and they are different forms of this case modified according to vowel harmony rules. bal-ım --> balım (my honey) ev-im --> evim (my home) sınıf-im --> sınıfım (my class) dil-im --> dilim (my tongue) sol-im --> solum (my left)



göz-im --> gözüm (my eye) okul-im --> okulum (my school) üzüm-im --> üzümüm (my grape)



All suffixes with first vowel -e, -a fall into the second group, and they are different forms of this case modified according to vowel harmony rules. araba-den --> arabadan (from the car) ev-den --> evden (from home) kapı-den --> kapıdan (from the door) deniz-den --> denizden (from the sea) sol-den --> soldan (from the left) göz-den --> gözden (from the eye) okul-den --> okuldan (from school) kapı-den --> kapıdan (from the door)



Note that no suffix has -o or -ö as the first vowel. Actually, no suffix has the letter -ö in it and there is only one suffix that has the vowel -o (this is the suffix for present continuous tense, -iyor and this -o does not change according to any vowel harmony rules). bak-iyor --> bakıyor (he/she/it is looking) gel-iyor --> geliyor (he/she/it is coming) sık-iyor --> sıkıyor (he/she/it is squeezing) bil-iyor --> biliyor (he/she/it knows)



koş-iyor --> koşuyor (he/she/it is running) gör-iyor --> görüyor (he/she/it is seeing) bul-uyor --> buluyor (he/she/it is finding) gül-iyor --> gülüyor (he/she/it is laughing)



The suffixes in case 1 are affected from both the major vowel harmony and the minor vowel harmony. For example, the suffix -di can become -di, -dı, -du or -dü depending on the word at which it is appended. ara-di --> aradı gel-di --> geldi kır-di --> kırdı bil-di --> bildi sol-di --> soldu gör-di --> gördü bul-du --> buldu üşü-di --> üşüdü



The suffixes in case 2 are affected by only the major vowel harmony rule. For example, the suffix -erek can become -erek or -arak depending on the word at which it is appended. bak-erek --> bakarak (with looking) sev-erek --> severek (with loving) sık-erek --> sıkarak (with squeezing)



bil-erek --> bilerek (with knowing, knowingly) koş-erek --> koşarak (with running) gör-erek -- görerek (with seeing) vur-erek -- vurarak (with hitting) bük-erek -- bükerek (with bending)



Minor Vowel Harmony Vowel harmony is one of the most fundamental and important aspects of Turkish grammar. Turkish words generally obey two vowel harmony rules, called the major vowel harmony and the minor vowel harmony. More important than the words obeying these rules, there are ways these rules change the vowels in the suffixes added to words. A good understanding of these rules is necessary to be able to use suffixes, hence to be able to make correct and meaningful sentences.



2. Minor Vowel Harmony We saw that the 8 vowels in the Turkish alphabet are divided into two groups as hard and soft vowels. Besides this grouping, the 8 vowels are divided into two groups as round vowels and flat vowels. There are 4 flat and 4 round vowels. A vowel´s being round or flat is actually determined from the shape of the mouth when pronouncing that vowel, but it can also be seen in the shape of the capital characters. Flat vowels:



A, E, I, İ



Round vowels:



O, Ö, U, Ü



A Turkish word is either a round word or a flat word depending on its last vowel. ev[home] is a flat word since its last and only vowel, e, is a flat vowel.



okul[school] is a round word since its last vowel, u, is a round vowel. kahve[coffee] is a flat word since its last vowel, e, is a flat vowel.



Now, try to guess if the following words are round or flat. Move the mouse over the right table cell of the word to see the answer.



Word



Round or Flat



meslek[job]



?



araba[car]



?



güzel[beautiful]



?



yemek[food]



?



gülümse[smile]



?



çabuk[quick]



?



gül[rose]



?



göl[lake]



?



gidelim[let´s go]



?



telefon[telephone]



?



(Correct answers: flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, round, round, round, flat, round)



Minor vowel harmony states that: If a suffix starting with -i is appended to a round word, the -i in the suffix becomes -u or -ü. This depends on whether the word is hard or soft. The major vowel harmony and the minor



vowel harmony apply to words simultaneously. This means:







If a suffix starting with -i is added to a hard and round word, the -i in the suffix becomes -u. o okul --> school [a hard vowel] o suffix we will add is -im (gives the meaning my) o my school --> okulum [the suffix -im changes according to vowel harmonies and becomes -um]







If a suffix starting with -i is added to a soft and round word, the -i in the suffix becomes -ü. o gül --> rose o suffix we will add is -im (gives the meaning my) o my rose --> gülüm [the suffix -im changes according to vowel harmonies and becomes -üm]



my telephone --> telefonum my beautiful --> güzelim my lake --> gölüm



Major Vowel Harmony



Vowel harmony is one of the most fundamental and important aspects of Turkish grammar. Turkish words generally obey two vowel harmony rules, called the major vowel harmony and the minor vowel harmony. More important than the words obeying these rules, there are ways these rules change the vowels in the suffixes added to words. A good understanding of these rules is necessary to be able to use suffixes, hence to be able to make correct and meaningful sentences.



1. Major Vowel Harmony The 8 vowels in the Turkish alphabet are separated into two groups called hard vowels and soft vowels. There are 4 hard vowels and 4 soft vowels. Hard vowels:



a, ı, o, u



Soft vowels:



e, i, ö, ü



Words of Turkish origin generally (not always) have all hard or all soft vowels. This is just a generalization that you won´t use for constructing Turkish words and sentences. Words that have hard and soft vowels together are said to violate the major vowel harmony. A word that violates the major vowel harmony probably has been adopted from another language or has been changed in the lifetime of the Turkish language.



Each of the hard vowels are the hard counterparts of one soft vowel (and vice versa). Following this rule, vowels can be paired with their counterparts as follows: Hard



Soft



a



e



ı



i



o



ö



u



ü



A Turkish word is either a hard word or a soft word depending on its last vowel.



ev[home] is a soft word since its last and only vowel, e, is a soft vowel. okul[school] is a hard word since its last vowel, u, is a hard vowel. kahve[coffee] is a soft word since its last vowel, e, is a soft vowel.



Now, try to guess if the following words are hard or soft. The correct answers are below the table. Word



Hard or Soft



meslek[job]



?



araba[car]



?



güzel[beautiful]



?



yemek[food]



?



gülümse[smile]



?



çabuk[quick]



?



gül[rose]



?



göl[lake]



?



gidelim[let´s go]



?



telefon[telephone]



?



(Correct answers: soft, hard, soft, soft, soft, hard, soft, soft, soft, hard)



Major vowel harmony states that: 



Any suffix appended to a hard word must have hard vowels







Any suffix appended to a soft word must have soft vowels



As an example to this rule let´s consider the suffix -de. When added to a noun, this suffix gives the meaning of "at/in the location expressed by that noun". When added to a soft word like ev[home], this suffix is -de. However, when added to a hard word like okul[school], the soft vowels in this suffix are replaced by their hard counterparts and the suffix becomes -da. Hence:



at home --> evde at school --> okulda in the car --> arabada at the lake --> gölde



Illness



English



Turkish



Sicknesses



sick



hasta, rahatsız



headache



baş ağrısı



to catch a cold



soğuk almak



flu



grip



measles



nezle



tootache



diş ağrısı



stomach ache



karın ağrısı



contagious



bulaşıcı



ulcer



ülser



cancer



kanser



to faint



bayılmak



hiccups



hıçkırık



migraine



migren



heart attack



kalp krizi



itch



kaşıtı



to itch



kaşınmak



angina



anjin



bronchitis



bronşit



Now, some sentences for telling you or somebody is sick.



- I am sick. (Hastayım.) - I am very sick. (Çok hastayım.) - I have a toothache. (Dişim ağrıyor.) - I have a cold. (Nezleyim. or Nezle oldum.) - I got sick. (Hasta oldum. or Hastalandım.) - I don´t feel well. (İyi hissetmiyorum. ) - My foot is itching. (Ayağım kaşınıyor.)



If somebody tells you that he is sick or somebody close to him is sick, you say: - Geçmiş olsun. (This is like wishing for recovery.)



House and furniture



English



Turkish House --- Ev



door



kapı



room



oda



front door



ön kapı



back door



arka kapı



window



pencere



kitchen



mutfak



bedroom



yatak odası



dining room



yemek odası



living room



oturma odası



chıldren's room



çocuk odası



bathroom



banyo



toilet



tuvalet



balcony



balkon



corridor



koridor



garden



bahçe



basement



bodrum



ground floor



zemin kat



garage



garaj



terrace



teras



yard



avlu



upper floor/story



üst kat



loft



tavan arası



cellar



kiler



stairs



merdiven



step



basamak



lift, elevator



asansör



wall



duvar



roof



çatı



fireplace



şömine Furniture --- Eşyalar



table



masa



bookcase



kitaplık



chair



sandalye



wardrobe



gardrop



shelf



raf



armchair



koltuk



sofa



koltuk - kanepe



shower



duş



trash bin



çöp kutusu



ashtray



kül tablası



bathtub



küvet



door mat



paspas



tap



musluk



heating



kalorifer



candle



mum



key



anahtar



lamp



lamba



frame



çerçeve



socket



priz



plug



fiş



mirror



ayna



door bell



kapı zili



radio



radyo



television



televizyon



computer



bilgisayar



pan



tava



glass



bardak



bottle



şişe



plate



tabak



spoon



kaşık



fork



Character



çatal



English



Turkish



Character --- Karakter



behavior



davranış



honest



dürüst



patient



sabırlı



impatient



sabırsız



kind



kibar



proud



gururlu



polite



kibar



impolite



kaba



decent



terbiyeli - nazik



skilful



yetenekli



witty, clever



zeki - akıllı



quite



suskun - sessiz



curious



meraklı



Animals



English



Turkish



Animals --- Hayvanlar



animal



hayvan



lion



aslan



tiger



kaplan



sheep



koyun



cow



inek



bull



boğa



ox



öküz



hen



tavuk



rooster



horoz



pig



domuz



horse



at



donkey



eşek



turkey



hindi



Body parts



English



Turkish



Vücudumuz --- Our Body



head



kafa - baş



body



vücut - gövde



arm



kol



leg



bacak



hand



el



foot



ayak



finger



parmak



index finger



işaret parmağı



thumb



baş parmak



eye



göz



ear



kulak



hair



saç



nail



tırnak



Family



English



Turkish



father



baba



mother



anne



brother



(erkek) kardeş



sister



(kız) kardeş



elder brother



abi



elder sister



abla



son



oğul - erkek çocuk



daughter



kız - kız çocuk



aunt (mother side)



teyze



aunt (father side)



hala



grandfather



dede - büyükbaba



grandmother



nine - büyükanne



grandmother (mother side)



anneanne



grandmother (father side)



babaanne



nephew, niece



yeğen



uncle (father side)



amca



uncle (mother side)



dayı



cousin



kuzen



father-in-law



kayınbaba - kayınpeder



mother-in-law



kaynana - kayınvalide



sister-in-law



baldız



sister-in-law's husband



bacanak



son-in-law



damat



daughter-in-law



gelin



sister's husband



enişte



grandson, granddaughter, grandchild



torun



twin



ikiz



twin brother, twin sister



ikiz kardeş



wife



eş, hanım, karı



husband



koca



step mother



üvey anne



step father



üvey baba



Fruits and vegetables



English



Turkish



Fruits --- Meyveler



banana



muz



apple



elma



orange



portakal



grape



üzüm



cherry



kiraz



tangerine



mandalina



sour cherry



vişne



pear



armut



avocado



avokado



pineapple



ananas



strawberry



çilek



currant



kuşüzümü



grapefruit



greyfurt



Colors



English



Turkish



Black



Siyah



White



Beyaz



Red



Kırmızı



Blue



Mavi



Orange



Turuncu



Green



Yeşil



Purple



Mor



Pink



Pembe



Brown



Kahverengi



Yellow



Sarı



Grey



Gri



Color



Renk



Light



Açık



Dark



Koyu



The question for asking colors is constructed similar to the way it´s done in English: Eng: What color is XXX? Tr: XXX ne renk? (Here, ne is what and renk is color) The answer is also simple: Eng: XXX is red. Tr: XXX kırmızı. However, note the difference in word ordering when you want to add a color (or any adjective) to an indefinite noun. Eng: A red XXX. Tr: Kırmızı bir XXX. (Not ´Bir kırmızı XXX´)



Now, try to understand the following sentences. English translations are below the Turkish sentences. 1. Bu araba açık mavi. 2. Evim koyu kırmızı. 3. Gözlerin ne renk? 4. Beyaz bir gömlek aldım.



1. This car is light blue. 2. My house is dark red. 3. What color are your eyes? 4. I bought a white shirt. Quantity Words



English



Antonyms



Turkish



a little, some



biraz



very, much, many



çok



enough



yeterli



any, no, none



hiç



few



az



too much, too many



çok fazla



too



fazla



more



daha fazla, daha çok



less



daha az



a few



birkaç (tane)



A set of important antonyms you need to know... English



Turkish



big-small



büyük-küçük



fast-slow



hızlı-yavaş



quick-slow



çabuk-yavaş



full-empty



dolu-boş



easy-difficult



kolay-zor



heavy-light



ağır-hafif



open-shut



açık-kapalı



right-wrong



doğru-yanlış



old-new



eski-yeni



old-young



yaşlı-genç



first-last



ilk-son



beautiful-ugly



güzel-çirkin



free-busy



serbest-meşgul



Love



good-bad



iyi-kötü



better-worse



daha iyi-daha kötü



the best-the worst



en iyi-en kötü



early-late



erken-geç



cheap-expensive



ucuz-pahalı



near-far



yakın-uzak



here-there



burada-orada



right-left



sağ-sol



tall-short



uzun-kısa



dark-light



koyu-açık



high-low



yüksek-alçak



open-closed



açık-kapalı



thin-thick



ince-kalın



slim-fat



zayıf-şişman



In this lesson, we will cover the love words and expressions in Turkish. In English, you can use words like 'honey, darling, sweetheart' to call the person you love. Let's start with a list of love words used to call the person you love in Turkish. A general point here is that you always use these words with possession in Turkish. Instead of saying 'honey', the word you use in Turkish means 'my honey'. I will also give the direct translations of these words to English. Although the meaning of some of these words may seem strange, they can all be used to call the person you love. Turkish



English



aşkım



my love



canım



my life



bi tanem



my only one



hayatım



my life



sevgilim



my darling



balım



my honey



tatlım



my sweety (used for girls)



güzelim



my beautiful (used for girls)



çiçeğim



my flower (used for girls)



gülüm



my rose (used for girls)



meleğim



my angel (used for girls)



Now, let's see some common love phrases in Turkish and their meanings: Turkish



English



Seni seviyorum.



I love you.



Seni çok seviyorum.



I love you very much.



Senden çok hoşlanıyorum.



I like you very much.



Benimle çıkar mısın?



Would you like to go out with me?



Benimle dans eder misin?



Would you like to dance with me?



Benimle evlenir misin?



Will you marry me?



Evlenme teklifi.



Marriage proposal.



Nişanlı



Fiancee



Rüyalarımın erkeğisin/kadınısın.



You are the man/woman of my dreams.



Seninle olmak istiyorum.



I want to be with you.



Seninle kalmak istiyorum.



I want to stay with you.



Seni çok özlüyorum.



I am missing you very much.



Seni çok özledim.



I missed you very much.



Biraz daha kalabilir misin?



Can you stay a little longer?



Seni bir daha ne zaman göreceğim?



When will I see you next?



Bir yerlerde buluşalım.



Let's meet somewhere.



Seni görmek istiyorum.



I want to see you.



Çok güzelsin.



You are very beautiful.



Now, time to use what you learned. Date and Time



1. Time



Let´s start with simple dialogue sentences about time, the question and different answers. Time - English



Turkish (Parantheses for explanation only)



What time is it?



Saat kaç?



It is ten o´clock.



Saat on (10).



It is five past ten.



Saat onu (10-i) beş (5) geçiyor.



It is five past five.



Saat beşi (5-i) beş (5) geçiyor.



It is five past six.



Saat altıyı (6-[y]-i) beş (5) geçiyor.



It is five past three.



Saat üçü (3-i) beş (5) geçiyor.



It is quarter past ten.



Saat onu (10-i) çeyrek (quarter) geçiyor.



It is ten twenty.



Saat onu (10-i) yirmi (20) geçiyor.



It is half past ten.



Saat on (10) buçuk (half).



It is ten thirty five.



Saat on bire (11-e) yirmi beş (25) var.



It is ten forty.



Saat on bire (11-e) yirmi (20) var.



It is quarter to eleven.



Saat on bire (11-e) çeyrek (quarter) var.



It is ten to eleven.



Saat on bire (11-e) on (10) var.



It is eleven.



Saat on bir (11).



Pronouns 2 In the previous lesson on pronouns, we covered the basic pronouns. The topics covered were: 



Personal pronouns (ben, sen, o, biz, siz, onlar)







Demonstrative pronouns (bu, şu, o, bunlar, şunlar, onlar)







Possessive pronouns o Personal possessive pronouns (benim, senin, onun, bizim, sizin, onların) o Demonstrative possessive pronouns (bunun, şunun, onun, bunların, şunların, onların)







Reflexive pronouns (kendim, kendin, kendisi, kendimiz, kendiniz, kendileri)



There are also other pronouns used for many different situations, like everybody, nothing... Let's now see the Turkish meanings for these pronouns. English



Turkish



Basic components of these pronouns every



her



thing



şey



none



hiç



any



herhangibir



one, a



bir



some



bazı



all



bütün Pronouns



everything



herşey birşey (singular)



something



birşeyler (plural)



nothing



hiçbir şey



anything



herhangibir şey



everybody



herkes birisi (singular)



somebody



birileri (plural)



nobody



hiç kimse



anybody



herhangi birisi



all of these



(bunların) hepsi



all of those



(onların) hepsi



all of us



hepimiz



all of you



hepiniz



none of these



(bunların) hiçbiri



none of those



(onların) hiçbiri



none of us



hiçbirimiz



none of you



hiçbiriniz



some of these



(bunların) bazıları



some of those



(onların) bazıları



some of us



bazılarımız



some of you



bazılarınız



In English, some of these pronouns that have negative meanings are used in positive sentences. For example, There is nobody here. (Instead of there isn't nobody here) In Turkish, you never do this. If the meaning of a pronoun is negative, it must always be used in a negative sentence. Similarly, pronouns with positive meanings must always be used in positive sentences. There is nobody here. --> Burada hiçkimse yok.



Now, let's use some of these pronouns in sentences: Every flower does not smell. --> Her çiçek kokmaz. What is this thing? --> Bu şey ne? There is none left. --> Hiç kalmadı. Some students are here. --> Bazı öğrenciler burada. All students are here. --> Bütün öğrenciler burada. Everything's ok. --> Herşey yolunda. Everything is here. --> Herşey burada. Ask something. --> Birşey sor. I saw nothing. --> Hiçbir şey görmedim. Is there anything? --> Herhangibir şey var mı?



Is everybody here? --> Herkes burada mı? Somebody came. --> Birisi geldi. Nobody came. --> Hiç kimse gelmedi. Anybody can come. --> Herhangi birisi gelebilir. All of these are mine. --> Bunların hepsi benim. Pronouns 1 Personal Pronouns



Here are the Turkish translations of the personal pronouns. However, these pronouns are generally omitted in sentences since person is implied in the adjectives or the verbs in sentences. They are often used to stress the person.



i



ben



i am adjective



ben adjective-im



you



sen



you are adjective



sen adjective-sin



he



she



he o



it



she | is adjective



o adjective



it /



we



biz



we are adjective



biz adjective-iz



you



siz



you are adjective



siz adjective-siniz



they



onlar



they are adjective



onlar adjectiveler



güzel --> beautiful I am beautiful. --> Ben güzel-im. --> Güzelim. (Personal pronoun is implied) You are beautiful. --> Sen güzel-sin. --> Güzelsin. He/she/it is beautiful. --> O güzel. --> Güzel. We are beautiful. --> Biz güzel-iz. --> Güzeliz. You are beautiful. --> Siz güzel-siniz. --> Güzelsiniz. They are beautiful. --> Onlar güzel-ler. --> Güzeller.



kötü --> bad I am bad. --> Ben kötü-y-üm. --> Kötüyüm. (Note how kötü and -üm are connected with the fusion consonant ´y´.) You are bad. --> Sen kötü-sün. --> Kötüsün. He/she/it is bad. --> O kötü. --> Kötü. We are bad. --> Biz kötü-y-üz. --> Kötüyüz. You are bad. --> Siz kötü-siniz. --> Kötüsünüz. They are bad. --> Onlar kötü-ler. --> Kötüler.



geliyor --> coming (present continuous tense) I am coming. --> Ben geliyor-um. --> Geliyorum. You are coming. --> Sen geliyor-sun. --> Geliyorsun.



He/she/it is coming. --> O geliyor. --> Geliyor. We are coming. --> Biz geliyor-uz. --> Geliyoruz. You are coming. --> Siz geliyor-sunuz. --> Geliyorsunuz. They are coming. --> Onlar geliyor-lar. --> Geliyorlar. For nouns other than these pronouns, you must use the third person case. Marzena is beautiful. --> Marzena güzel. Marzena is very beautiful. --> Marzena çok güzel. Joe is bad. --> Joe kötü. Joe is coming. --> Joe geliyor.



Demonstrative pronouns



These are the pronouns used for obects instead of people. this



bu



that (between this and that)



şu



that



o



these



bunlar



those (between these and those)



şunlar



those



onlar



kitap --> book Bu bir kitap. --> This is a book. Şu bir kitap. --> That is a book. O bir kitap. --> That is a book. Bunlar kitaplar. --> These are books. Şunlar kitaplar. --> Those are books. Onlar kitaplar. --> Those are books.



Possessive Pronouns Personal posessive pronouns: my



ben-im



my noun



ben-im noun-im



your



sen-in



your noun



sen-in noun-in



his



her



his o-n-un



its



her | noun



o-n-un noun-i



its /



our



biz-im



our noun



biz-im noun-imiz



your



siz-in



your noun



siz-in noun-iniz



their



onlar-ın



their noun



onlar-ın noun-leri



Notice his/her/its is o-n-un instead of o-un. Since two vowels don´t come together in Turkish, one fusion consonant is added in between. It is ´n´ in this case. Either a fusion consonant is added in between, or one of the vowels is dropped whenever a vowel is followed by another vowel. Which technique must be used changes among different rules, but it is consistent in a single rule. This will be mentioned in different lessons when necessary.



ev --> house my house --> ben-im ev-im --> evim (personal pronoun is implied) your house --> sen-in ev-in --> evin his/her/its house --> o-n-in ev-i --> onun evi --> evi our house --> biz-im ev-imiz --> evimiz your house --> siz-in ev-iniz --> eviniz their house --> onlar-ın ev-leri --> evleri



araba --> car my car --> ben-im araba-m --> arabam (the suffix -im becomes -m when added after a vowel, since two vowels don´t come together in Turkish) your car --> sen-in araba-n --> araban his/her/its car --> o-n-in araba-s-ı --> onun arabası --> arabası (Instead of dropping one vowel, here the fusion consonant ´s´ is added between vowels since the suffix is only a single vowel.)



our car --> biz-im araba-mız --> arabamız your car --> siz-in araba-nız --> arabanız their car --> onlar-ın araba-ları --> arabaları



For nouns other than these pronouns, always the third person form is used. Gizem´s house --> Gizem´in evi Gizem´s car --> Gizem´in arabası My mother´s house --> Annemin evi



Demonstartive posessive pronouns: of this



bu-nun



of that (between this and that)



şu-nun



of that



o-n-un



of these



bunlar -ın



of those (between these and those)



şunların



of those



onlar-



ın



Bunun evi --> The house of this Şunun evi --> The house of that Onun evi --> The house of that Bunların evleri --> The house of these. Şunların evleri --> The house of those. Onların evleri --> The house of those.



For nouns other than these pronouns, always the third person form is used. The room of the house --> Evin odası Cat´s food --> Kedinin yemeği



Reflexive Pronouns



The way reflexive pronouns are constructed in Turkish is very similar to the way we do it in English. The Turkish word for self is kendi. The reflexive pronouns hence are as follows:



myself



ken diim



kendi m



yoursel



ken



kendi



diin



n



ken disi



kendi si



ourselv es



ken diimi z



kendi miz



yoursel ves



ken diiniz



kendi niz



thems elves



ken dileri



kendi leri



f



himself



herself itself



Numbers



Constructing numbers in Turkish is simple and straightforward. The rule is to line up the parts in decreasing magnitude like in English, but without putting any conjunctive words in between. For example, direct translation of 1256 from Turkish would be ´thousand two hundred fifty six´. Let´s continue to construct numbers after you take a look at the table below. The numbers from 0 to 10 definitely need to be learned without any rule, as well as 10, 20, ..., 100 and 1,0001,000,000-1,000,000,000.... After that, it´s all about applying the simple-straightforward rules and practicing.



0



sıfır



21



yirmi bir



1



bir



22



yirmi iki



2



iki



30



otuz



3



üç



40



kırk



4



dört



50



elli



5



beş



60



altmış



6



altı



70



yetmiş



7



yedi



80



seksen



8



sekiz



90



doksan



9



dokuz



100



yüz



10



on



137



yüz otuz yedi



11



on bir



200



iki yüz



Alphabet Turkish alphabet consists of 29 letters - 8 vowels and 21 consonants. Each letter has exactly one associated sound which never changes. Three letters of the English alphabet are missing in the Turkish alphabet. 1. (Q-q) 2. (W-w) 3. (X-x)



There are seven additional characters not found in the English alphabet. 1. (Ç-ç) 2.



(Ğ-ğ)



3.



(I-ı)



4. (İ-i) 5. (Ö-ö) 6. (Ş-ş) 7. (Ü-ü) The letters of Turkish alphabet and the sounds associated with these are in the following table...



Lette r



A, a



Pronunciation



like the a in car



B, b



like the b in bet



C, c



like the g in gender



Ç, ç



like the ch in chance



D, d



like the d in debt



E, e



like the e in less



F, f



like the f in felony



G, g



like the g in game



Ğ, ğ



this is a very weak sound, not pronouncing at all will be ok



H, h



like the h in hello



I, ı



like the e in halted



İ, i



like the ee in keen



J, j



like the s in leisure



K, k



like the k in kelly



L, l



like the l in lamb



M, m



like the m in man



N, n



like the n in neighbor



O, o



like the a in ball



Ö, ö



like the u in urge



P, p



like the p in pen



R, r



like the r in rent



S, s



like the s in send



Ş, ş



like the sh in shed



T, t



like the t in tennis



U, u



like the oo in good



Ü, ü



like the u in nude



V, v



like the v in vent



Y, y



like the y in yes



Z, z



like the z in zen



Introduction Grammar Turkish grammar is simplistic once you get used to the style. However, it can seem to be very difficult since the grammatical structure is totally different from the Indo-European languages. This is because Turkish is from a different language family called Ural-Altaic languages. Some languages similar to Turkish are ´Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Kazak, Uzbek, Tatar, Manchu´. Compared to English, the most fundamental differences in Turkish grammar can be listed as: 



Ordering of sentence parts o A typical Turkish sentence is ordered as (subject + object + verb) 



Arkadaşım [My friend --> subject] araba [car -->object] aldı [bought--



>verb]. 



No gender o There are no articles in Turkish, and no gender associated with words o No gender in personal pronouns (the Turkish word for he, she and it is o)







Vowel harmony o Harmony of vowels is a very fundamental property of Turkish. The rules concerning vowel harmony need to be learned as one of the first steps because they affect the way almost all the other rules are applied.







Use of suffixes o Suffixes are very widely used in Turkish. The meaning of prepositions, personal pronouns and tenses are all countered by adding suffixes to word roots. 



Kalbimdesin [You are in my heart]



Once you get to these differences and learn the basic harmony rules, the rest of the grammar is quite simple. Almost everything follows well defined, simple rules.



Sounds Another important point is the way you read a written text. There is exactly one sound for each character in Turkish. A character always represents the same sound, regardless of its position in a word or the characters next to it. Therefore, it is straightforward to pronounce a word that you see for the first time once you are familiar with the characters in the Turkish alphabet.



Vocabulary Once you are comfortable or at least familiar with the harmony rules, the main challenge will be the vocabulary. Turkish vocabulary can be very challenging since the words have no resemblance to the European languages except the few words adapted directly from these languages.



Present Continuous Tense



Tenses There are 5 fundamental tenses in Turkish. These are: 1. Present simple tense (Geniş zaman) 2. Present continuous tense (Şimdiki zaman) 3. Future tense (Gelecek zaman) 4. Past tense with -di (-di'li geçmiş zaman) --> Regular past tense 5. Past tense with -miş (-miş'li geçmiş zaman) --> Also called the story past tense In the basic grammar lessons, we will cover the present continuous tense and the future tense. Rest will be covered in the intermediate level lessons.



To start with, let's review some verbs we'll use in the following lessons and their meanings: gelmek --> to come gitmek --> to go okumak --> to read kapatmak --> to close koşmak --> to run aramak --> to call konuşmak --> to talk vermek --> to give kaynamak --> to boil çalışmak --> to work



yemek --> to eat beklemek --> to wait



The meaning of tenses are given using some suffixes. There are some important properties common to all these suffixes denoting tense: 



The suffix for tenses is added right after the verb root if the verb is positive, or after the negating suffix if the verb is negative.







The present tense for of 'to be' comes after the suffix for tense. o



Therefore, the order becomes: verb root + (negative) + tense + present tense to be



o



This is different only for the regular past tense, where past tense form of to be is used.



1. Present continuous tense (Şimdiki zaman)



The suffix for present continuous tense is -iyor. Present continuous tense is used, very much like the one in English: 







To tell what you are currently doing o



I am working now. --> Şimdi çalışıyorum.



o



I am eating ice cream. --> Dondurma yiyorum.



To tell something you will do in the close future o



Wait, I'm coming in 5 minutes. --> Bekle, 5 dakika içinde geliyorum.



Present continuous tense is used only for verbs, it is not meaningful for nouns and adjectives.



Present continuous tense of a verb is constructed this way:



verb root + (negative) + iyor + present tense to be



If the verb you want to add the suffix -iyor ends with a vowel, drop the last vowel and add -iyor. Otherwise, just simply add -iyor. Be careful about the vowel harmony rules for the 'i' of -iyor. Let's see how a verb is put into present continuous tense on the following examples: gel-iyor --> geliyor --> he is coming git-iyor-im --> gidiyorum --> i am going oku-iyor --> okuyor --> he is reading kapat-iyor-iz --> kapatıyoruz --> we are closing koş-iyor --> koşuyor --> he is running ara-iyor-sin --> arıyorsun --> you are calling konuş-iyor --> konuşuyor --> he is talking ver-me-iyor --> vermiyor --> he is not giving ye-me-iyor --> yemiyor --> he is not eating gel-me-iyor-siniz --> gelmiyorsunuz --> you are not coming (plural you)



And let's see how present continuous tense is used with different cases of person. English



Turkish



to come --> gelmek



i am coming



(ben) geliyor-im --> geliyorum



you are coming



(sen) geliyor-sin --> geliyorsun



he \



she | is coming it



(o) geliyor



/



we are coming



(biz) geliyor-iz --> geliyoruz



you are coming



(siz) geliyor-siniz --> geliyorsunuz



they are coming



(onlar) geliyor-ler --> geliyorlar



Future Tense



Tenses There are 5 fundamental tenses in Turkish. These are: 1. Present simple tense (Geniş zaman) 2. Present continuous tense (Şimdiki zaman) 3. Future tense (Gelecek zaman) 4. Past tense with -di (-di'li geçmiş zaman) --> Regular past tense 5. Past tense with -miş (-miş'li geçmiş zaman) --> Also called the story past tense In the basic grammar lessons, we will cover the present continuous tense and the future tense. Rest will be covered in the intermediate level lessons.



To start with, let's review some verbs we'll use in the following lessons and their meanings: gelmek --> to come gitmek --> to go okumak --> to read kapatmak --> to close koşmak --> to run aramak --> to call konuşmak --> to talk vermek --> to give kaynamak --> to boil çalışmak --> to work



yemek --> to eat beklemek --> to wait



The meaning of tenses are given using some suffixes. There are some important properties common to all these suffixes denoting tense: 



The suffix for tenses is added right after the verb root if the verb is positive, or after the negating suffix if the verb is negative.







The present tense for of 'to be' comes after the suffix for tense. o



Therefore, the order becomes: verb root + (negative) + tense + present tense to be



o



This is different only for the regular past tense, where past tense form of to be is used.



2. Future tense (Gelecek zaman)



The suffix for future tense in Turkish is -ecek. There are not two different cases like in English will and is going to. Future tense is always constructed using the suffix -ecek. The uses of the Turkish future tense is just like a union of the uses of will and going to in English. 



To express any action that will take place in the future.



Future tense is used only for verbs, it is not meaningful for nouns and adjectives.



Future tense of a verb is constructed this way: verb root + (negative) + ecek + present tense to be



When you want to append the suffix -ecek to a verb that ends with a vowel, you add the fusion consonant 'y' between the verb and the suffix to separate the two vowels. Otherwise, just simply



add the suffix -ecek. Be careful about the harmony rules though, as always. Let's see how future tense is obtained using some example verbs: gel-ecek --> gelecek --> he will come git-ecek-im --> gideceğim --> I will go oku-ecek-sin --> okuyacaksın --> you will read kapat-ecek-iz --> kapatacağız --> we will close koş-ecek-siniz --> koşacaksınız --> you will run (plural you) ara-ecek-ler --> arayacaklar --> they will call konuş-me-ecek --> konuşmayacak --> he will not talk ver-me-ecek-sin --> vermeyeceksin --> you will not give



To see the use of future tense with different cases of person, check the following table: English



Turkish



to close --> kapatmak



i will close



(ben) kapatacak-im --> kapatacağım



you will close



(sen) kapatacak-sin --> kapatacaksın



he \



she | will close it



/



(o) kapatacak



Questions



we will close



(biz) kapatacak-iz --> kapatacağız



you will close



(siz) kapatacak-siniz --> kapatacaksınız



they will close



(onlar) kapatacak-ler --> kapatacaklar



Question Sentences Question sentences in Turkish can be classified into two groups like in English: 1. Yes-no questions 2. Regular questions There are also question tags, i.e. questions of the form "You are coming, aren't you?". In this lesson, we will see how these different types of questions can be asked in Turkish. Before looking at how questions are constructed, let's see the question words in Turkish. English



Turkish



what?



ne?



who?



kim?



which?



hangi?



where?



nere?



when?



ne zaman?



how?



nasıl?



how many?



kaç tane?



how much?



ne kadar?



how often?



ne sıklıkla



Now, let's see how different types of question sentences can be constructed. 1. Yes-no questions



In Turkish, yes-no questions are constructed with the question suffix '-mi'. It is important to note, however, the question suffix -mi is written separate from the word it is appended to. You can ask at this point: "Why is it a suffix instead of a separate word if it is written separately?". The reason question suffix -mi is regarded as a suffix is that it has to satisfy the major and minor vowel harmony rules for the word it is appended to. Let's see some example sentences demonstrating the use of the question suffix -mi. A. This is a book. --> Bu bir kitap. B. Is this a book? --> Bu bir kitap mı? (Note how the regular sentence is turned into a yes-no question sentence by the addition of the question suffix -mi) A1. Yes, this is a book. --> Evet, bu bir kitap. A2. No, this is not a book. This is a notebook. --> Hayır, bu bir kitap değil. Bu bir defter.



A. His name is Ahmet. --> Onun adı Ahmet. B. Is his name Ahmet? --> Onun adı Ahmet mi? A1. Yes, his name is Ahmet. A2. No, his name is not Ahmet. His name is Mehmet. --> Hayır, onun adı Ahmet değil. Onun adı Mehmet. A3. No. His name is Mehmet. --> Hayır. Onun adı Mehmet.



A. This is my house. --> bu benim evim B. Is this your house? --> Bu senin evin mi?



A1. Yes, this is my house. --> Evet, bu benim evim. A2. No, this is not my house. This is my mother's house. --> Hayır, bu benim evim değil. Bu annemin evi.



2. Regular questions



Regular questions are the ones constructed using the question words listed above and the answers to these questions are not simply yes or no. In English, there is a certain word order for regular question sentences. The question word comes first, and the rest of the sentence elements follow it. In Turkish, however, questions are constructed in a quite different way. To learn how to construct a question, a simple way is to follow the following steps. This will work in most cases: 1. Construct the answer sentence. 2. Locate the word or phrase that is the actual answer to the question. 3. Just replace that word or phrase with the appropriate question word.



Let's apply this on an example. The question we want to ask is, "Who is this?". 1. The answer sentence will be something like "This is my brother. --> Bu benim kardeşim." 2. The answer to the question is the phrase "my brother --> benim kardeşim". 3. Replace this phrase with the question word "who --> kim" and the question sentence becomes "Bu kim?".



To summarize, a question sentence has the same word order as a regular sentence. The difference is that the part of the sentence that is asked is replaced by the appropriate question word. The question word takes all the suffixes of the word it is replaced for. Consider the sentence "Ahmet eve gidiyor. --> Ahmet is going home." Who is going home? --> Kim eve gidiyor? (Ahmet in the regular sentence is replaced by who. The rest of the sentence is the same.) Where did Ahmet go? --> Ahmet nereye gitti? (ev in the regular sentence is replaced by nere. Note that the question word nere also takes the suffix -e of the word ev and becomes nereye, meaning 'to where')



What is Ahmet doing? --? Ahmet ne yapıyor? (The phrase 'eve gidiyor' in the original sentence is replaced by "ne yapıyor --> what's he doing")



Note that to make a question sentence asking a verb, we use : "What + to be (in the appropriate tense) + object + to do (in the appropriate tense)" Ex1: What are you doing? Ex2: What did Ahmet do? In Turkish, this structure becomes: "Object + ne + yapmak (in the appropriate tense and person)" Ex1: (Sen) ne yapıyorsun? Ex2: Ahmet ne yaptı? This is simply the regular sentence where the action is replaced by "ne + yapmak", which is consistent with our rule for constructing question sentences.



3. Question tags



Question tags are the questions of the form: You are home, aren't you? He did his homework, didn't he? Mehmet will come today, won't he?



Constructing question phrases in Turkish is very simple and straightforward. You just add "değil mi" at the end regardless of the sentence. The translations for the question tags above are then:



Evdesin, değil mi? Ödevini yaptı, değil mi? Mehmet bugün gelecek, değil mi? Imperatives - Let



Making a verb imperative for the second singular person (sen), is the same as it is done in English. Just use the plain verb without any suffix or change. When you want to order something to a single person listening to you, you just say the plain verb. Examples: Come! --> Gel! Go! --> Git! Read! --> Oku! Sit down! --> Otur! Stand up! --> Kalk! However, different from English, there is an imperative form for different cases of person. Let ´s see now how these are constructed:



Personal Pronoun



Suffix



Ben



No first person singular form



Sen



- (no suffix)



O



-sin



Biz



No first person plural form



Siz



-in



Onlar



-sinler



Now, let´s see the meaning of each case using the verb to go (gitmek).



Case



Meaning



(sen) git



go! (singular, to a single person)



(o) git-sin --> gitsin



let him go (not like "allow him to go", this has the meaning that you want him to go in an imperative way)



(siz) git-in --> gidin



go! (plural, to multiple people)



(onlar) git-sinler --> gitsinler



let them go (again, the meaning is not like "allow them to go", gitsinler means that you want them to go and you are expressing this in an imperative way)



As you can see, a commonly used clause, "let´s", is included in the imperative definition. If you want to say "Let´s go to the movie", it becomes "Sinemaya gidelim" in Turkish. Now, let´s see how the example verbs we used above are made imperative with respect to different cases of person.



Personal Pronoun



gelmek - to come



gitmek to go



okumak to read



oturmak to sit down



kalkmak to stand up



sen



gel



git



oku



otur



kalk



o



gelsin



gitsin



okusun



otursun



kalksın



siz



gelin



gidin



okuyun



oturun



kalkın



onlar



gelsiler



gitsinler



okusunlar



otursunlar



kalksınlar



There is no first person singular or first person plural form of the imperatives, but there is another form called wish clause that gives a similar meaning for the first person singular and plural. Note that only the first person singular and first person plural forms of the wish clause are used in practice. Here is how the wish clause is constructed:



Personal Pronoun



Suffix



Ben



-eyim



Biz



-elim



Case



Meaning



(ben) git-eyim --> gideyim



let me go



(biz) git-elim --> gidelim



let´s go



Personal Pronoun



gelmek - to



gitmek - to



okumak - to



oturmak - to



kalkmak - to



come



go



read



sit down



stand up



Ben



Geleyim



gideyim



okuyayım



oturayım



kalkayım



Biz



Gelelim



gidelim



okuyalım



oturalım



kalkalım



Degrees of Adjectives



Comparatives and superlatives are constructed in a very straightforward way in Turkish. Besides these, there is a special way of making adjectives stronger in Turkish and this is not very trivial. I this lesson, we will cover all these topics. 1. Comparatives 1.1. More, Less



Comparative of an adjective is obtained by adding the word "daha" before the adjective. We can say that daha is the word for more and all adjective comparatives are constructed like 'more clever' (not like faster). faster --> daha hızlı slower --> daha yavaş more intelligent --> daha zeki more hardworking --> daha çalışkan more beautiful --> daha güzel



If you want to say less beautiful or less hardworking, then replace the word 'daha' with 'daha az'. less fast --> daha az hızlı less intelligent --> daha az zeki less hardworking --> daha az çalışkan less beautiful --> daha az güzel



Now, let's see how the comparative form of an adjective is used in sentences. I am beautiful. --> (Ben) güzelim. I am more beautiful. --> (Ben) daha güzelim. You are more beautiful. --> (Sen) daha güzelsin. She is more beautiful. --> (O) daha güzel.



This is a fast car. --> Bu hızlı bir araba. This is a faster car. --> Bu daha hızlı bir araba. This car is faster. --> Bu araba daha hızlı.



1.2. More than



If you want to compare two nouns with respect to an adjective, the structure used in English is as follows: noun1 is more adjective than noun2



Ex1: Ahmet is more hardworking than Mehmet. Ex2: I am more intelligent than you. The structure to express the same meaning in Turkish is as follows: noun1 noun2-den daha adjective Ex1: Ahmet Mehmet'ten daha çalışkan. (Note that the ' sign is used to separate private names from their suffixes) Ex2: Ben senden daha zekiyim.



Now, let's see a few example sentences with this expression. - Beril is beautiful. --> Beril güzel. - Gökçe is more beautiful. --> Gökçe daha güzel. - Gökçe is more beautiful than Beril. --> Gökçe Beril'den daha güzel. - He is more hardworking than me. --> O benden daha çalışkan. - My car is faster than your car. --> Benim arabam senin arabandan daha hızlı. - US is larger than Turkey. --> Amerika Türkiye'den daha büyük.



1.3. As ... as



If you want to say that two nouns are equal with respect to an adjective, the strıctıre used in English is: noun1 is as adjective as noun2 Ex1: Beril is as beautiful as Gökçe. Ex2: I am as beautiful as you.



The structure to express the same meaning in Turkish is as follows: noun1 noun2 kadar adjective . or noun1 de noun2 kadar adjective Both of these expressions have the same meaning, you will understand the very slight difference as you see them used. One point to note here is that if noun2 is a simple pronoun (like ben, sen, bu, şu) then it is used in possessive form (like benim, senin, bunun, şunun). Ex1: Beril de Gökçe kadar güzel. Ex2: Ben de senin kadar güzelim. Now, let's see a few example sentences with this expression. - Beril is beautiful. --> Beril güzel. - Gökçe is also beautiful. --> Gökçe de güzel. (de means 'also', 'as well') - Gökçe is as beautifl as Beril. --> Gökçe de Beril kadar güzel. - He is as hardworking as me. --> O da benim kadar çalışkan. - My car is as fast as your car. --> Benim arabam da senin araban kadar hızlı. - US is almost as large as China. --> Amerika neredeyse Çin kadar büyük. (neredeyse means almost)



2. Superlatives



Superlatives are also straightforward in Turkish, like it is in English. Instead of 'the most', you use 'en', and all superlatives are constructed using this word. the fastest --> en hızlı slower --> en yavaş



the most intelligent --> en zeki the most hardworking --> en çalışkan the most beautiful --> en güzel



Now, let's see how the superlative form of an adjective is used in sentences. I am beautiful. --> (Ben) güzelim. I am more beautiful. --> (Ben) daha güzelim.



When you want to use the superlative form in a sentence, there are two different cases: I am the most beautiful. --> (Ben) en güzelim. (This has the meaning of describing yourself, like an answer to the question "What are your traits?") I am the most beautiful. --> En güzel benim. (This has the meaning of the answer to the question "Who is the most beautiful?")



I am the most beautiful girl. --> En güzel kız benim. I am the most beautiful girl in this class. --> Bu sınıftaki en güzel kız benim. You are the most beautiful girl in this class. --> Bu sınıftaki en güzel kız sensin. She is the most beautiful girl in this class. --> Bu sınıftaki en güzel kız o.



3. Making an adjective stronger 3.1. Very



In English, when you want to make an adjective stronger, you use the word 'very'. Saying very fast is a stronger statement than just saying fast. The same method is applied also in Turkish, and the word for very is 'çok'. Hence:



very fast --> çok hızlı very slow --> çok yavaş very intelligent --> çok zeki very hardworking --> çok çalışkan very beautiful --> çok güzel You are very beautiful. --> (Sen) çok güzelsin. She is a very beautiful girl. --> (O) çok güzel bir kız. This girl is very beautiful. --> Bu kız çok güzel. 3.2. Too



Another way of making an adjective stronger, but this time giving the meaning extreme, is to use the word too. Saying something is too fast gives the meaning that it is extremely fast and should be slower. The word for too in Turkish is 'fazla'. too fast --> fazla hızlı too slow --> fazla yavaş too intelligent --> fazla zeki too hardworking --> fazla çalışkan too beautiful --> fazla güzel We are too fast. --> (Biz) fazla hızlıyız. This car is too fast. --> Bu araba fazla hızlı. 3.3. Other ways



A third way commonly used in Turkish (which is not seen in English) to make an adjective stronger is adding a modified form of the first syllable before the adjective. Important points to note here are: 



There is not a rule for how this first syllable should be modified, which makes this rule



hard to learn. 



This gives the same meaning as using the word 'very' and makes the adjective stronger.







All adjectives can't be made stronger using this method, and there is not a rule to understand for which adjectives this method can be used. A group of adjectives you can always use this method is colors, to express that the color is strong. However, there is no rule to exactly say which adjectives can be made stronger like this.







Because there is not a well-defined rule, it will be very difficult to go over adjectives and see what the stronger form of each adjective is. I think you should not try to learn this for each adjective at this step. The best strategy here would be to note that there is a rule like this and when you see it used, you will understand what it means. In your sentences, you simply can use 'çok + adjective' instead and you will be clearly understood.



Let's see some examples to this rule: hızlı --> fast hıphızlı --> very fast sarı --> yellow sapsarı --> very yellow, strong yellow mavi --> blue masmavi --> very blue, strong blue beyaz --> white bembeyaz --> very white, strong white çabuk --> quick çarçabuk --> very quick kalın --> thick



kapkalın --> very thick



Another way to make an adjective stressed and stronger is to repeat it twice. Again, this is not done with all adjectives and the best way to learn for which adjectives this rule is applicable is to note when you hear an adjective used like this. Don't be afraid by these rules, you will learn how to use them if you start reading Turkish texts or if you speak to native speakers. You can still express yourself without using these methods for making adjectives stronger. Simply use the word 'çok' before the adjective. I am giving these rules now so that you know the meaning when you see such a usage somewhere. büyük büyük evler --> big houses, the property big is stressed sarı sarı elmalar --> yellow apples, the property yellow is stressed



There is also another way to stress an adjective and make it stronger. That is, adding a modified form of the adjective after the original form. This is again an irregular rule and you don't need to know this completely, just understand it when you see this usage. Sometimes, an adjective followed by the modified form of that adjective may have a slightly different meaning. yaşlı --> old (for people) yaşlı başlı --> old, mature eski --> old (for objects) eski püskü --> very old and useless Present Simple Tense



Tenses There are 5 fundamental tenses in Turkish. These are: 1. Present simple tense (Geniş zaman) 2. Present continuous tense (Şimdiki zaman) 3. Future tense (Gelecek zaman) 4. Past tense with -di (-di'li geçmiş zaman) --> Regular past tense 5. Past tense with -miş (-miş'li geçmiş zaman) --> Also called the story past tense Present simple tense (Geniş zaman)



The present simple tense is used, very much ike the one in English: 



To make general statements o







Water boils at 100 degrees. --> Su 100 derecede kaynar.



To mention things you do regularly o



I run every morning. --> Her sabah koşarım.



Present simple tense is used only for verbs, it is not meaningful for nouns and adjectives.



Present simple tense of a verb is constructed this way: verb root + ir or er + present tense to be



The suffix for constructing the present simple tense of a verb is not always the same. The suffix is sometimes -ir, sometimes -er. This is the only tense with this irregularity, but there are certain rules that will tell you which one to choose most of the time. The rules that will help



you choose which one of -ir or -er to use as suffix are as follows: 1. If the verb ends with a vowel, the vowel of the suffix falls and you add only -r. o



ara-r --> arar --> he calls



o



oku-r --> okur --> he reads



2. If the verb has more than one syllable, use -ir o



kapat-ir --> kapatır --> he closes



o



konuş-ir --> konuşur --> he talks



3. If the verb has only one syllable: o



o



If the vowel of this syllable is 'a' or 'e' and if the verb ends with 'l', 'n' or 'r' then use -ir 



gel-ir --> gelir --> he comes







ver-ir --> verir --> he gives



Use -er for the other single syllable cases 



git-er --> gider --> he goes







koş-ar --> koşar --> he runs



Now, let's look at how the present simple tense is used with different personal pronouns: English



Turkish



Example 1



to come --> gelmek



i come



(ben) gelir-im --> gelirim



The negative of present simple tense is a little different than just adding the negative-making suffix -me. Construction of negatives of present simple tense is given in the table below. The negative-making suffix becomes -mez except for I and we. Moreover, when negative suffix is used, the present simple tense suffix is not used. English



Turkish



Example 1



to come --> gelmek



i don't come



(ben) gel-me-im --> gelmem



you don't come



(sen) gel-mez-sin --> gelmezsin



he \



she | doesn't come



(o) gel-mez --> gelmez



it /



we don't come



(biz) gel-me-iz --> gelmeyiz



you don't come



(siz) gel-mez-siniz --> gelmezsiniz



they don't come



(onlar) gel-mez-ler --> gelmezler



Present simple tense is the most irregular tense in Turkish, it's not simple as the name implies. Past Tense



Tenses There are 5 fundamental tenses in Turkish. These are: 1. Present simple tense (Geniş zaman) 2. Present continuous tense (Şimdiki zaman) 3. Future tense (Gelecek zaman) 4. Past tense with -di (-di'li geçmiş zaman) --> Regular past tense 5. Past tense with -miş (-miş'li geçmiş zaman) --> Also called the story past tense Past tense with -di (-di'li geçmiş zaman) --> Regular past tense



There is no suffix for the regular past tense. The only point is that you must use the past tense form of to be. Be careful about the harmony rules though, as always. The use of the past tense with -di is almost the same as the English past tense. 



To tell an action that took place in the past. o







He came. --> Geldi.



To make a statement that was true in the past. o



She was beautiful. --> Güzeldi.



The same way regular past tense is applied to verbs, it can also be applied to nouns and adjectives using the past tense form of to be. The meaning in this case is the same as the meaning of 'was' in English. He was good. --> İyiydi. I was successful. --> Başarılıydım.



Regular past tense of a word is constructed this way:



word root + (negative) + past tense to be



Let's see how a verb is used in regular past tense on the following examples: gel-di --> geldi --> he came git-me-di --> gitmedi --> he did not go oku-di --> okudu --> he read kapat-dik --> kapattık --> we closed koş-din --> koştun --> you ran ara-diniz --> aradınız --> you called (plural you) konuş-me-di --> konuşmadı --> he did not talk ver-me-dim --> vermedim --> I did not give çalış-ma-dik --> çalışmadık --> we did not work ye-diler --> yediler --> they ate bekle-me-diler --> beklemediler --> they did not wait



Note that making the past tense of a verb and making the past tense of a noun or adjective is the same, but only as long as they are positive. The negative suffix for verbs is -me, but negatives of nouns and adjectives are constructed using değil. Değil is not a suffix, it is used as a seperate word. Let's see a few examples to how nouns and adjectives are expressed in past tense. She was beautiful. --> Güzeldi. She was not beautiful. --> Güzel değildi. (Note what we did is just to replace the suffix -me for verbs with the word değil in the case of nouns and adjectives. The ordering is still the same. Past tense of to be, which followed -me for verbs, is now put after değil)



You were not kids. --> Çocuk değildiniz.



Let's see how these personal suffixes are used on some example verbs: English



Turkish



to wait --> beklemek



i waited



(ben) bekle-dim --> bekledim



you waited



(sen) bekle-din --> bekledin



he \



she | waited it



(o) bekle-di --> bekledi



/



we waited



(biz) bekle-dik --> bekledik



you waited



(siz) bekledi-niz --> beklediniz



they waited



(onlar) bekle-diler --> beklediler



to work --> çalışmak



i worked



(ben) çalış-dim --> çalıştım



you worked



(sen) çalış-din --> çalıştın



he \



(o) çalış-di --> çalıştı



she | worked it



/



we worked



(biz) çalış-dik --> çalıştık



you worked



(siz) çalış-diniz --> çalıştınız



they worked



(onlar) çalış-diler --> çalıştılar



Story Past Tense



Tenses There are 5 fundamental tenses in Turkish. These are: 1. Present simple tense (Geniş zaman) 2. Present continuous tense (Şimdiki zaman) 3. Future tense (Gelecek zaman) 4. Past tense with -di (-di'li geçmiş zaman) --> Regular past tense 5. Past tense with -miş (-miş'li geçmiş zaman) --> Also called the story past tense Past tense with -miş (-miş'li geçmiş zaman) ==> Also called the story past tense



To obtain the story past tense of a verb, we append the suffix -miş to the verb. Be careful about the harmony rules. Past tense with -miş is used: 



To talk about something you learned from somebody else or some other resource, there is some uncertainty in the statement. If you use the story past tense when talking about something, it implies that you are not the source of the information and you shouldn't be responsible for the mistakes. o







To talk about something you just learned or understood o







I talked to his mother. He went to school. --> Annesiyle konuştum. Okula gitmiş. (The part about talking to the mother is your direct experience, so you tell it using regular past tense. However, the part about he going to school is information you got from the mother, so you tell it using story past tense.)



Is this your daughter? She is very beautiful. --> Bu senin kızın mı? Çok güzelmiş. (You just noticed that she is beautiful, and you express this using story past tense)



Simple stories are written and told in using this tense.



Story past tense of a word is constructed this way:



word root + (negative) + miş + present tense to be



The same way story past tense is applied to verbs, it can also be applied to nouns and adjectives. I talked to Kemal about her. She is sick. --> Kemal'le onun hakkında konuştum. Hastaymış. (You learned that she is sick from Kemal) Prime minister was in France yesterday. --> Başbakan dün Fransadaymış. (You use story past tense because you learned this from somebody else or from the news) Prime minister was not in France yesterday. --> Başbakan dün Fransada değilmiş. (Remember that negatives of non-verbs are made with değil)



Let's see the use of story past tense on some example verbs. gel-miş --> gelmiş --> he came git-miş-siniz--> gitmişsiniz --> you went (plural you) oku-miş-sin--> okumuşsun --> you read kapat-miş-ler--> kapatmışlar --> they closed koş-me-miş--> koşmamış --> he did not run ara-me-miş-sin--> aramamışsın --> you did not call konuş-me-miş-ler--> konuşmamışlar --> they did not talk ver-miş-iz--> vermişiz --> we gave



Finally, let's see how a verb is used in the story past tense with different personal pronouns. English



Turkish



to wait --> beklemek



i waited



(ben) beklemiş-im --> beklemişim



you waited



(sen) beklemiş-sin --> beklemişsin



he \



she | waited it



(o) beklemiş



/



we waited



(biz) beklemiş-iz --> beklemişiz



you waited



(siz) beklemiş-siniz --> beklemişsiniz



they waited



(onlar) beklemiş-ler --> beklemişler



Must, Have to, Need to, Want to 1. Must



The best counterpart in Turkish for the meaning of necessity that is given with 'must' in English is the suffix '-meli'. The skeleton for using a verb with this suffix is as follows: verb-meli-to be



I must go --> git-meli-im --> gitmeliyim (note the use of the fusion consonant y) We must study --> çalışmalıyız (note that the suffix -meli becomes -malı due to the major vowel harmony)



You must sit down (plural) --> oturmalısınız You must go home now. --> Şimdi eve gitmelisin.



We can show how to express the necessity of a verb the for different cases of person: Personal Pronoun



Suffix



Ben



-meliyim



Sen



-melisin



O



-meli



Biz



-meliyiz



Siz



-melisiniz



Onlar



-meliler



2. Have to



The meaning of formal obligation that 'have to' gives in English is best given by the word 'lazım' in Turkish. The structure for using this construct is as follows: verb-me-possession (blank space) lazım This might seem confusing, let us explain how this structure works. The suffix -me allows a verb to be used like a noun, it is similar to a gerund. You might ask at this point, wasn't the suffix -me used for negating verbs? That is right, but the suffix for negating verbs and the suffix for using a verb like a noun are the same. So, okuma can mean either don't read or reading according to the context in which it is used. In this case, we are concerned about the



second meaning. So, in the phrase okumam lazım, the part okumam means my reading and the part lazım means required. When we put these together, it becomes my reading is required and this is what we use for I have to read in Turkish. Let's look at a few examples to clarify this further: I have to go to school tomorrow. --> Yarın okula gitmem lazım. I have to work now. --> Şimdi çalışmam lazım. We have to get ready. --> Hazırlanmamız lazım. You have to go. --> Gitmen lazım.



3. Need to



This is very similar to the use of have to, both in meaning and structure. The word we use to give the meaning of need to is 'gerekiyor'. It is similar to 'have to' in meaning, so that it can be used interchangeably with have to (lazım). It is similar in structure, which can be seen in the structural skeleton: verb-me-posession (blank space) gerekiyor The following examples will clarify this further: I need to go home. --> Eve gitmem gerekiyor. You need to be here at 2. --> Saat ikide burada olman gerekiyor. You need to sleep early. --> Erken uyuman gerekiyor. She needs to see a doctor. --> Doktora gitmesi gerekiyor.



4. Want to



The use of want to is logically almost identical to the English counterpart. One important difference is that you use the verb 'to want' in present continuous tense instead of present simple. The turkish verb for to want is istemek. The structure goes as follows:



verb(infinitive) (blank space) istiyor-to be I want to go. --> Gitmek istiyorum. I want to sleep. --> Uyumak istiyorum. I want to take a rest. --> Dinlenmek istiyorum. I want to go home. --> Eve gitmek istiyorum. What do you want? --> Ne istiyorsun? Konuşmak istiyor musun? --> Do you want to talk?



Trende - On the Train Turkish Vural: Affedersiniz, burası boş mu? Bülent: Evet boş, buyurun oturun. Vural: Teşekkür ederim. Bülent: Birşey değil. Vural: Nereden geliyorsunuz? Bülent: İstanbul'dan geliyorum, siz de mi İstanbul'dan geliyorsunuz? Vural: Hayır, Almanya'dan geliyorum. Bülent: Hangi şehirden? Vural: Berlin'den. Siz İstanbul'da mı oturuyorsunuz? Bülent: Hayır, Ankara'da oturuyorum. Siz nereye gidiyorsunuz? Vural: Ben de Ankara'ya gidiyorum. Sigara içer misiniz? Bülent: Hayır, teşekkür ederim, içmiyorum. Vural: Ankara'da ne iş yapıyorsunuz? Bülent: Stajyer doktorum. Sizin mesleğiniz ne? Vural: Ankara Üniversitesi'nde asistanım. Bülent: Hangi bölümde? Vural: Alman Dili ve Edebiyatı bölümünde. Bülent: Evli misiniz? Vural: Evet, evliyim. İki çocuğum var. Siz de evli misiniz? Bülent: Hayır, henüz bekârım. Eşiniz ne iş yapıyor? Vural: O da üniversitede asistan, birlikte çalışıyoruz.



Memur: Biletler lütfen! Vural: Buyurun bakın. Turgut: Trende rötar var mı acaba? Memur: Hayır, yok. Bir saat sonra Ankara'dayız. Turgut: Erzurum kaç saat sürüyor? Memur: Erzurum altı saat sürüyor. Turgut: Teşekkür ederim. Memur: Bir şey değil, hepinize iyi yolculuklar. English Vural: Excuse me, is this seat free? Bülent: Yes, it is free, please sit down. Vural: Thank you. Bülent: You are welcome. Vural: Where are you coming from? Bülent: I am coming from Istanbul, are you also coming from Istanbul? Vural: No, I am coming from Germany. Bülent: From which city? Vural: From Berlin. Do you live in Istanbul? Bülent: No, I live in Ankara. Where are you going? Vural: I am also going to Ankara. Do you smoke? Bülent: No, thank you, I don't smoke. Vural: What do you do in Ankara? Bülent: I am a trainee doctor. What is your job? Vural: I am an assistant in Ankara University. Bülent: At which department? Vural: At the Department of German Language and Literature. Bülent: Are you married? Vural: Yes, I am married. I have two children. Are you also married? Bülent: No, I am yet single. What does your spouse do? Vural: She is also assistant at the university, we are working together. Conductor: Tickets please! Vural: Here you are, look. Turgut: Is there a delay for the train? Conductor: No, there is not. We will be in Ankara in one hour. Turgut: How long does it take to Erzurum? Conductor: It takes six hours to Erzurum. Turgut: Thank you. Conductor: You are welcome, have a nice trip.



İstanbul-Ankara Treni - Istanbul-Ankara Train Turkish Vural: İstanbul-Ankara arası kaç kilometredir? Memur: 598 kilometre. Vural: İstanbul-Ankara arası kaç saat? Memur: Yedi saat. Bülent: Ankara'dan İstanbul'a ilk tren saat kaçta hareket ediyor? Memur: Sabahleyin saat 8.15'te. Vural: İstanbul-Ankara treninde rötar var mı? Memur: Hayır, yok. Bülent: Tren biletlerinde öğrenciler için indirim var mı? Memur: Evet, %50 (yüzde elli) indirim var. Vural: Başka kimlere indirim var? Memur: Çocuklara, askerlere de %50 indirim var. Bülent: Gidiş-dönüş biletlerinde de indirim var mı? Memur: Evet, %10 indirim var. Bülent: Verdiğiniz bilgiler için çok teşekkür ederiz. Memur: Bir şey değil, görevimiz. English Vural: How many kilometers is it between Istanbul and Ankara? Cashier: 598 kilometers. Vural: How many hours is it between Istanbul and Ankara? Cashier: Seven hours. Bülent: When does the first train depart from Istanbul to Ankara? Cashier: At 8.15 in the morning. Vural: Is there a delay in the Istanbul-Ankara train? Cashier: No, there is not. Bülent: Is there a discount for students at the train tickets? Cashier: Yes, there is a %50 (fifty percent) discount. Vural: Who else do you have discounts for? Cashier: There is %50 discount also for children and soldiers. Bülent: Is there also a discount at the roudtrip tickets? Cashier: Yes, there is a %10 discount. Bülent: Thank you very much for the information you gave. Cashier: You are welcome, it is our job.



İstasyonda - At the Station Turkish Sevim hanım: Hadi yavrum, bin artık trene. Vakit tamam. Bülent: Daha beş dakika var, anneciğim. Sadun bey: Annen haklı oğlum. Hadi bin artık. Bülent: Peki baba. Allahaısmarladık anneciğim. Ver elini öpeyim. Sevim hanım: Güle güle oğlum. Mektup yaz. Bülent: Allahaısmarladık Günder. Günder: Güle güle ağabey. Bülent: Derslerine iyi çalış. Günder: Peki ağabey. Sevim hanım: Güle güle oğlum. Sevim hanım: Hadi hadi. Çabuk ol! Bülent: Tamam anneciğim, tamam, daha iki dakika var. Hemen biniyorum. Sevim hanım: Pencereyi aç! Pencereyi aç! Valizler nerede? Bülent: İşte burada anneciğim. Sevim hanım: Paketler nerede? Bülent: Onlar da burada. Sevim hanım: İyi. Paketlerde börek var, reçel var. Sabahları yersiniz. Sadun bey: Valizlere dikkat et. Trende unutma. Bülent: Olur baba, unutmam. Sevim hanım: Kendine iyi bak! Mektup yaz! Bülent: Allahaısmarladık! Sevim hanım: Güle güle! Sadun bey: İyi yolculuklar oğlum! Bülent: Hepiniz hoşça kalın. English Mrs. Sevim: Come on dear, get on the train. Time is up. Bülent: There are still five minutes, mum. Mr. Sadun: Your mother is right, son. Come on, get on. Bülent: Okey father. Take care mum. Let me kiss your hand. Mrs. Sevim: See you son. Write to us. Bülent: Take care Günder. Günder: See you brother. Bülent: Study hard. Günder: Okey brother. Mrs. Sevim: See you son. Mrs. Sevim: Come on. Be quick! Bülent: Okey mum, okey, there are still two minutes. I am getting on right away. Mrs. Sevim: Open the window! Open the window! Where are the luggages?



Bülent: Here they are mum. Mrs. Sevim: Where are the packages? Bülent: They are also here. Mrs. Sevim: Good. There are pastries in the packages, and there is jam. You will eat in the mornings. Mr. Sadun: Be careful with the luggages. Don't forget them on the train. Bülent: Okey father, I won't forget. Mrs. Sevim: Take care! Write to us! Bülent: Take care! Mrs. Sevim: See you! Mr. Sadun: Have a nice trip son! Bülent: Good bye all.



Barış Bey - Mr. Barış Turkish Barış bey işine her sabah 8'de gidiyor. O, bir okulda öğretmendir. Barış bey öğle yemeğini okulda yiyor. Evine saat 18'de geliyor. Evde hiç bir şey yapmıyor. Çünkü çok yorgundur. Yalnız gazete okuyor, radyo dinliyor. Barış bey Cumartesi ve Pazar günleri okula gitmiyor. Çünkü okul kapalıdır. Cumartesi ve Pazar günleri evde oturuyor, kitap okuyor, resim yapıyor. English Mr. Barış goes to work at 8am every morning. He is a teacher at a school. Mr. Barış eats lunch at school. He comes home at 6pm. He doesn't do anything at home. Because he is very tired. He just reads newspaper, listens to the radio. Mr. Barış doesn't go to school on Saturdays and Sundays. Because school is closed. On Saturdays and Sundays he sits at home, reads books, draws pictures.



Kahvaltı - Breakfast Turkish Tamay: Kahvaltı yapacaksın değil mi? Bülent: Hayır yapmayacağım. Aç değilim. Çok yorgun ve uykusuzum. Şimdi hemen uyuyacağım. Tamay: Çay hazır. Bir duş al. Yorguluğun çıksın. Kahvaltıda bir şeyler ye, sonra da uyu. Bülent: Kahvaltıda neler var? Deniz: Sen ne istiyorsun? Ben şimdi bakkala gideceğim. Yumurta, bal, zeytin alacağım. Bülent: Şu paketi açın. İçinde börek ve reçel var. Annem koydu. Tamay: Hem de vişne ve çilek receli var. Deniz: Börekler de çok güzel. Bülent: Annem güzel börek yapar. Tamay: Haydi, sen duş al. Bülent: Acele etmeyin, duş alacağım. Tamay: Ama kahvaltı hazır, bizi bekletme. Bülent: Deniz bakkala gidecek. Bal, yumurta, zeytin alacak. Deniz: Tamam, ben bakkala gidiyorum. Sen de duş al, tıraş ol. Bülent: Ben beş dakikada hazır olacağım. Tamay: Ben de kahvaltı sofrasını hazırlayacağım. Bülent: Bir tabağa vişne reçeli koy. Tamay: Olur. Kahvaltıda süt mü, çay mı içeceksin? Bülent: Siz ne içeceksiniz? Tamay: Biz çay içeceğiz. Bülent: Ben de çay içeceğim. Yorgunluğa iyi gelir. Tamay: İyi bir kahvaltı yorgunluğun en iyi ilacıdır. Bülent: Bu sözün doğru. Haydi sen kahvaltıyı hazırla. Ben de hemen geleceğim. Bir dakika! Sormayı unuttum. Mektup kağıdı ve zarf var mı? Tamay: Var, kime yazacaksın? Bülent: Anneme yazacağım. Söz verdim. English Tamay: You will have breakfast, won't you? Bülent: No, I won't. I am not hungry. I am very tired and sleepy. I will sleep right away. Tamay: Tea is ready. Take a shower. You will feel rested. Eat something for breakfast, then sleep. Bülent: What is there for breakfast? Deniz: What do you want? I will go to the grocery store now. I will buy eggs, honey and olives.



Bülent: Open this package. There is pastry and jam inside. My mother made. Tamay: And it is sourcherry and strawberry jam. Deniz: The pastries are also delicious. Bülent: My mother makes good pastries. Tamay: Come on, take a shower. Bülent: Don't hurry, I will take shower. Tamay: But breakfast is ready, don't make us wait. Bülent: Deniz will go to the grocery store. She will buy honey, eggs and olives. Deniz: Okey, I am going to the grocery s tore. And you take a shower and shave. Bülent: I will be ready in five minutes. Tamay: And I will prepare the breakfast table. Bülent: Put sourcherry jam in a plate. Tamay: Okey. Will you drink milk or tea for breakfast? Bülent: What will you drink? Tamay: We will drink tea. Bülent: I will also drink tea. It helps tiredness. Tamay: A good breakfast is the best medication for tiredness. Bülent: This is right. Come on, prepare the breakfast. And I will be back soon. One minute! I forgot to ask. Do we have envelope and paper for a letter? Tamay: Yes, who will you write to? Bülent: I will write to my mother. I promised.



Kasapta - At the Butcher's Turkish Kasap: Buyurun hanımefendi, arzunuz! Bayan: Dana eti var mı? Kasap: Evet var. Bayan: Lütfen yarım kilo dana eti. Kasap: Bifteklik mi? Bayan: Evet, bifteklik. Kasap: Başka arzunuz? Bayan: Üç yüz gram da kıyma. Kasap: Dana etinden mi? Bayan: Hayır, koyun etinden. Lütfen biraz yağlı olsun. Kasap: Üç yüz gram kıyma yüz elli lira, yarım kilo dana eti iki yüz elli lira. Hepsi toplam dört yüz lira. Bayan: Buyurun, beş yüz lira. Kasap: Bu paranızın üstü. Bayan: Teşekkür ederim.



English Butcher: Yes madam, how can I help you! Bayan: Do you have veal? Butcher: Yes, we have. Bayan: Please, half a kilogram veal. Butcher: For steak? Bayan: Yes, for steak. Butcher: Anything else? Bayan: Three hundred grams of ground meat. Butcher: From veal? Bayan: No, from lamb. Please make it a little fatty. Butcher: Three hundred grams of ground meat is hundred and fifty liras, hald a kilogram veal is two hundred and fifty liras. Total is four hundred liras. Bayan: Here you are, five hundred liras. Butcher: This is your change. Bayan: Thank you.



Introduction



The good news is that, on a Turkey holiday, even a little Turkish goes a long way. The Turkish are a very friendly, welcoming people and they’ll be thrilled to hear you try a few words or phrases. Here are a few simple Turkish words and phrases with pronunciation tips to help you get around, be understood and – importantly – order that meal or glass of wine!



• Useful Turkish words • Turkish greetings • Learn to talk about yourself • Pleasantries • Useful phrases while shopping in Turkey



• Days of the week and times in Turkish • Restaurants • Counting to ten • Places • Accommodation • Common expressions Some basic tips for talking Turkish:



• The Turkish like to pronounce every letter in a word. It’s difficult to remember sometimes if your native language is English, which often has many silent letters, but make an effort to pronounce every letter in Turkish and you’re half way there! • Every letter in Turkish has the same sound no matter how it is used • Turkish has six/seven extra letters that don´t exist in the English alphabet. While all the useful words and phrases above come complete with a pronunciation guide, here’s a quick guide to the extra letters and how to pronounce them:



Ç, ç



like the ch in chance



Ğ, ğ



almost silent, it is okay to not pronounce this



İ, i



like the i in king



I, ı



like the e in halted



Ö, ö



like the u in urge



Ş, ş



like the sh in shed



Ü, ü



like the u in nude



Introduction



The good news is that, on a Turkey holiday, even a little Turkish goes a long way. The Turkish are a very friendly, welcoming people and they’ll be thrilled to hear you try a few words or phrases. Here are a few simple Turkish words and phrases with pronunciation tips to help you get around, be understood and – importantly – order that meal or glass of wine!



• Useful Turkish words • Turkish greetings • Learn to talk about yourself • Pleasantries • Useful phrases while shopping in Turkey • Days of the week and times in Turkish • Restaurants • Counting to ten • Places • Accommodation • Common expressions Some basic tips for talking Turkish:



• The Turkish like to pronounce every letter in a word. It’s difficult to remember sometimes if your native language is English, which often has many silent letters, but make an effort to pronounce every letter in Turkish and you’re half way there! • Every letter in Turkish has the same sound no matter how it is used • Turkish has six/seven extra letters that don´t exist in the English alphabet. While all the useful



words and phrases above come complete with a pronunciation guide, here’s a quick guide to the extra letters and how to pronounce them:



Ç, ç



like the ch in chance



Ğ, ğ



almost silent, it is okay to not pronounce this



İ, i



like the i in king



I, ı



like the e in halted



Ö, ö



like the u in urge



Ş, ş



like the sh in shed



Ü, ü



like the u in nude



Turkish Greetings



Meeting and greeting in Turkey The Turkish are a friendly people and chances are you’ll hear some of these phrases as you go about your holiday. Learn how to say hello, goodbye, good day and more…



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



Hello



Merhaba



mehr-hah-bah



Good morning



Günaydın



gew-naye-dun



Good evening



İyi akşamlar



ee ahk-shahm-lahr



* This is used from late afternoon onwards, and can be used as a greeting and farewell



Good day



İyi günler



ee guhn-lehr



* This can be used morning or early afternoon and can be a greeting or a farewell



Goodbye



Hoşça kalın



hosh-cha kaluhn



* this can be used at any time for farewell



Pleased to meet you



Memnun oldum



mem-noon oll-doom



Pleased to meet you too



Ben de memnun oldum



deb-deh mem-noon oll-doom



Talk About Yourself in Turkish



A few basic Turkish phrases to help you communicate while on your holiday...



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



What is your name?



Adınız ne?



ah-duh-nuhz neh



My name is Mary



Benim adım Mary



ben-im ah-duhm Mary



How are you?



Nasılsınız?



nah-suhl-suhn-uz



I am fine



İyiyim



ee-yeem



- Practice saying your name



* This is the standard response to "Nasılsınız?"



Mr



Bay



bayh



Mrs



Bayan



bayh-an



I am Amerikan



Amerikalıyım



Amer-ika-le-yum



I am English



İngilizim



In-gi-li-zim



I am German



Almanım



Al-ma-num



Anlamadım



an-la-ma-duhm



- More nationalities here



I don´t understand



Pleasantries In Turkish there are set pleasantries for certain occasions. Learn a few and you can get away with knowing fewer words in Turkish! . Afiyet olsun!



af-ee-yeht ul-sun



Said to someone who is eating or has just finished eating (literal translation: Bon Appetite/ Let Health Be) . Elinize sağlık!



el-ee-nee-ze saah-lik



Said to praise someone’s cooking (literal translation: Health to your hands) . Kolay gelsin!



koh-lay gel-sin



Said to someone working (literal translation: May it come easy) . Geçmiş olsun!



gech-mish ol-suhn



Said to someone who is ill (literal translation: Get well soon/ may it pass) . Çok yaşa!



chok yash-ah



Said to someone who just sneezed, similar to god bless you (literal translation: Live



long) . Sıhhatler olsun!



suh-hut-ler ol-suhn



Said to someone who just took a shower, or to a guy who just got a haircut or shaved (literal translation: Let there be health) .



Shopping in Turkey Useful words to help you shop, haggle and buy your way around Turkey!



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



Open



Açık



ah-chuhk



Closed



Kapalı



kah-pah-luh



Entry



Giriş



gee-rish



Is there / do you have?



Var mı?



vahr-muh?



Do you have bread?



Ekmek var mı?



ek-mek vahr-muh



There is



Var



vahr



There is bread



Ekmek var



ek-mek vahr



There is not



Yok



yohk



There is no bread



Ekmek yok



ek-mek yohk



This bread



Bu ekmek



boo ek-mek



What?



Ne?



neh



What is this?



Bu ne?



boo neh



How much (money)?



Kaç para?



kahch pah-rah



Cheap



Ucuz



oo-juuz



Expensive



Pahalı



pah-ha-luh



* Don´t forget to haggle for everything but the food in Turkey!!



Days of the Week and Times in Turkish



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



Sunday



Pazar



pah-zahr



Monday



Pazartesi



pah-zahr-tesi



Tuesday



Salı



sah-luh



Wednesday



Çarşamba



char-sham-bah



Thursday



Perşembe



pehr-shem-beh



Friday



Cuma



juma



Saturday



Cumartesi



jumar-tesi



Tomorrow



Yarın



yahr-uhn



Today



Bugün



boo-guhn



Day



Gün



guhn



Week



Hafta



haf-tah



Morning



Sabah



sah-bah



Evening



Akşam



ahk-shahm



Turkish in a Restaurant



When ordering food in a restaurant or in a shop, it is enough to simply ask for the food you would like and add the Turkish word for please – lütfen – on the end. It is considered perfectly polite.



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



Restaurant



Lokanta



lo-can-tah



* Traditional Turkish restaurants may be called restaurant or, in some cases, lokanta



Menu please



Menü ütfen



men-oo lewt-fen



Price list



Fiyat listesi



fee-yot lis-tesi



* It is always good to ask for a price list first. If they do not have one be wary.



Waiter! Excuse me!



Garson! Bakar mısınız?



bakar-muh-suhn-uhz



Cheers! / Good health!



Şerefe!



sher-ef-eh



Wine list please



Şarap listesi lütfen



shah-rap lis-tesi lewt-fen



Two beers



İki bira



ee-kee beer-ah



White wine



Beyaz şarap



bey-az shah-rap



Red wine



Kırmızı şarap



kur-muh-zuh shah-rap



Tea



Çay



chy



Coffee



Kahve



kah-vey



The bill



Hesap



hes-up



That´s enough



Yeter



yeht-uhr



* This is a useful word if they bring out the meze tray – you may find that the waiter brings a huge tray of starters to the table without you having ordered them. It is custom to stop him, choose what you want and send the rest back. Yeter is a helpful word for this.



Counting in Turkish



One thing that makes counting in Turkish easier is the lack of the plural. Asking for two beers, for instance, simply becomes ‘two beer’. Three oranges, for instance, becomes ‘three orange.’



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



1



One



bir



beer



2



Two



iki



ee-kee



3



Three



üç



ewch



4



Four



dört



dirt



5



Five



beş



besh



6



Six



altı



ahl-tuh



7



Seven



yedi



yeh-dee



8



Eight



sekiz



seh-keez



9



Nine



dokuz



doh-kooz



10



Ten



on



ohn



11



Eleven



on bir



ohn beer



12



Twelve



on iki



ohn ee-kee



13



Thirteen



on üç



ohn ewch



and so on...



Places in Turkish



Turkish place names... know what to ask for if you want the restroom, the pharmacy, the airport or more!



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



Where is ...?



... nerede?



neh-reh-dey



Restroom / toilet



Tuvalet



too-vah-let



Where is the toilet?



Tuvalet nerede?



too-vah-let neh-reh-dey



Pharmacy / chemist



Eczane



ejch-zan-eh



Bus station



Otogar



auto-garh



Post office



Postane



post-han-eh



Grocer´s shop



Bakkal



bahk-kal



Bank



Banka



ban-kah



Turkish bath



Hamam



ham-am



Learn about Turkish baths with our partner website



Hospital



Hastane



has-tan-eh



Museum



Müze



moo-zey



Airport



Havalimanı



hav-ah-lee-man-uh



Police station



Karakol



kah-rah-kol



Accommodation in Turkish



Whether you’re staying in an hotel or a pansiyon (guest house), here are a few simple words to make your stay that much easer.



English



Turkish



Pronunciation



Hotel



Otel



oh-tel



Room



Oda



oh-dah



For



İçin



ee-chin



Number



Numara



noo-ma-rah



How many?



Kaç?



Kah-ch



Arrival



Geliş



gel-ee-sh



Departure



Gidiş



gee-dee-sh



Bathroom



Banyo



ban-yoh



Air conditioning



Klima



klee-mah



One person



Bir kişi



beer ki-sh-ee



One night



Bir gece



beer geh-jeh



Breakfast included



Kahvaltı dahil



kah-val-tuh da-heel



Hot water



Sıcak su



see-jack soo



Common expressions in Turkish



Turkish words and phrases you’ll hear again and again.



As your holiday in Turkey progresses, you’ll probably find that your ear slowly becomes attuned to the Turkish around you. That’s when you’ll start to hear the same key words and phrases everywhere you go.



Sometimes you’ll even hear the same word in a variety of different situations. Here we look at some of those words and phrases, examine what they mean and how you can respond.



1. Buyurun Pronunciation: Booh-rohn



You’ll hear the word buyurun everywhere you go in Turkey, in shops, restaurants and markets in particular. There is no direct English equivalent. Instead, buyurun acts as an all-purpose word to prompt you – meaning welcome, please come in, sit down, there you are, how can I help you or would you like anything else, depending on the context in which it is used.



You may also hear a variation – buyurun efendim. (Pronounced booh-rohn afen-dehm)



Efendim is a gender-neutral way of addressing a man or a woman, a polite way of saying Sir or Madam. You may also hear Turkish people answering the telephone using this form of address.



2. Hadi! Pronunciation: had-ee



You will no doubt hear hadi almost as often as buyurun in Turkey. It means Come on! Or go on!



3. Hoş geldiniz People may say this to you when you arrive in Turkey, check into your hotel, go to a restaurant, enter a shop or visit someone’s home. It translates as Welcome in English.



There is a set response expected to this – hoş bulduk. Your response equates to ‘Happy to be here’.



Welcome



hoş geldiniz



hosh-gel-dinn-iz



Happy to be here



hoş bulduk



hosh-bol-duhk



4. Nasılsınız? This is a popular greeting when two people meet. It loosely translates as ‘How are you’? Again,



there is a set response to this – iyiyim, teşekkür ederim. This means I am fine, thank you.



How are you?



Nasılsınız?



nah-suhl-suhn –uz



I am fine



İyiyim



ee-yeem



Thank you



teşekkür ederim



teh-she-kewr eh-deh-rehm



When the Turkish speak English



Turkish people will be delighted if you try to speak even a few words of their language, but if you holiday in the resorts around the country, you’ll probably find quite a lot of the Turks there want to speak English. Sometimes even when you don’t want them to!



That said, however, it’s not always that easy to understand their English either. Here we highlight a couple of little facts that might help you understand their English a little better!







Turks can’t traditionally pronounce th as there is no equivalent sound in Turkish. You may find that they say Tank you instead of Thank you or Der instead of There.







They also have a tendency to pronounce W as V. That’s because there is no W in the Turkish alphabet!







Turkish has a different rhythm of language to English. If a Turk hasn’t fully mastered the English rhythm, you may still find it difficult to understand them even if they use the right words.







They may confuse you by saying they are going to ‘drink smoke’. Really, they probably mean they are going to have a cigarette but in Turkish to verb to drink and the verb to smoke is the same – içmek. No wonder they’re confused!



Basic Grammar Glossary 1. PARTS OF SPEECH



1.1 NOUN



A word giving name to a thing, person or idea, e.g. door, mechanic, love. Depending on a language, nouns have: 



number (singular/plural)







gender (masculine/feminine/neuter)







cases (nominative/genitive/dative/accusative/locative/vocative etc)



TYPES of NOUNS: Possessive nouns: Nouns that describe owner of something or, in other words, a noun that has something. E.g. Mike's car, car's engine Proper nouns: Nouns that are a name of a specific person, place or thing. E.g. Mary, Germany, Islam Common nouns: All other nouns giving general names to people, places or things. E.g. girl, country, religion Concrete nouns: Nouns describing things we can see, touch, or smell. E.g. stone, chair, vanilla Abstract nouns: Nouns describing things we cannot see, touch or smell (ideas etc). E.g. love, friendship, childhood Countable nouns: Nouns that take plural forms, nouns that can be counted. E.g. chair, car, child Uncountable nouns: Nouns that don't take plural forms, nouns that can't be counted. E.g. love, water, air



1.2 VERB



A word describing an action or a state, e.g. run, learn, lie, be Depending on a language, verbs have: 



tense (past/present/future)







aspect (perfective/imperfective/simple/continuous)







mood (optative/conditional/imperative etc)







voice (active/passive)



TYPES of VERBS: Dynamic verbs: Most verbs, they describe an action (kill, find) Stative verbs: Don't usually take the continuous form (-ing ending). Typically they denote emotions (love, hate), abstract ideas (want, need) or possession (have, own) Auxiliary verbs: Verbs (be, have, do) that have little meaning but have their functions like creating questions (Do you like coffee?) or tenses (He has been unconscious for three days) Modal verbs: Specific verbs (can, could, may, might, shall, should, ought to, must, that express necessity, obligation, possibility, certainty or lack of thereof.



1.3 PRONOUN



A word able to replace a NOUN or another pronoun in a sentence



TYPES of PRONOUNS: Subject personal pronouns: (I, you, he, she etc) - Replace subject in a sentence Possessive pronouns: (mine, yours, his, hers etc) Object personal pronouns: (me, you, him, her, etc) - Replace object in a sentence Demonstrative pronouns: (this, that, these, those) Interrogative pronouns: (why, what, where, when, etc) - Those words that open a question Relative pronouns: (who, which, that, whose, etc) - Words that link two sentences Indefinite pronouns: (many, some, any, all, etc) - Those that describe an indefinite number of something Reflexive pronouns: (myself, yourself, himself, ourselves, etc) - We use them if subject and object of a sentence are the same, or, in other words, if subject performs an action on himself/herself. E.g. I washed myself . He hurt himself.



1.4 ADJECTIVE



A word giving extra information about a NOUN or PRONOUN. E.g. old hut, silly me



TYPES of ADJECTIVES: Possessive adjectives: (my, your, his, her etc) - Used before a NOUN describe who it belongs to Comparative adjectives: (older, bigger) - Used to compare qualities of two things Superlative adjectives: (oldest, biggest) - Used to compare qualities of more than two things



1.4 ADVERB



A word modifying an ADJECTIVE or a VERB.



TYPES of ADVERBS: Adverbs of manner: State how something is done, e.g. She types quickly. Adverbs of time: State when something happens, e.g. See you tomorrow. Adverbs of frequency: State how often something happens, e.g. We meet twice a month. Adverbs of degree: State how much of something is done, e.g. I like him a lot. Adverbs of place: State where something is, e.g. It's here. There are many other adverbs that give us extra information in a sentence, e.g. comments (fortunately, alas, etc) or join ideas (although, even though, however, thus, etc)



1.5 PREPOSITION



A word that tells us where something is in relation to another object. E.g. on the table, under the bed



1.6 CONJUNCTION



A word that links words, phrases or clauses, e.g. and, or, so



2. PARTS OF SENTENCE



2.1 SUBJECT



A NOUN, PRONOUN or NOMINAL PHRASE that give information who or what the sentence is about, in active voice it is the doer of the action described by the verb. In English it is usually before the verb.



E.g. John has ironed all his shirts. John is a proper noun, doer of action, hence the subject. He has ironed all his shirts. He is a pronoun, doer of action, hence the subject. The person I live with has ironed all his shirts. The person I live with is a nominal phrase, the doer of action, hence the subject **BUT** All shirts have been ironed by John. Although, logically, John has ironed the shirts, passive voice reverses subject/object relations so it is All shirts that function as subject in this sentence.



2.2 OBJECT



A NOUN, PRONOUN or NOMINAL PHRASE that completes the verb. In English it goes after the verb. In other words, it is the noun (pronoun or noun phrase) in a sentence that is not a subject.



E.g. I like coffee. I like it. I like that dark drink with caffeine. TYPES of OBJECTS: Direct: Answers whom or what is the recipient of the action described by the verb. E.g. I gave her flowers. (What did I give to her?) Indirect: The other object that is the recipient of the direct object E.g. I gave her flowers. (Who got flowers).



Although it seems confusing at first, we may say that indirect object can be preceded by a preposition after some modifications, e.g. I gave flowers to her. If you cannot separate an object from the verb by means of preposition, it must be a direct object. If a verb has just one object, it must be direct. Some verbs don't take any objects at all, e.g. He jumps high.



2.3 VERB



A word describing action or state of a subject. TYPES of VERBS: Transitive: Take OBJECTS. E.g. She sells shoes. They can be used in Passive Voice, e.g. Shoes



are sold by her. Intransitive: Don't take objects. E.g. He died yesterday. They can't be used in Passive Voice. Linking verbs: Don't describe an action but link subject and object. The most typical are verbs be, become, seem. E.g. He is nice. (Nice is a quality of the subject, not an object of the verb).



3. OTHER USEFUL TERMS



3.1 BASIC FORM OF A VERB



Infinitive without the participle to. Its form doesn't indicate tense, aspect or mood. E.g. swim, be, dance. All endings are added to this form of verb.



3.2 CONSONANT



A sound that is not a vowel. Consonants can be divided into different groups depending on the place and manner of their articulation as well as other features involved into pronouncing them. E.g. /B/ is plosive, bilabial and voiced; /P/ is plosive, bilabial and voiceless; /M/ is nasal, bilabial and voiced; /N/ is nasal, bilabial and voiceless.



3.3 CONSONANT HARMONY



Rule that defines which consonants may follow given consonants. E.g. voiceless /k/ can be followed only by voiceless consonants like /t/



3.4 GERUND



Verb with the -ing ending that functions as a noun. E.g. Swimming is healthy. (subject); I love dancing. (object)



3.5 INFINITIVE



Basic form of a verb usually preceded by the participle to. E.g. to swim, to be, to dance



3.6 PARTICIPLE



Verb forms that have two types: Present Participle: Identical to gerund (verb with -ing ending) but it doesn't function as a noun. - Forms progressive (continuous) aspect, e.g. They are dancing. - Modifies nouns, e.g. We saw a dancing dog. - Modifies verbs, e.g. He stopped, knowing nobody was listening to him anyway. Past Participle: Regular verb with -ed ending or 3rd form of irregular verbs, e.g. cooked, swum, forgotten. - Forms the perfect aspect, e.g. I have never danced. - Forms the Passive Voice, e.g. Everything was lost. - Modifies nouns, e.g. He soon forgot about the lost keys. - Modifies verbs, e.g. Questioned like that, he decided not to reply.



3.7 VOWEL



A sound pronounced without any obstruction in the vocal tract. English vowels are: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/ ,/u/.



3.8 VOWEL HARMONY



Rule that defines which vowels can follow given vowels. E. g. "dotted" vowels can only be followed by vowels from the same group.