Turkish Greetings and Courtesy: What to Say and When
Greetings are the first Turkish you will actually use, and Turkish culture rewards you generously for making the effort. A single merhaba said with a smile opens doors, and knowing the right reply to a shopkeeper's welcome or a host's blessing marks you instantly as a considerate guest rather than a tourist. Turkish also has a set of warm, almost poetic courtesy phrases with no direct English equivalent, and these are some of the most satisfying words in the whole language to learn.
This guide covers the greetings and farewells you need first, the two levels of politeness built into the word 'you', and the everyday please-and-thank-you phrases. It also introduces a few uniquely Turkish expressions of goodwill — the kind you say to someone who is working, who has just cooked, or who is unwell — so you can respond naturally when you hear them.
Hello, and the Times of Day
The all-purpose greeting is merhaba (hello), which works at any time of day and in any setting. Selam is its casual cousin, closer to 'hi', used with friends and peers. Beyond these, Turkish greets by the time of day much as English does, and these phrases are worth learning as fixed units rather than word by word.
Note that günaydın (good morning) is a single word and is used only as a morning greeting, while iyi günler (good day) leans toward a friendly farewell or a daytime 'have a good one'. Getting the direction right — greeting versus parting — matters more than the literal translation.
'How Are You?' and the Expected Reply
After the greeting comes the check-in. Nasılsın? means 'how are you?' in the informal singular; the polite or plural form is nasılsınız?. The standard reply pairs a thank-you with a return of the question: İyiyim, teşekkürler. Sen nasılsın? ('I'm well, thanks. And you?'). You will also constantly hear the short, friendly ne haber? ('what's new?'), answered with iyilik ('all good').
You do not need to improvise here. Turkish small talk runs on a small set of set responses, and using them correctly sounds far more natural than a grammatically perfect but unexpected answer. Learn the exchange as a two-line script and you are ready for ninety percent of first encounters.
Please, Thank You, and 'You're Welcome'
Turkish has more than one way to thank someone. Teşekkür ederim is the full, slightly formal 'thank you'; teşekkürler is the lighter 'thanks'; and sağ ol (literally 'be well') is the warm, informal version used with friends. Any of them is safe, so pick one and use it often — Turks thank each other frequently.
For 'please', the word is lütfen, placed naturally in the request. The reply to thanks is rica ederim ('you're welcome', literally 'I request', meaning 'don't mention it'). And when you ask permission or squeeze past someone, pardon or affedersiniz ('excuse me') smooths the way. These four or five words carry an enormous share of daily politeness.
Formal and Informal: Sen vs Siz
Turkish, like many European languages, distinguishes an informal 'you' (sen) from a polite or plural 'you' (siz). This choice runs through the grammar: verb endings and even greetings shift to match. Use sen with friends, peers, children, and family; use siz with strangers, elders, officials, and anyone you want to show respect. When in doubt, start with siz — being slightly too formal is never rude, while being too casual can be.
This is why the same question appears as nasılsın? (sen) and nasılsınız? (siz). You do not need to master the full grammar of it now; just recognise the pattern that formal forms tend to end in -siniz or -sınız, and default to them with people you have just met. The verb lessons cover how these endings are built once you are ready to go deeper.
Uniquely Turkish Courtesies
Some of the most charming phrases in Turkish are courtesies for specific situations, and knowing them lets you respond gracefully when a Turk offers one to you. Kolay gelsin ('may it come easy') is said to anyone who is working — a shopkeeper, a cleaner, a colleague — and is one of the kindest small phrases in the language. Afiyet olsun is the equivalent of 'enjoy your meal' or 'bon appétit', said before or after eating.
You will also hear eline sağlık ('health to your hand'), said to whoever cooked or made something, and geçmiş olsun ('may it pass'), offered to someone who is ill or has had a hard time. There is no need to memorise all of these at once. Learn to recognise them, reply with a simple teşekkürler, and add them to your own speech gradually — they are exactly the touches that turn textbook Turkish into the warm, hospitable register native speakers actually use. The culture notes explore the customs behind these phrases in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common way to say hello in Turkish?
Merhaba is the standard hello, appropriate at any time and in any setting. Selam is a more casual 'hi' used among friends. Turkish also greets by time of day, with günaydın for the morning and iyi akşamlar in the evening.
When should I use siz instead of sen?
Use siz — the polite or plural 'you' — with strangers, elders, officials, and anyone you want to treat respectfully, and sen with friends, peers, and children. When unsure, default to siz; being a little too formal is never considered rude.
How do you say thank you in Turkish?
Teşekkür ederim is the full 'thank you', teşekkürler is a lighter 'thanks', and sağ ol is the warm informal version for friends. The reply is rica ederim, meaning 'you're welcome'.
What does kolay gelsin mean?
It literally means 'may it come easy' and is said to anyone who is working — a shopkeeper, a waiter, a colleague. It is a small, distinctly Turkish courtesy with no exact English equivalent, and using it correctly always lands well.
Put it into practice
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