Cheap but far in Turkish
Two people choosing between two apartments and arguing over arguments in Turkish. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «İki daire var: biri ucuz ama uzak, biri pahalı ama merkezde.» — There are two apartments: one is cheap but far, the other is expensive but in the center. Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: two people choosing between two apartments and arguing over arguments. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- İki daire var: biri ucuz ama uzak, biri pahalı ama merkezde.There are two apartments: one is cheap but far, the other is expensive but in the center.
- Bence ucuz olanı alalım. Kira her ay ödeniyor sonuçta.In my opinion, let's take the cheap one. After all, you pay rent every month.
- Gerçi ucuz, ama her gün iki saat yolda geçiyor.It's cheap, true, but two hours a day go to the commute.
- Buna karşılık aylık üç bin lira kalıyor cebinde.But three thousand liras a month stay in your pocket.
- Öte yandan zaman da para. Yine de düşünmek lazım.On the other hand, time is money too. Still, we need to think.
- Aslında bir üçüncü seçenek daha var: biraz bekleyelim.Actually there's a third option too: let's wait a bit.
- Tam tersine, beklersek fiyatlar daha da artar.On the contrary, if we wait, prices will rise even more.
- Kısacası, orta yolu bulmamız lazım. Yarın ikisini de görelim.In short, we need to find a compromise. Tomorrow we'll look at both.
Lines one by one
| Turkish | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| İki daire var: biri ucuz ama uzak, biri pahalı ama merkezde. | — | There are two apartments: one is cheap but far, the other is expensive but in the center. |
| Bence ucuz olanı alalım. Kira her ay ödeniyor sonuçta. | — | In my opinion, let's take the cheap one. After all, you pay rent every month. |
| Gerçi ucuz, ama her gün iki saat yolda geçiyor. | — | It's cheap, true, but two hours a day go to the commute. |
| Buna karşılık aylık üç bin lira kalıyor cebinde. | — | But three thousand liras a month stay in your pocket. |
| Öte yandan zaman da para. Yine de düşünmek lazım. | — | On the other hand, time is money too. Still, we need to think. |
| Aslında bir üçüncü seçenek daha var: biraz bekleyelim. | — | Actually there's a third option too: let's wait a bit. |
| Tam tersine, beklersek fiyatlar daha da artar. | — | On the contrary, if we wait, prices will rise even more. |
| Kısacası, orta yolu bulmamız lazım. Yarın ikisini de görelim. | — | In short, we need to find a compromise. Tomorrow we'll look at both. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Turkish in this situation?
“İki daire var: biri ucuz ama uzak, biri pahalı ama merkezde.” — There are two apartments: one is cheap but far, the other is expensive but in the center.. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.