Food and drink in Turkish
186 words Turkish words on the topic “food and drink”: kahve — coffee, çay — tea, su — water, ekmek — bread. 186 words can be played from recordings.
186 words on the topic
- kahvecoffeeThe Turkish word from which both "coffee" and "café" were brewed across the languages of Europe.
- çayteaDrunk from a tulip-shaped glass and offered everywhere, shops included.
- suwaterThe shortest word in the course and one of the few irregulars: "my water" is suyum.
- ekmekbreadSpelled and sounded exactly like the verb ekmek, "to sow". The collision is an accident — but the month ekim (October, sowing time) really does come from that verb.
- peynircheeseThe white brined cheese will be on the breakfast table without fail.
- etmeatTwo words in one spelling: et is "meat", but also the imperative of etmek ("to do") — dikkat et, "pay attention". Only the place in the sentence tells you which.
- balıkfishı dotless. The root of balıkçı — both "fisherman" and "fish shop": the tail -çı turns a thing into the person busy with it.
- salatasaladAn Italian loanword. The plain chopped-vegetable kind is çoban salatası — "shepherd's salad": tomato, cucumber, onion.
- çorbasoupLentil mercimek çorbası is served everywhere and at any hour.
- tuzsaltThe root of tuzlu ("salty") — the tail -lu "with something" — and tuzsuz ("salt-free") — the tail -suz "without". The -lı/-sız pair works across the whole language.
- meyvefruitSingular in form: meyve means both "a fruit" and "fruit in general". Arabic in origin, so there is no vowel harmony inside the root.
- elmaappleThe root of elma çayı — apple tea, pressed on tourists everywhere.
- portakalorangeFrom the name of Portugal, where the oranges came from.
- domatestomatoA Greek word with the final s already baked in: one piece is bir domates — there is no "domate".
- lezzetlitastylezzet is "taste", -li is "with". Literally "with taste".
- yemekto eatThe same word, unchanged, works as the noun "food, dish": yemek yemek is "to eat food", and that is not a typo.
- içmekto drinkTurkish "drinks" a cigarette too: sigara içmek is to smoke. Soup is drunk as well — çorba içmek, not eaten.
- tazefreshAt the market they shout taze taze! — repeating the word boosts it, a very Turkish trick.
- olgunripeA ripe fruit and a mature person: olgun bir insan is "a sensible person".
- aşçıcookş is "sh", ç is "ch", ı dotless: ash-CHUH
- kahvaltıTurkish breakfastdotless ı at the end: kah-val-TUH
- öğle yemeğilunchğ is silent and stretches the vowel: OY-le ye-me-I
- akşam yemeğidinnerBuilt the same way: the familiar akşam ("evening") plus "food". At home people dine late, often after eight.
- çiğnemekto chewç like "ch", ğ silent stretching the i: chi-ne-MEK
- yutmakto swallowy plus u give "yu", stress at the end: yut-MAK
- iştahappetiteş is "sh", final h is breathed out: ish-TAH
- parçapieceç like "ch": par-CHA
- kokusmellAny smell — bread, rain, perfume; good perfume is simply güzel koku, "a nice smell". The verb from it is kokmak, "to smell".
- yağoilyağ — ğ is silent, it stretches the a: YAA
- patatespotatolooks plural, is singular: 'bir patates' is one potato. Fries are 'patates kızartması'
- unfloura two-letter word. Don't let it touch 'on', ten: one vowel changes everything
- balhoneynative Turkic. 'Ballı' means with honey and lucky alike. 'Bal gibi' — 'like honey' — means for sure
- kuruyemişnutskuruyemiş — ş is "sh": kuu-ru-ye-MISH
- soğanonionsoğan — ğ is silent, it stretches the o: so-AAN
- havuçcarrothavuç — ç is "ch": ha-VOOCH
- biberpepperboth the spice and the vegetable. Hot is 'acı biber', the stuffing kind 'dolmalık biber'
- fasulyebeansfrom Greek. 'Kuru fasulye' with rice is the country's cheap staple dish
- baharatspicesan Arabic plural of bahar "spice", and Turkish kept it plural forever
- yemek pişirmekto cookpişmek is 'to get done'; the -ir- insert upgrades 'it happens by itself' into 'I make it happen': pişirmek
- yıkamakto wash upyıkamak — ı is dotless, like the a in "sofa": yuh-ka-MAK
- bıçakknifebıçak — dotless ı, and ç like "ch": buh-CHAK
- haşlamakto boilhaşlamak — ş is "sh": hash-la-MAK
- kızartmakto frykızartmak — ı dotless: kuh-zart-MAK
- fırında pişirmekto bakefırında — both ı dotless: fuh-run-DA
- kesmekto cutto cut and to cut off — and also to shut off: 'suyu kestiler' means the water was cut
- tencerepotfrom Persian. 'Tencere yuvarlandı, kapağını buldu' — 'the pot rolled and found its lid': a made-for-each-other couple
- tavafrying panfrom Persian. Pan-cooked dishes keep the name: 'karides tava' is shrimp in the pan
- ocakstovethe stove, the hearth and — capitalized — January, Ocak. Not a coincidence: January was the month of the fire
- tabakplateafter the final k the tail softens: tabak → tabağı. "Bir tabak çorba" is a plate of soup
- fincancupfincan — c sounds like English "j": fin-JAN
- bardakglassthe tulip-shaped tea glass is "ince belli bardak" — "with a thin waist"
- kaşıkspoonkaşık — ş is "sh", ı dotless: ka-SHUHK
- çatalforkçatal — ç is "ch": cha-TAL
- şişebottleşişe — both ş are "sh": shi-SHE
- buzdolabıfridgebuz 'ice' plus the dolap you know plus a linker: 'ice cupboard'. The final p voices to b before a vowel
- peçetenapkinpeçete — ç is "ch": pe-che-TE
- çaydanlıkkettleçaydanlık — ç is "ch", ı dotless: chai-dan-LUHK
- tepsitraya tray — and 'tepsi böreği' is a pie baked right on one: a homemade classic
- kaynarboiling hotkaynamak is "to boil", so kaynar is boil-hot. Merely warm is ılık; hot weather is sıcak
- buz gibiicy coldbuz 'ice' plus gibi 'like': 'ice-like'. Plain cold is soğuk; buz gibi is stronger — icy
- açhungryaç — ç is "ch": ACH
- tattastethe taste of food and a taste for life. After the final t the tail voices: tat → tadı; "tadı güzel" means tasty
- tuzlusaltedthe tuz you know plus -lu "with salt". A "tuzlu fiyat" is a price that bites
- ekşisourekşi — ş is "sh": ek-SHI
- acıbitteracı — c sounds like English "j", ı dotless: a-JUH
- acılıspicy-hotthe same acı plus -lı "with". On a menu acılı means with pepper, acısız without
- tokfull upthe partner of aç. "Tok karnına" means on a full stomach
- tatmakto tastesame root as tat. Liveliest as 'tadına bakmak' — 'to look at its taste'
- menümenumenü — round your lips for ü: me-NUU
- garsonwaiterFrench garçon. You flag one with 'garson bey' or a raised hand; whistling is out
- siparişordersipariş — ş is "sh": si-pa-RISH
- sipariş vermekto place an orderliterally 'to give an order' — noun plus vermek, as in söz vermek. Taking an order is 'sipariş almak'
- ana yemekmain courseana means 'main' (and 'mother'). The menu order is strict: soup, starters, main, dessert
- porsiyonportionfrom French. Ask for half like this: 'yarım porsiyon' — accepted everywhere
- iki kişilik masatable for twokişi 'person' plus -lik 'for so many': a table for two persons. Same suffix as in bir gecelik
- tatlıdesserttatlı — ı dotless: tat-LUH
- Etsiz olsunno meatthe et you know plus -siz "without", the partner of -li. olsun is "let it be". A vegetarian is a vejetaryen
- bahşiştipbahşiş — both ş are "sh": bash-SHISH
- pastacakeItalian pasta became a Turkish cake — a fork-split history. Birthday kind: "doğum günü pastası"
- makarnapastaItalian pasta, the factory kind — the course met homemade erişte as its rival. "Makarna sosu" waits
- yoğurtyogurtyoğurt — yoo-OORT
- kremacreamFrench crème: the cream. Cake kind is "pasta kreması", coffee kind "kahve krema"
- dondurmaice cream"the freezing thing": the causative dondurmak turned into a noun. Salep dondurma stretches like taffy
- çikolatachocolateçikolata — chi-ko-la-TA
- bisküvicookiesbisküvi — bis-kuu-VI
- dana etibeefdana is "calf": the meat of the calf. "Dana pirzola" is the butcher's pride
- kuzu etilambkuzu is "lamb": the meat of it. Kebabs and bayrams run on it
- karidesshrimpold Turkic. "Karides güveç" — shrimp casserole — is the Aegean coast's gift to tables
- üzümgrapesüzüm — uu-ZUUM
- salatalıkcucumbersalatalık — sa-la-ta-LUHK
- lahanacabbagean ancient traveler of a word. "Lahana sarması" is its masterpiece
- sarımsakgarlicsarımsak — sa-ruhm-SAK
- balkabağıpumpkinbalkabağı — bal-ka-baa-UH
- patlıcaneggplantpatlıcan — pat-luh-JAN
- limonlemonvia Arabic and Persian from Chinese, one of the great word journeys. Tea takes a slice
- karpuzwatermelonvia Greek from Persian xarbuza. Summer in Turkey is measured in karpuz
- çilekstrawberryçilek — chi-LEK
- armutpearold Turkic. "Armut piş, ağzıma düş" — pear, cook yourself and fall into my mouth — is laziness enshrined
- şeftalipeachşeftali — shef-ta-LI
- yemek tarifirecipea possessive: tarif is Arabic "definition, tariff" — the defined way of a dish. Grandmothers keep theirs in their heads
- sebzeleri soymakto peel the vegetablessoymak is "to peel, to strip" — the same verb that stripped the apple of its kabuk. The accusative -ları: THE vegetables
- kaynatmakto bring to the boilthe causative of kaynamak "to boil": you MAKE it boil. Milk, water and tempers included
- karıştırmakto stirkarıştırmak — ş "sh", dotless ı twice: ka-ruhsh-tur-MAK
- tuzlamakto salttuz "salt" plus the verb-maker -la: to salt. Roads and salads both get it
- ısıtmakto heat upısıtmak — uh-suht-MAK
- soğutmakto coolsoğutmak — soo-oot-MAK
- yumurta çırpmakto beat the eggsyumurta çırpmak — yoo-moor-TA chuhrp-MAK
- su eklemekto add waterekmek is "to add, to join in" — the same verb as ek, the attachment. Water joins the pot
- ızgarada pişirmekto grillızgarada pişirmek — uhz-ga-ra-DA pi-shir-MEK
- son kullanma tarihiexpiration date"the date of last use": üç words, zero mercy. Yogurt knows it by heart
- bozulmakto go badmilk and machines both bozul — the course met "arıza yaptı" for the machines. Here: the milk kind
- kavanozjaran old traveler of a word. Jams, pickles and spare pens live in kavanoz
- ilavesecondsArabic "addition": the extra helping. "İlave olarak" — in addition — does office work too
- paket olsunto take away"let it be a parcel": the coffee comes wrapped, the words stay short. Fastest Turkish food order
- şekersizsugar-freeşekersiz — she-ker-SIZ
- ben vejetaryenimI'm a vegetarianben vejetaryenim — ben ve-zhe-tar-ye-NIM
- afiyet olsunenjoy your meal"let it be health": afiyet is Arabic "well-being". The wish that follows the plate to the table
- yağlı yemekfatty foodğ not sounded, stretches the vowel: ya-LI ye-MEK
- şekercandyş like "sh": şe-KER
- millî yemeknational dishthe î stretches: mil-li-İ ye-MEK
- sokak yemeğistreet foodğ is not sounded: so-KAK ye-me-İ
- domuz etiporkAn izafet: et takes the tail -i — "pig's meat". The animal itself the course knows as domuz.
- tavuk etichicken (meat)The bird and the meat are both tavuk; to separate them people say the izafet tavuk eti.
- ördek etiduck (meat)The course already knows the bird ördek; on the table it becomes the izafet ördek eti.
- kıymaminced meatFrom kıymak, "to chop": literally "chopped". At the counter people ask for yağsız kıyma — the lean kind.
- jambonhamFrench jambon; it refuses to play the harmony game. In a Turkish shop it is more often turkey — hindi jambonu.
- sosisfrankfurterA thin wiener is sosis; the fat spicy kind is sucuk. Eggs fried with it are sosisli yumurta.
- ton balığıtunaAn izafet with voicing: balık becomes balığı. A can of tuna is ton balığı konservesi.
- somonsalmonA loanword, no harmony. Smoked is füme somon, and on menus it goes without the word balık.
- teke karidesiprawnThe collective karides is already known; the large by-the-piece kind at the fish market is teke karidesi — an izafet with the tail -si.
- deniz ürünleriseafoodAn izafet in the plural: ürün becomes ürünleri, "the products of the sea". This is exactly what the fish restaurant's sign says.
- erikplumThe final k softens: erik becomes eriği. The sour green can eriği is eaten with salt in spring.
- ahududuraspberryAlready ends with what looks like a possessive tail, so Turkish never sticks another one on.
- kavunmelonkavun is the melon, karpuz the watermelon — two distinct words, no room for confusion.
- narpomegranate (fruit)The sour pomegranate sauce is nar ekşisi, an izafet; the shade of red is nar çiçeği.
- ananaspineappleA loanword: three identical a's in a row neither break harmony nor come from it.
- mandalinatangerineFrom Italian. Do not confuse with mandal — a clothespin: only the beginning is shared.
- kivikiwi (fruit)Both the fruit and the bird — English keeps the same double meaning. Homegrown kiwis grow on the Black Sea coast, in Rize and Ordu.
- avokadoavocadoIt takes Turkish case endings as its own: avokadoyu, avokadoya.
- kuru üzümraisinLiterally "dry grape": the modifier stands in front, no izafet. Both words are already known on their own.
- incirfigFresh is taze incir, dried is kuru incir. The country's fig capital is Aydın.
- dolmalık biberbell pepperThe course knows biber as both the spice and the vegetable. At the stall the vegetable is told apart by its badge: dolmalık means "for stuffing", sivri means "hot".
- kabakzucchiniBoth zucchini and pumpkin; the pumpkin gets its own label — bal kabağı. The final k softens: kabak becomes kabağı.
- pancarbeetTable beet is kırmızı pancar, sugar beet is şeker pancarı — already an izafet.
- turpradishSmall pink is kırmızı turp, big white is beyaz turp. Turp gibi means "sturdy as a radish" — said of robust people.
- yeşillikgreensFrom yeşil, "green": all things green at once — the bunch for the table and the green corner in the yard.
- dereotudillA fused izafet: dere ("stream") + ot ("grass") + the tail -u. Written as one word.
- maydanozparsleyA Greek word. Her yemekte maydanoz olmak means "to be the eternal extra" — literally "to be parsley at every meal".
- zencefilgingerAn Arabic word. Tea with it is zencefilli çay, ground powder is toz zencefil.
- mısırcornThe same word as Egypt — Mısır with a capital. A boiled cob on the embankment is haşlanmış mısır.
- ıspanakspinachStarts with a back-row ı, and the tails follow it: ıspanağı, ıspanakla; the k softens into ğ.
- çöreksweet bunA soft bun to have with tea; the salty flaky kind is poğaça. The final k softens: çörek becomes çöreği.
- böreksavory pieThe layered stuffed pie — the main Turkish "pie"; the sweet fruity kind is turta. The k softens: böreği.
- keksmall cakeThe English word cake: a small sweet slice with tea. A whole cream torte the course knows as pasta — and pasta is not pasta, pasta is makarna.
- donutdonutA borrowing without harmony, spelled the English way. The Turkish relative is lokma — balls of dough in syrup.
- hamur işipastryAn izafet: "dough's business" — all baked things at once, from börek to buns. A general label, not a single item.
- reçeljamCooked with the fruit left whole. The kind goes in an izafet: vişne reçeli, "sour-cherry jam", gül reçeli, "rose jam".
- şurupsyrupBoth the kitchen syrup and the medicine in the bottle — one word. Baklava's sweet soak has its own name, şerbet.
- patlamış mısırpopcornLiterally "burst corn": a participle stands in front as a modifier, no izafet.
- cipschipsFrom English chips, but Turkish treats it as singular: bir paket cips.
- sakızchewing gumThe same word as the mastic of Chios. To chew gum is sakız çiğnemek.
- limonatalemonadeThe homemade still lemon drink. The sweet fizzy stuff in a bottle is gazoz — a different thing.
- maden suyumineral waterAn izafet with a linking y: su becomes suyu. maden means "mine" as in ore: water from underground.
- gazlı susparkling waterModifier in front, no izafet: "with-gas water". At the shop the same bottle is asked for more briefly — soda.
- kokteylcocktailThe English word, written by ear. The fruity non-alcoholic one is meyve kokteyli, an izafet.
- kakaococoaTwo vowels in a row betray the borrowing. The powder is kakao tozu, the drink is sıcak kakao.
- hazır kahveinstant coffeeLiterally "ready coffee", modifier in front. By brand people call it neskafe; the kind brewed in a cezve is Türk kahvesi.
- poşet çaytea bagThe course knows poşet, "bag"; here it stands as a modifier and takes no tail. Tea brewed in a pot is demlik çayı.
- kaynar suboiling waterkaynar is "boiling" — the course knows it as "hot"; the water itself is kaynıyor, "is boiling".
- alkolalcoholArabic via French. Alkolsüz is "non-alcoholic", alkollü içecek is "a drink with alcohol".
- içecekdrinkFrom içmek, "to drink": the suffix -ecek makes the noun of a thing, "that which is drunk". Built the same way as yiyecek, "food".
- meyve suyujuiceAn izafet with a linking y between the vowels: su becomes suyu. A specific juice is named by the fruit — portakal suyu — and meyve drops out.
- restoranrestaurantThe course knows lokanta — a canteen with ready food on display — and kafe. A restaurant is a step above: a tablecloth, a menu and a bill.
- sütmilkThe course only knew it inside Sütlü olsun — "with milk". On its own you need it in the shop.
- ince belli bardaktulip glassLiterally "glass with a slim waist". A mug for tea would strike a Turk as odd.
- semaversamovarThe word is foreign in origin but the design is its own: the brew pot sits on top.
- tavşan kanırabbit bloodYou can order exactly this way: tavşan kanı olsun — "make it strong".
- Türk kahvesiTurkish coffeeThe foam on top is a must: coffee without it is considered spoiled.
- serpme kahvaltıspread breakfastserpmek is "to scatter": the name is about how everything is laid out at once.
- menemenmenemen (egg dish)Distinct from sahanda yumurta, plain fried eggs: here the egg is stirred into the vegetables.
- simitsimitThe grape molasses gives the color and a hint of sweetness, the sesame gives all the smell.
- lokumlokumThe English "Turkish delight" is an advertising translation, not a literal one.
- mezemezethe waiter brings a tray of little plates and you choose with your eyes
- rakırakıthe glass is tall and narrow, with a glass of water beside it and ice served separately
- balık ekmekfish sandwichliterally 'fish bread' — with no preposition at all, as in many Turkish pairs
- baklavabaklava pastrysyrup is poured over the hot pastry, which keeps the top crisp
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Sabahları sütlü kahve içerimIn the mornings I drink coffee with milk
- Bir bardak çay alabilir miyim?Can I have a glass of tea?
- Bir şişe su lütfenA bottle of water, please
- Fırından taze ekmek aldımI bought fresh bread at the bakery
- Kahvaltıda beyaz peynir yerizFor breakfast we eat white cheese
- Ben et yemiyorumI do not eat meat
What is worth knowing about these words
kahve — coffee. The Turkish word from which both "coffee" and "café" were brewed across the languages of Europe.
çay — tea. Drunk from a tulip-shaped glass and offered everywhere, shops included.
su — water. The shortest word in the course and one of the few irregulars: "my water" is suyum.
ekmek — bread. Spelled and sounded exactly like the verb ekmek, "to sow". The collision is an accident — but the month ekim (October, sowing time) really does come from that verb.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is kahve — coffee.
- What is this word?
It is salata — salad.
- What is this word?
It is lezzetli — tasty.
- What is this word?
It is öğle yemeği — lunch.
- What is this word?
It is yağ — oil.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “coffee” in Turkish?
The Turkish word from which both "coffee" and "café" were brewed across the languages of Europe.
- How do you say “salad” in Turkish?
An Italian loanword. The plain chopped-vegetable kind is çoban salatası — "shepherd's salad": tomato, cucumber, onion.
- How do you say “tasty” in Turkish?
lezzet is "taste", -li is "with". Literally "with taste".
- How do you say “lunch” in Turkish?
No separate word — "the food of noon": öğle ("noon") plus yemek with the tail -i, which turns k into ğ.
- How do you say “oil” in Turkish?
any oil and fat at once. Butter is tereyağı, olive oil zeytinyağı: the kind rides at the end
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
A menu, a market, a shop sign, the question “what is this?”. Food is the most frequent subject of the first weeks and the safest excuse to start talking.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “coffee” in Turkish?
«kahve». The Turkish word from which both "coffee" and "café" were brewed across the languages of Europe. It is one of 186 words in the set “food and drink” — the rest are in the table above.
How many food words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 186 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 186 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.