Shopping and money in Turkish
85 words Turkish words on the topic “shopping and money”: ne kadar? — how much is it?, lira — lira, dükkân — shop, pazar — street market. 85 words can be played from recordings.
85 words on the topic
- ne kadar?how much is it?Literally "how much". This is exactly how you ask about a price.
- liraliraWritten "TL" — Türk lirası. The ₺ sign only appeared in 2012.
- dükkânshopA small shop, a street-front store. The chain grocery is market, the mall is AVM.
- pazarstreet marketThe same word means "Sunday": the neighborhood market was set up on Sundays and the day took its name from it. To speak of the day, people say pazar günü.
- tezgâhcountersoft g, the vowel stretches: tez-GYAH
- satıcısellerboth ı dotless, c as "j" in "jam": sa-tuh-JUH
- müştericustomerAn Arabic word. One word for the buyer, the client and the café regular.
- teraziscalesThe same root as the zodiac sign Libra — Terazi. In Turkish it is one word, not a pair.
- kilokiloThe full kilogram almost never appears in speech: at the market people say bir kilo.
- 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".
- fiyat etiketiprice tagfiyat is "price", etiket is "label". The tail -i on the second word fuses the pair into one notion: "the label of price".
- pahalıexpensivepaha is "price", -lı is "with": literally "with a price". The same suffix as in the familiar lezzetli.
- ucuzcheapc as "j" in "jam": u-JUZ
- indirimdiscountindirmek is "to bring down" — a price included. Shop windows say %50 indirim.
- para üstüchange (money)Literally "what is on top of the money". You ask for it like this: Para üstü var mı?
- fişreceiptş is "sh": feesh
- Borcum ne kadar?how much do I owe?borç is "debt", borcum is "my debt". The voiceless ç voices into c before a vowel: borç becomes borcum.
- Bu çok pahalıthat is expensiveThe opening move of haggling. It is said with a smile: without one it is already a reproach to the seller.
- Biraz indirim yapar mısınız?could you go lower?Literally "would you make a little discount?". The question is assembled from the particle mı and the polite -sınız.
- Bunu alıyorumI will take italmak is both "to take" and "to buy". bunu is "this" with the accusative -u: the object is specific, this very one.
- Bana gerek yokI do not need itLiterally "I have no need" — with the familiar yok. The polite refusal for a pushy seller.
- bir tane dahaone moretane is a counting word like "piece": bir tane, iki tane. daha is "more", and it always comes after.
- marketgrocery storeThe corner shop. The big one is süpermarket, and the tiny counter shop is a bakkal.
- sepetbasketA shopping basket and a basketball hoop — no "basket" loan needed.
- sıraline (queue)both ı dotless: suh-RA
- kasacheckoutBoth the checkout in a shop and the safe. The cashier is kasiyer, same root.
- poşetplastic bagPlastic bags at the till have cost money since 2019, which is why you hear the question every time.
- açıkopen (on a sign)Also "light" about color: açık mavi is "light blue". And "clear": açık hava is "clear weather".
- kapalıclosed (on a sign)kapı is "door", kapalı is "with the door shut". Hence also Kapalıçarşı — Istanbul's Covered Bazaar.
- seçmekto chooseThe root of seçim, "elections". The infinitive ends in -mek because the last vowel of the root is e.
- bedensize (clothing)The word itself means "body"; in a shop they ask kaç beden? — "what size?". Shoe size is numara.
- garantiwarrantyfrom German via French guarantee. The receipt-sized card in every box is a "garanti belgesi"
- iadea returniade — i-a-DE
- reklamadvertisingArabic "proclaiming": the announcement that sells. Ad break: "reklam arası"
- reklam filmicommerciala possessive: "an ad film". Thirty seconds of cinema that interrupts it
- markabrandItalian marchio, a mark: the brand. "Markalı" means brand-name, -lı and proud
- logologoGreek logos, "word": the logo. Companies refresh them every decade
- indirim kampanyasısaleindirim "discount" (the download word, price-wise) + kampanya French campaign: the sale as a campaign
- avantajlı teklifgood deal"an advantageous offer": avantaj from French, teklif Arabic. Shop-window favorite
- fiyatları karşılaştırmakto compare priceskarşı is "opposite, facing": karşılaştırmak sets things face to face. Prices included
- paketpacka pack, a parcel, a plan: "bir paket makarna" — a pack of pasta. The course sent paket göndermek earlier
- camglass, the materialcam — one syllable: jam
- metalmetalFrench métal via Greek metallon, unharmonized: metali. Doors, spoons, fences
- plastikplasticGreek plastikos, "moldable". The bag you refuse is a "plastik poşet"
- kâğıtpaperkâğıt — kaaa-UHT
- dayanıklıdurabledayanıklı — dotless ı twice: da-ya-nuh-KLUH
- kalitelihigh-qualitykalite French qualité + -li: with quality. The shopkeeper's favorite adjective
- alışveriş merkezishopping mallalışveriş — ş "sh", dotless ı: a-luhsh-ve-RISH
- vitrinshop windowFrench vitrine: the display case. Window-shopping is "vitrin bakmak" — looking at windows
- kasiyercashierkasa, the till, + -yer: the one of the till. Receipt included, smile optional
- satın almapurchasesatın alma — sa-TUHN al-MA
- puan kartıloyalty cardpuan kartı — poo-AN kar-TUH
- hediye paketigift wrappinga possessive: "the gift package". "Hediye paketi yapar mısınız?" — will you wrap it as a gift?
- alışveriş arabasıshopping cartalışveriş arabası — a-luhsh-ve-RISH a-ra-ba-SUH
- ürünü değiştirmekto exchange an itemürünü değiştirmek — uu-ruu-NUU dee-ish-tir-MEK
- iade yapmakto process a return"to do a return": iade, the giving-back word. Receipt required, mood optional
- defoludefectivedefo Arabic "fault" + -lu: carrying a fault. A loose thread counts; shops quietly agree
- beden olmadıthe size did not fit"the size did not become": beden from "body"; olmadi, it did not happen. The fitting-room verdict
- fişi saklamakto keep the receiptfişi saklamak — fi-SHI sak-la-MAK
- bu sahteit is a fakesahte is Arabic "counterfeit": fake goods, fake smiles. The label tells the truth
- ürün stokta varin stockürün stokta var — uu-RUUN stok-TA var
- başka renkle değiştirmekto exchange for a different colorbaşka renkle değiştirmek — bash-KA renk-LE dee-ish-tir-MEK
- kol saatiwristwatch"an arm clock": kol the arm, saat the hour. The wrist wears it; the phone tells it better
- parfümperfumeparfüm — par-FUUM
- kozmetikcosmeticsGreek kosmetikos, "orderly, adorning": the cosmetics aisle. Department store floor two, usually
- ikinci elsecond-hand"second hand": things touched once before you. Flea markets run on it
- pazarlık etmekto bargainpazarlık etmek — pa-zar-LUHK et-MEK
- kitapçıbookstoreç like "ch", dotless ı: ki-tap-CHI
- toptanwholesaletop is a bale, a whole lot; -tan the ablative. Its pair is perakende, retail. A wholesaler is toptancı.
- garanti süresiwarranty periodgaranti is warranty, süre a term. In the shop they ask: garanti süresi ne kadar? The warranty certificate is garanti belgesi.
- siparişe özelmade to orderş like "sh", ö rounded: si-pa-ri-ŞE Ö-zel
- almakto takeAlso "to buy": ekmek aldım is both "I took bread" and "I bought bread". Context decides.
- vermekto giveThe "to whom" takes the -a/-e case: bana verin, "give me". The tail is required.
- satın almakto buyLiterally "to take for sale". Used where plain almak would be ambiguous.
- Kilosu kaça?how much per kilo?kilosu is "its kilo", the possessive tail points at the goods; kaça is the directional of kaç.
- İndirim var mı?is there a discount?var mı is "is there"; the particle is written separately and keeps harmony: mı, mi, mu, mü.
- Sizde ... var mı?do you have...?The locative on siz: literally "is it present with you?". The goods go in the middle, and the polite siz is a must.
- Bunu alayımI will take this oneThe optative -ayım: "let me take". The firm bunu alıyorum the course already knows.
- Bana bir poşet lazımI need a baglazım is "needed", and the person stands in the -a/-e case with it: bana, not ben.
- Kasa nerede?where is the checkout?nerede is the locative of the question word nere: "in what place". kasa itself the course already knows.
- Hepsi bu kadarthat is allhepsi is "all of it", already with a possessive tail. At the till it means "I am taking nothing more".
- Nakit mi, kartla mı?cash or card?The "or" in a question is two particles mi, not a conjunction; kartla is the instrumental on -la.
- Üstü kalsınkeep the changeLiterally "let the top stay": üst is what sits on top of the sum. The change itself the course knows as para üstü.
- alışveriş listesishopping listAn izafet: liste becomes listesi. Built on the same pattern as the course's familiar yapılacaklar listesi.
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.
- Şu çanta ne kadar?How much is that bag over there?
- Bu peynir kırk liraThis cheese costs forty lira
- Karşıdaki dükkân yediye kadar açıkThe shop across the street is open until seven
- Salı günü mahallede pazar kuruluyorOn Tuesdays the market works in the neighborhood
- Tezgâhta taze balık varThere is fresh fish on the counter
- Satıcı çok güler yüzlüThe seller is very friendly
What is worth knowing about these words
ne kadar? — how much is it?. Literally "how much". This is exactly how you ask about a price.
lira — lira. Written "TL" — Türk lirası. The ₺ sign only appeared in 2012.
dükkân — shop. A small shop, a street-front store. The chain grocery is market, the mall is AVM.
pazar — street market. The same word means "Sunday": the neighborhood market was set up on Sundays and the day took its name from it. To speak of the day, people say pazar günü.
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 ne kadar? — how much is it?.
- What is this word?
It is terazi — scales.
- What is this word?
It is indirim — discount.
- What is this word?
It is Bana gerek yok — I do not need it.
- What is this word?
It is açık — open (on a sign).
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “how much is it?” in Turkish?
Literally "how much". This is exactly how you ask about a price.
- How do you say “scales” in Turkish?
The same root as the zodiac sign Libra — Terazi. In Turkish it is one word, not a pair.
- How do you say “discount” in Turkish?
indirmek is "to bring down" — a price included. Shop windows say %50 indirim.
- How do you say “I do not need it” in Turkish?
Literally "I have no need" — with the familiar yok. The polite refusal for a pushy seller.
- How do you say “open (on a sign)” in Turkish?
Also "light" about color: açık mavi is "light blue". And "clear": açık hava is "clear weather".
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
How much it costs, whether there is a smaller one, whether cards are accepted. A shop forgives mistakes: miss a word and they will show you the thing with their hands anyway.
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 “how much is it?” in Turkish?
«ne kadar?» Literally "how much". This is exactly how you ask about a price. It is one of 85 words in the set “shopping and money” — the rest are in the table above.
How many shopping words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 85 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, 85 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.