LingoflyPolite words in Turkish
8 words in Turkish on the topic “polite words”: teşekkürler — thanks, lütfen — please (for requests), nasılsınız? — how are you (formal)?, siz — you (formal or plural). 8 words can be played from recordings.
8 words on the topic
- teşekkürlerthanksş sounds like "sh" in "ship"; ü like German ü, say "ee" with rounded lips: teh-shek-kewr-LEHR
- lütfenplease (for requests)Only for asking for something. The answer to "thank you" is "rica ederim".
- nasılsınız?how are you (formal)?The same word wearing the -sınız ending — polite and plural at once.
- sizyou (formal or plural)Both the polite "you" to one person and "you" for a group; the verb ending is the same (-sınız), so only context tells which.
- affedersinizexcuse meThe polite way to stop a stranger. Shorter and easier is "pardon" — borrowed and understood everywhere.
- Bir dakika bekleyinwait a momentIn speech it is usually cut down to bir dakika, "one sec". Even shorter, very Istanbul: bi dakka.
- rica ederimyou are welcomeLiterally "I request, I beg". Between friends the shorter ne demek — "say no more" — works too; both answer teşekkürler.
- buyurunhere you areHanding something over — buyurun; inviting someone in or to sit — the same word. lütfen is the "please" of asking; buyurun is the "please" of offering.
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
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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.
What is worth knowing about these words
teşekkürler — thanks. Teşekkür ("gratitude") plus the plural -ler, so literally "gratitude-s". A shorter, cosier option is sağ ol, literally "be well", but that one is for friends only.
lütfen — please (for requests). Only for asking for something. The answer to "thank you" is "rica ederim".
nasılsınız? — how are you (formal)? The same word wearing the -sınız ending — polite and plural at once.
siz — you (formal or plural). Both the polite "you" to one person and "you" for a group; the verb ending is the same (-sınız), so only context tells which.
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 teşekkürler — thanks.
- What is this word?
It is buyurun — here you are.
- What is this word?
It is rica ederim — you are welcome.
- What is this word?
It is Bir dakika bekleyin — wait a moment.
- What is this word?
It is affedersiniz — excuse me.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “thanks” in Turkish?
teşekkür ("gratitude") plus the plural -ler, so literally "gratitude-s". A shorter, cosier option is sağ ol, literally "be well", but that one is for friends only.
- How do you say “here you are” in Turkish?
Handing something over — buyurun; inviting someone in or to sit — the same word. lütfen is the "please" of asking; buyurun is the "please" of offering.
- How do you say “you are welcome” in Turkish?
Literally "I request, I beg". Between friends the shorter ne demek — "say no more" — works too; both answer teşekkürler.
- How do you say “wait a moment” in Turkish?
In speech it is usually cut down to bir dakika, "one sec". Even shorter, very Istanbul: bi dakka.
- How do you say “excuse me” in Turkish?
The polite way to stop a stranger. Shorter and easier is "pardon" — borrowed and understood everywhere.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“Thank you”, “please” and “sorry” carry you while the rest of the words are still missing: with them even a gesture reads as a request rather than a demand.
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.
- Study spread over days wins 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 “thanks” in Turkish?
«teşekkürler». Ş sounds like "sh" in "ship"; ü like German ü, say "ee" with rounded lips: teh-shek-kewr-LEHR. It is one of 8 words in the set “polite words” — the rest are in the table above.
How many polite words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 8 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
Is there audio?
Yes, 8 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.