How to Learn Turkish? Tips from a Teacher and Language Learner

In Turkish, yes/no questions are formed using the interrogative particle mi . This particle is placed after the verb . It is written separately and, like suffixes, follows vowel harmony: mi, mı, mü, mu. Examples: Oğlum, ev ödevlerini bitirdin mi ? →   Son, have you finished your homwork? Akşam işten sonra buluşuyor mu yuz? →   Are we going to meet after work in the evening? Müsait mi sin? Biraz konuşabilir mi yiz? →   Are you free? Can we talk for a while? Mert dün okulda Tu

Meaning: In Turkish, eli açık  literally means “open-handed” and is a figurative expression used as a synonym for cömert (generous), describing someone who is generous with money, gifts, or treats. Usage: This expression is commonly applied to people who spend or give freely , especially in financial or social generosity , such as supporting those in need, paying for friends, giving gifts, or sharing food . Note that being eli açık  doesn’t require great wealth and does not

Meaning Soft-hearted; very kind and easily moved  It is used to describe someone who is very kind, soft-hearted, and easily moved emotionally. It is often used for people who cannot hurt others and feel compassion quickly. Literal meaning With a heart like yufka — a very thin and soft type of dough used in Turkish cuisine, as shown in the image below. Royalty-free image from Pixabay. Example sentences: Anneler yufka yürekli olurlar. → Mothers tend to be soft-hearted. Deniz ço

In Turkish, the present continuous tense (-iyor) is not limited to actions happening right now. It can also be used for future plans, in the same way as the English present continuous tense. It is also commonly used to talk about habitual actions, often expressed with the simple present tense in English, and to describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing, where English would normally use the present perfect or present perfect continuous. This means one

This topic builds on the suffix -diğinden beri. If needed, you can review it here. In many contexts, -( y )eli  can be used in the same way as -diğinden beri  to express “since something happened.” Unlike -diğinden, it does not inflect for person. Here are some example sentences using both suffixes: Biz Ankara’ya taşın dığ ımız dan beri bu dairede oturuyoruz. Neredeyse 13 yıl oluyor. = Biz Ankara’ya taşın alı bu dairede oturuyoruz. Neredeyse 13 yıl oluyor. →   Since we m

This topic builds on the suffix -den beri. If needed, you can review it here . We use -diğinden beri to express "since something happened." The suffix -diğinden inflects for person , as shown in the table below. Singular Persons (since I came, etc.) Plural Persons (since we came, etc.) 1 gel diğ im den beri  1 gel diğ imiz den beri 2 gel diğ in den beri  2 gel diğ iniz den beri 3 gel diğ i n den beri  3 gel dik leri n den beri Here are some example sentences using -diğinde

Numbers in Turkish  are used in different forms depending on the context. This page focuses on distributive numbers , which are used to express distribution and grouping. The lesson starts with a clear list of Turkish distributive numbers and then shows how they are used in common expressions such as birer ikişer  (in ones and twos) and ikişer ikişer  (in twos).It also introduces the question word kaçar . Earlier lessons in this series: – Turkish Numbers: Cardinal – Turkish

Numbers in Turkish  are used in different forms depending on the context. This page focuses on ordinal numbers , which are used to show order and sequence. The lesson starts with a clear list of Turkish ordinal numbers and then explains how they are used with numbers (such as 1., 2. or 12. ) and in written form (such as 1’inci, 2'nci or 12’nci ).It also highlights the difference between birinci  and ilk , and introduces the question word kaçıncı . Previous:   Turkish Numbers:

Numbers in Turkish  are used in different forms depending on the context. This page focuses on cardinal numbers , the basic numbers used for counting. The worksheet below shows Turkish cardinal numbers and explains how compound numbers (such as 425, 2,750,  or 12,570 ) are read in Turkish, with English comparisons, including common expressions like onlarca (tens of), yüzlerce (hundreds of), and the question word kaç . After learning cardinal numbers, you can continue with :

In Turkish, there are several polite and formal ways to address people. This guide explains the most common forms of address — Bey, Hanım, beyefendi, and hanımefendi — showing when and how to use them in everyday situations. Bey and Hanım When we address or refer to people in a formal or polite way: We use first/given name + Bey (almost equivalent to Mr ) for men. We use first/given name + Hanım (almost equivalent to Miss/Mrs/Ms ) for any woman, single or married. Examples

This article is written by an AI-assisted writer using tools such as ChatGPT, as an independent contribution to EasyTurkishGrammar.com . The topic, content, pen name, and profile image were chosen by the writer, and the text has not been edited to reflect the site owner’s personal views or opinions. One of the first things foreigners notice after living in Turkey for a while is that daily life runs on many unspoken rules. No one explains them to you directly, yet you are expe

When learners of Turkish first come across family words, they are often surprised by how detailed the system is. In Turkish culture, when you marry someone, you don’t just marry that person — you also, in a sense, marry their family. Turkish has separate words for almost every relative by marriage . Instead of using one general term like “in-law” as in English , each relationship is clearly named. This makes conversations more precise, but it can also feel overwhelming at fir

We use -mesine rağmen (or -mesine karşın ) to form although clauses in Turkish. The suffix -mesine inflects for person, as shown in the example below. The final -a is the dative case suffix, which is required by rağmen/karşın . Singular Persons (Although I do, etc.) Plural Persons (Although we do, etc.) 1 yap ma m a   rağmen/karşın 1 yap ma mız a rağmen/karşın 2 yap ma n a   rağmen/karşın 2 yap ma nız a   rağmen/karşın 3 yap ma s ı n a   rağmen/karşı 3 yap ma ları n a  

In Turkish, there are no letters or abbreviations that match the English “a.m.” and “p.m.” Instead, we simply mention the part of the day before the clock time when speaking naturally. Examples: Uçağım yarın sabah 7.45'te. → My flight is at 7:45 a.m. tomorrow. Bugün öğleden sonra saat 2.00'de buluşalım. → Let's meet at 2 p.m. today. In more formal contexts, such as schedules, announcements, or official documents, we switch to the 24-hour system. Examples: Genel Kurul Top

İnşallah  (i'nşallah) and maşallah (ma:şallah) are two everyday expressions you’ll hear constantly in Turkish. They come from Arabic, but in modern Turkish they are used naturally by everyone, regardless of their background. For learners, the challenge is knowing when  each one is appropriate, and how to use them naturally in real-life situations. Below is a clear, practical guide to what they mean, how they differ, and the most common situations where you’ll hear them. Wha

Being able to ask and tell the time in Turkish is one of the most practical skills for everyday communication. In this lesson, you’ll see the most common patterns and examples used when asking and telling the time  in Turkish. The pages below are taken from the appendix section of my book easy Turkish Grammar with answers 1 (A1–A2) . These images provide a clear, visual overview of the key structures, making the lesson quick to follow and easy to review at a glance . Once y

All these words roughly translate as half , but they are used differently in Turkish. In this lesson, you will clearly see where and how each one is used with simple explanations and natural examples. 1. Yarım (adjective) Yarım (+ noun/noun phrase) translates as half (+ a/an + noun/noun phrase): Turkish Examples English Translations yarım elma half an apple yarım saat half an hour yarım litre süt half a litre of milk 2. Yarı (adjective and adverb) a) As an adjective

We add -den beri  or -dir  to time expressions to say that an action started in the past and is still continuing. In Turkish, we normally use the present continuous (-iyor)  for these situations, whereas English often uses the present perfect  or present perfect continuous . We use a time expression + -den beri / -dir  to indicate the starting point  or the duration  of the action. 1. -den beri = since (+ a point in time) The suffix -den  changes according to: Vowel harmony: 

Below is a short list of the most common Turkish verbs with their English meanings , taken from the book 200 Common Turkish Verbs in Context . In the book, all verbs are presented in real-life contexts , along with: the case endings they require in sentences (as shown in the table below), real-life example sentences, brief grammar tips, word families, conjugation tables for the basic verb tenses, and exercises to practice. 👉 Visit our homepage to access sample pages, full