Turkish becomes far less intimidating when you hold a small set of high-frequency words and everyday phrases in your mind. This page gives a clean, practical list of 100 essential Turkish words, grouped by real-life situations, with simple pronunciation hints you can use right away.
What This List Covers
Greetings and polite essentials
Core questions for daily needs
Numbers and money words
Time, directions, and food
Help and emergency basics
How To Practice Fast
Read one category, then say each item out loud (twice).
Pick 10 words and write 10 tiny sentences with simple structure.
Use spaced review: 10 minutes today, 5 minutes tomorrow.
If you can only spare five minutes, that is definately enough to keep the words warm.
Turkish spelling is remarkably consistent. If you learn a few special letters, you can read many basic Turkish words with confidence. The hints below are approximate and meant for quick use.
Letter
Sound Hint
Quick Note
ç
ch
Like “ch” in “chair”.
ş
sh
Like “sh” in “ship”.
ı
uh
A short, central vowel (no English exact match).
ö
ö
Similar to German “ö”; lips rounded, tongue forward.
ü
ü
Similar to German “ü”; like “ee” with rounded lips.
ğ
(soft)
Often lengthens the previous vowel; it is usually not a hard “g”.
Turkish endings can feel like Lego bricks: once you recognize a few, words start snapping into meaning.
Essential List by Category
Each category is designed for immediate usefulness in conversation. The total is exactly 100 essential Turkish words.
Category
What It Helps With
Count
Greetings & Politeness
Starting conversations with a respectful tone
20
Basics & Questions
Finding information and understanding simple replies
20
Numbers & Money
Prices, quantities, and basic counting
15
Time & Calendar
Planning and describing when things happen
10
Directions & Transport
Getting around without stress
10
Food & Drink
Ordering and handling simple restaurant moments
10
Emergencies & Health
Asking for help clearly and quickly
8
Common Verbs & Adjectives
Building simple sentences with flexible words
7
100 Essential Turkish Words
Greetings & Politeness
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Merhaba
mer-HA-ba
Hello
Selam
seh-LAM
Hi
Günaydın
goo-NYE-dun
Good morning
İyi akşamlar
ee-YEE ak-sham-LAR
Good evening
İyi geceler
ee-YEE ge-je-LER
Good night
Hoş geldiniz
hos gel-dee-NEEZ
Welcome(formal/plural)
Hoş bulduk
hos bool-DOOK
Nice to be here(reply)
Nasılsınız?
na-suhl-suh-NIZ
How are you?(polite)
İyiyim
ee-yee-YEEM
I’m fine
Lütfen
LOOT-fen
Please
Teşekkür ederim
te-shek-KUR eh-de-RIM
Thank you
Rica ederim
ree-JA eh-de-RIM
You’re welcome
Özür dilerim
uh-ZUR dee-le-RIM
I’m sorry
Affedersiniz
af-fe-dehr-see-NIZ
Excuse me(polite)
Evet
eh-VET
Yes
Hayır
ha-YUHR
No
Tamam
ta-MAM
OK
Görüşürüz
guh-roo-SHU-ruz
See you
Hoşça kal
hos-cha KAL
Take care(said by the one leaving)
Güle güle
goo-leh goo-LEH
Goodbye(said by the one staying)
Basics & Questions
These core Turkish words help you point, ask, and confirm. Pair them with a calm polite tone, and you will often get a helpful answer.
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Ben
ben
I
Sen
sen
You(informal)
O
oh
He/She/It
Biz
beez
We
Siz
seez
You(polite/plural)
Onlar
on-LAR
They
Bu
boo
This
Şu
shoo
That(near)
Ne
neh
What
Nerede
neh-re-DEH
Where(at)
Ne zaman
neh za-MAN
When
Neden
neh-DEN
Why
Nasıl
na-SUHL
How
Kaç
kach
How many / how much
Hangi
han-GEE
Which
Var
var
There is / available
Yok
yok
There isn’t / not available
Biliyorum
bee-lee-YO-rum
I know
Bilmiyorum
beel-mee-YO-rum
I don’t know
Anlıyorum
an-luh-YO-rum
I understand
Numbers & Money
Numbers are the backbone of prices, tickets, and simple choices. Add para and fiyat, and you can handle many quick exchanges.
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Bir
beer
One
İki
ee-KEE
Two
Üç
ooch
Three
Dört
durht
Four
Beş
besh
Five
Altı
al-TUH
Six
Yedi
yeh-DEE
Seven
Sekiz
seh-KEEZ
Eight
Dokuz
do-KOOZ
Nine
On
on
Ten
Yüz
yoouz
Hundred
Bin
been
Thousand
Para
pa-RA
Money
Fiyat
fee-YAT
Price
İndirim
een-dee-REEM
Discount
Time & Calendar
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Bugün
boo-GOON
Today
Yarın
ya-RUHN
Tomorrow
Dün
doon
Yesterday
Şimdi
sheem-DEE
Now
Sonra
son-RA
Later / after
Sabah
sa-BAH
Morning
Öğle
uh-leh
Noon / midday
Akşam
ak-SHAM
Evening
Saat
sa-AT
Clock / hour
Gün
goon
Day
Directions & Transport
When you combine nerede with a place and add a direction like sağ or sol, you can manage short, clear questions about where to go.
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Sağ
sah
Right
Sol
sol
Left
Düz
dooz
Straight
Yakın
ya-KUHN
Near
Uzak
oo-ZAK
Far
Burada
boo-RA-da
Here
Orada
o-RA-da
There
Neresi
neh-re-SEE
Which place(where exactly)
Otobüs
o-to-BOOS
Bus
Metro
MEH-tro
Metro
Food & Drink
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Su
soo
Water
Çay
chai
Tea
Kahve
KAH-veh
Coffee
Ekmek
ek-MEK
Bread
Peynir
peh-NEER
Cheese
Et
et
Meat
Tavuk
ta-VOOK
Chicken
Sebze
seb-ZEH
Vegetable
Meyve
MEY-veh
Fruit
Hesap
he-SAP
Bill / check
Emergencies & Health
Even if you never need them, these clear emergency words are worth learning. Say them slowly and add lütfen for a polite signal.
Turkish
Sound Hint
English Meaning
Yardım
yar-DUHM
Help
Acil
a-JEEL
Emergency / urgent
Polis
po-LEES
Police
Hastane
has-ta-NEH
Hospital
Doktor
dok-TOR
Doctor
Eczane
ej-za-NEH
Pharmacy
Ağrı
ah-RUH
Pain
İlaç
ee-LACH
Medicine
Common Verbs & Adjectives
These words are small, yet they carry a lot of weight. With gitmek and gelmek, you can express movement; with güzel, büyük, and küçük, you can describe what you see.
