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Learning Turkish

Chapter 1.

Turkish Alphabet

Spend a little time with the Turkish Alphabet.

Not too many changes some additions, some deletions and changes to their sounds.

It is for you to choose if you would like to study this before you move on, or if you would prefer to learn with each new word you see.

Words and Phrases.

Throughout each chapter you will be introduced to new words and phrases.  Instead of supplying you a whole page of words to study, we will introduce them each day and keep them in an order that you will require them.

Introducing the word değil

You will use this word when you wish to make a simple statement negative.  Place this word after a noun or adjective that you would like to become negative.

example

ekmek değil            It's not bread

hava soğuk değil     the weather isn't cold

Now we will deal with how you can use this word at the end of a statement to ask isn't it? or aren't they?

To change any statement to ask isn't it or aren't they? you use  değil mi?

example

Bu Salam güzel, değil mi?     This Salami is nice, isn't it?

or

İngilizler, değil mi?                They're English, aren't they? 

There are 4 versions of the word mi which we will deal with now.

mi? turns a statement into a question.  As already mentioned there are 4 versions of this word mı, mi, mu or mü.  How do you know which one to use?

The best rule of thumb is to choose the one that rhymes best with the last vowel used in the word before it.

Simple, when the vowels are the same i, ı, ü pr u however at times the last vowel in the word before will be e, a, ö or o.   So how do you choose then?

In these cases you use the form which sounds the closes.

This is one of the rules of vowel harmony and the word mi is an i-type ending.

Use

mı after ı or a

mi after i or e

mu after u or o and mü after ü or ö

Do not worry about learning these rules straight away, as you progress and hear or read Turkish you will soon find out that you know which ones to use instinctively.

examples

Ben mi?               Me?

Var mı?               Is there?

Doktor mu?         Doctor?

Dört mü?             Four?

Now for a little bit of fun, a word puzzle where there are 15 words that you have been introduced to, see if you can find them.  The words you are looking for in Turkish are words for

Bread, hello, excuse me, yes, there isn't any, cheap, doctor, one, salami, weather, grocer, left, there is some and lastly me.

Words with multiple meanings

There are words that you will hear all the time in Turkish as they have multiple meanings.  Just to give you a little idea of these, we will look at some of the meanings to the words efendim and buyurun.

efendim - madam or sir, may be used to or attract someone’s attention.  If someone calls you, you may reply 'efendim' meaning 'yes I am here'.  This word may also be used to say 'pardon me' or I beg your pardon.

buyurun is again used in many contexts.  Examples

here you are, help yourself, come in, sit down, how can I help you? go ahead, feel free, what can I do for you?

As you may have guessed by these examples, buyurun is a way of promoting someone.

We will now move on a little further but before we do don't forget to keep us up to date by using the forum pates.

Your 1st Dialogue (konuşma)

This is where you will translate a full conversation from Turkish into English.  We will do this in two parts.

I can almost hear you say, she's mad, but believe me if you have been following us, you really do have enough to make this very easy.  I will know when you are finished as I'm sure I will hear you pat yourself on the back at just how well you have done.

Take it a step further and go shopping, the best way for you to learn is to use the Turkish you know and listen to other people’s pronunciation.  Ask questions, if people have the time they always seem happily to help with a few explanations.

OK lets get started with a brief explanation of the sentence (the only part you will see in English)

Jane is learning Turkish also.  She will go to the shop and buy some food.

Dükkancı         Günaydın efendim

Jane               Selam

Dükkancı         Buyurun

Jane               Siyah zeytin var mı?

Dükkancı         Siyah zeytin yok yeşil var

Jane               Tamam. Üç yüz gram lütfen (points to a sausage)

                                    Bu ne? Sucuk mu?

Dükkancı        Sucuk değil, salam

Jane               Güzel mi?

Dükkancı         Çok güzel

Jane               ıki Yüz gram salam lütfen

Dükkancı         Başka?

Jane               Ekmek var mı?

Dükkancı         Var

Jane               Bir ekmek lütfen

Plurals Plural suffixes are Ler and Lar

To add a plural suffix to a word you normally need to choose the vowel that harmonizes with the last vowel in the receiving word.  If the last vowel of the receiving word is e, i, ö or ü add ler

sugar         şeker       plural      şekerler

house         ev            plural      evler

day            gün          plural       günler

If the last vowel of the receiving word is a, ı, o or u add lar

water         su            plural      sular

tea             çay          plural      çaylar

The plural suffix is used to indicate plurality.  When plurality is shown by a numeral greater than one or a word like "çok" OR "kaç" no plural suffix is added

two books            iki kitap               X   iki kitaplar

a lot of glasses    çok bardak           X   çok bardaklar

Time to start learning some Turkish numbers

Zero         Sıfır

One          Bir

Two         iki

Three       Üç

Four         Dört

Five          Beş

Six           Altı

Seven       Yedi

Eight         Sekiz

Nine         Dokuz

Ten          On

Now we will take a look at a group of new words that could possibly come under the same title meşrubat can you guess the meaning of this word?

viski               whisky

bira               beer

süt                milk

*****            water?

*****            tea?

şarap             wine

*****şarap    white wine?

kirmizi şarap   red wine

and the title we are looking for meşrubat was drink

See if you can guess the title these words could come under.  I'm sure many of you know its translation ready.

köfte               meatball

patates            potato

sosis               sausage

salata              salad

meze               starter (plural) mezeler

****mezeler    cold starters?

****mezeler    hot starters?

OK, so what was the word and its translation

yemek - food, meal, to eat 

We are now about ready to start on the 2nd  part of the dialogue but before we do see if you can get your tongue around this word uzun ömürlü which means long life.

Konuşma part two

Jane               Bu süt uzun ömürlü mü?

Dükkancı         Evet uzun ömürlü

Jane               Taze süt var mı?

Dükkancı         Maalesef

Jane               Taman   Yarın litre süt lütfen

Dükkancı         Buyurun   Bir küçük kutu süt

Dükkancı         Baska

Jane               Yok, teşekkürler.  Hepsi ne kadar?

Dükkancı         iki yüz bin lira

Jane pays her bill

Dükkancı         Teşekkürler

Jane                Iyi günler

Dükkancı         Iyi günler efendim

Questions - Sorular from Konuşma

Answer the questions with Var or Yok

Sucuk var mı?

Taze süt var mı?

Zeytin var mı?

Salam var mi?

Süt var mi?

Alıştırmalar 1 - Exercises 1

Form a meaningful dialogue by reordering the sentences below

a         Şişe beyaz şarap var mı?

b         Buyurun, bir şişe beyaz şarap ve bir şişe bira

c         Var

d         Bir şişe şarap ve bir şişe bira lütfen

e         Teşekkürler

f          Iyi akşamlar efendim

g         Merhaba

Alıştırmalar 2

Below you will see a blackboard with all kinds on offer and you will be introduced to 3 new words.

Take a look around and answer the questions with either doğru or yanlış true or false

a         My statement that you would learn 3 new words was?

b         I bet  you understood every word you saw?

c         Sıcak meşrubat var

d         Soğuk meşrubat yok

e         Yemek var

f          Sandviç Yok

I am almost sure that you answered doğru to b.  Now in English list what was on the blackboard?

Alıştırmalar 3

Start this exercise by translating the sentences below into English.  Then in Turkish put them into correct order to make a meaningful conversation - where is the conversation taking place?

Üç

Iyi akşamlar efendim

Bir, iki geceler için mi?

Oda var mı?

Beş numara

Teşekkürler

Üç geceler  .....  Evet ....  Boş oda var  ....  Pasaport lütfen

Iyi akşamlar

Teşekkürler.  Buyurun, anahtar

Buyurun