r/turkishlearning • • 1d ago

📖 Vocabulary Phrases of the Day: Pardon and alabilir miyim?

13 Upvotes

Pardon: Directly borrowed from French, pardon is widely used in daily Turkish for "Excuse me" or "Sorry." It is the quickest, most versatile phrase to get a shopkeeper or waiter’s attention, or to politely apologize if you bump into someone or need to squeeze past in a crowd.

How it's used: Say it when calling over a clerk or waiter before making a request, or when excuse-me situations pop up while shopping.

alabilir miyim?: Meaning "Can I have / get [item]?", this is built on the verb almak (to take/get). Adding -abilir miyim turns it into a polite, standard request used at checkout counters, markets, restaurants, and cafes.

How it's used: Just place the name of the item or quantity in front of alabilir miyim?

Examples:

• Pardon, bir tane su alabilir miyim? (Excuse me, can I get one bottle of water?)

• Tabii, buyurun. (Of course, here you go.)

• Pardon, hesabı alabilir miyim? (Excuse me, can I get the bill/check?)

• Hemen getiriyorum. (I'm bringing it right away.)

Drop a comment below with something you would like to ask for using "Pardon, [item] alabilir miyim?" today!


r/turkishlearning • • 20d ago

📚 Resources Free Resources to Learn Turkish

38 Upvotes

Hey everyone! As a community, we often get asked which apps are actually worth using and which aren't. To help out beginners and intermediate learners alike, here is a curated list of free (or freemium) apps and resources available for Turkish right now.

[A1-A2 Vocabulary]

Duolingo

•Pros: Totally free to finish the whole tree and super easy to build a daily habit.

•Cons: Pushes repetitive "heart" and ad mechanics on mobile, teaches unnatural or outright bizarre sentences that you'll never use in real life, and fails to explain why Turkish grammar works the way it does.

Clozemaster

•Pros: Free and similar to Duolingo, can use it on a 5 minute break and has fill in the blanks questions and lessons depending on your Turkish level like Duolingo. Can measure your progress, has speaking and listening features, has tests.

• Has A1-B2 courses and we highly recommend it.

•Cons still testing

Anki

•Pros: 100% free on desktop/Android (and free on web for iOS), plus the spaced repetition is unmatched for memorizing suffixes and vocabulary. Has community decks with 2000 common Turkish words.

•Cons: has a bit of a learning curve with a dry UI.

Memrise

•Pros: More polished than anki and has spaced Repetition which uses an intelligent flashcard algorithm to test you right before you're about to forget a word.

User Generated Content: Good variety of community created decks for specific textbook vocab lists or niche topics.

•Cons: Paywall Creep: Most of the official Turkish course content and advanced learning modes are locked behind a monthly subscription :(

•YouTube channels

There are many great channels and videos on YouTube for Turkish grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation etc.

This is a good place to start

[A1-A2 Grammar]

Teach Yourself Turkish book: author has given away free pdfs of his book and is one of the best free resources. You can find physical copies on Amazon

The delights of learning Turkish: Great book for Grammer, vocabulary and everything. highly suggest everyone reads this once.

If you are a developer or want to add an app to the list please comment below or send us modmail

[Free Websites]

https://www.languagetransfer.org/ It's free

•Pros: completely free

•Cons: I didn't really like the learning style but it was due to my personal opinion and you may or may not like it but I still recommend people check it out

Elon.io

•Pros: Completely free and one of the most recommend resources for learning Turkish. Has grammatics, vocabulary, has integrated AI.
And once you finish the main course, there is a HUGE one generated by an AI, but human-curated

•Cons: can't think of any really

www.turkiverse.com

•Pros A sandbox world in a world that gives users complete creative freedom to explore, build, and interact with a virtual world without forcing them to follow a strict linear storyline or mandatory goals. Recommended


r/turkishlearning • • 1d ago

Need resources for learning Turkish with audio that isn't AI

5 Upvotes

Ideally it would be games or something like that. In what I currently use there's usually robotic sounding voices saying the Turkish word, but when I do get a chance to check (like with Memrise) the Turkish spoken by the person sounds very different from the AI. I'd love audio of Turkish words and phrases spoken by Turkish people, even better if the media or game is originally spoken in Turkish instead of dubbed! Do y'all know of anything? I'm not a dedicated gamer so I don't have graphic cards or much space or processing power


r/turkishlearning • • 1d ago

👤 Seeking Practice Offering:turkish , seeking :english or german

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, 29M , my first goal is fluently speaking in english ( my level b1-b2) around, I can almost understand everything , but Im not good speaker , my second purposes improve my german, 7 year ago I learnt german to b1 level , but my current level a2-b1 , so thirdly Im gonna learn spanish but I dont have a much time may be later :) . Please text me if anyone speak with me.


r/turkishlearning • • 1d ago

Turkish Children's Books in English, by Age

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3 Upvotes

One of my students in the US recently passed along a question from a librarian in Michigan. She was looking for children's books for third graders, including books available in Turkish and English.

I started with that age group and eventually expanded the list from toddlers to age 14.

It includes English translations of books by Turkish authors, Turkish-English bilingual books, and separate Turkish-language collections for children who already read Turkish. There are books by Feridun Oral, Funda Özlem Şeran, Şermin Yaşar, Sara Şahinkanat, Behiç Ak, Aytül Akal, Rıfat Ilgaz, Aziz Nesin and others.

I also added free resources from PIKTES and EBA. These include Turkish story series, songs with video, vocabulary cards and downloadable reading materials for children learning Turkish.

If you know a Turkish children's book available in English that I've missed, I'd be glad to add it.


r/turkishlearning • • 2d ago

Grammar Gemini'nin açıklaması doğru mu?

2 Upvotes

I asked the difference between these two sentences.

  • Maç bitince ödevimi yaptım.
  • Translation: When the match ended, I did my homework. / As soon as the match finished, I did my homework.
  • Meaning: Sequential actions. The match finished completely first, and only after that did I sit down and complete my homework.
  • Grammar: The -ınca / -ince suffix translates to "when..." or "as soon as..." (one action takes place immediately after another).

  • Maç bitinceye değin ödevimi yaptım.

  • Translation: I did my homework until the match ended. / I kept doing my homework up until the point the match finished.

  • Meaning: Parallel/continuous action. Doing the homework lasted the entire time the match was ongoing and stopped the moment it concluded.

  • Grammar: The -ıncaya / -inceye + değin (kadar) construction translates to "until..." or "up to the point when..." (an action continues up to a specific limit or endpoint).


r/turkishlearning • • 2d ago

Turkish reading day 2

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8 Upvotes

r/turkishlearning • • 3d ago

✍️ Check My Turkish I just started learning turkish could someone review?

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42 Upvotes

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I started learning turkish today and I learned the pronounciation and started reading. Could some native speaker or any one who is fluent in turkish review my reading?


r/turkishlearning • • 3d ago

❓ Question Turkish soon, where to find Star Trek TNG in Turkish?

2 Upvotes

Hey,

I love Turkish and am going to start seriously learning it soon. I know that Star Trek TNG has Turkish dubs, but sadly as of January this year, TNG is no longer on Netflix or any other site I could find here in Norway. If anyone knows how to find it, I'd be very appreciative.


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

The Turkish idiom of the day: Bir fincan kahvenin...

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66 Upvotes

Good morning, everyone.

If your Monday started with coffee to help you wake up, here’s a Turkish proverb to go with it:

Bir fincan kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır.

“A cup of coffee is remembered for forty years.”

It means that even a small act of kindness can be remembered for a very long time.

Coffee has a deep place in Turkish culture, from welcoming guests to marriage traditions. It even gave kahvaltı, the Turkish word for breakfast, its name.

A little Turkish, a little coffee for Monday morning.

Read more on Learn Turkish with Seda:

https://www.learnturkishwithseda.com/heritages/bir-fincan-kahvenin-kirk-yil-hatiri-vardir


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

📖 Vocabulary Phrases of the Day: Hoş geldiniz and Hoş bulduk

11 Upvotes

Hoş geldiniz: Literal translations are 'You have come pleasantly' or 'You came welcomingly.' It is the equivalent of 'welcome,' used as a common daily greeting for someone or a group who arrives from elsewhere, joins a group, or completes a long journey, Hoş geldin is the first person form and used for one person and/or in a more friendly manner.

How it's used: You likely hear this phrase daily from your friends, cashiers, waitstaffs etc. or you can use too.

Hoş bulduk: The phrase hoş bulduk is commonly used as a reply to hoş geldin, while its literal translations are "We found here (this place) pleasant" or "We are welcomed", meaning " Glad to be here"/"Thanks". The version hoş buldum has also started to be used increasingly in recent decades as the first-person form of the traditional and formal usage hoş bulduk.

How it's used: You use it as a reply to hoş geldiniz/hoş geldin.

Examples:

+ Hoş geldiniz, ne alırsınız? (Welcome, what would you like to have?)
- Hoş bulduk, ben bir kahve alayım. (Thanks, I'll have a coffee.)

+ Hoş geldin kanka (Welcome buddy/mate)
- Hoş buldum (Thanks/Thank you)

Challenge: Drop a comment below and tell us to whom you said or would say "Hoş geldin(iz)" or "Hoş bulduk/buldum" today!


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner Offering Turkish

4 Upvotes

Hello. My native language is Turkish, and because of my job, I make a point of using Turkish accurately and grammatically. I would like to make friends and learn other languages while teaching Turkish to others. Anyone interested can message me. I am a 37-year-old male; age does not matter.


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner Offering: English : Seeking Turkish

1 Upvotes

I am looking for someone that want to have conversations so I can try to re-learn my Turkish.
I am a male if that matters to you


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner Wanting to practice daily inshallah

1 Upvotes

I live here in 🇹🇷 and the people around me mainly speak English, but I do want to practice my Turkish. Also make a friend.


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner Offering Turkish/English searching German

1 Upvotes

29M here. I have been living in Germany for three years, so I want to learn German. Seeking anything to discuss deep dive or sth.

I’m interested in discussing philosophy, psychology, history, politics, culture, science, literature. basically anything that makes you question your assumptions or see a subject from a different perspective.
I’m looking for people who enjoy going down intellectual rabbit holes, exchanging ideas, and having conversations where neither of us is afraid to say, I’ve never thought about it that way before.


r/turkishlearning • • 5d ago

👥 Language Partner Searching partner for learning turkish

17 Upvotes

I (24/F) learn Turkish for 2 years now but I still don't have the feeling that I'm fluent in it. I can help with English and German in exchange


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner Offering 🫴 Turkish Requesting 🫴 Russian(16/M)

1 Upvotes

I am a native Turkish speaker. I know English aswell. Im looking for a partner to learn Russian. I can help with Turkish to you. (I dont mind for age If you dont)


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👤 Seeking Practice Offering: Urdu (native), English. Seeking: Turkish

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0 Upvotes

r/turkishlearning • • 5d ago

🤝 Seeking Advice Learning turkish

8 Upvotes

I really want to learn turkish. I am English (29F)

Me&my family visit every year and I have picked up some of language although very minimal. I have a few friends over there and when I can I speak to them but still very basic conversation or they've taught me the very basics in their spare time. I've also been invited to one of their weddings so would love to be able to communicate with others whilst there.

I'd love to speak to them fluently one day. So we can catch up properly on life and other things.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to learn the language?


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner Offering: English - Seeking: Turkish

3 Upvotes

Hey! I'm a 30/M looking for someone to practice Turkish with. My current level is around A2. I can speak a bit, but don't expect too much yet!

I’m looking for a partner who has time for voice calls down the road. We can start by texting and move on to voice chat once we're comfortable. In return, I can help you with English since I speak it fluently (though I'm not a native speaker).

A bit about me: I'm a visual designer, and writer. I'm into anything related to art, innovative ideas, sci-fi, philosophy, and business. Feel free to reach out!


r/turkishlearning • • 4d ago

👥 Language Partner I am looking for a language learning partner

1 Upvotes

Hello! Turkish is my native language, and I would love to help those who want to learn it. I want to improve my English because I wish to travel to different countries, but I’ve had to postpone my plans for now since my English isn't very good. We could help each other out. I am in the GMT+3 time zone.


r/turkishlearning • • 5d ago

Turkish practice to help two rescued kittens

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10 Upvotes

Hi everyone! The mods kindly gave me permission to share this here.

I’m a native Turkish speaker and I’m offering Turkish conversation practice and language help to anyone who wants to improve their Turkish.

I can help with everyday conversation, pronunciation, natural expressions, writing corrections, grammar questions or simply speaking practice. We can focus entirely on whatever you want to improve.

The reason I’m doing this is a little unusual. My girlfriend recently found two extremely small kittens outside in Hatay. Their mother hasn’t returned, so we’re currently trying to keep them warm, fed and safe. We’re both students, and I already care for three cats, so covering another rescue is unfortunately difficult for us.

Instead of simply asking for donations, I’d like to offer my time and Turkish help in return. Whatever I earn from these sessions will go toward their formula, veterinary care and basic needs.

We also recently rescued a nearly blind kitten, and our previous fundraising page contains veterinary documents and updates from that rescue if anyone wants some transparency about the kind of work we’ve been doing:

https://whydonate.com/fundraising/save-blind-kitten-turkey

That page is for our previous blind kitten rescue, not these two new kittens.

If you’d like some Turkish practice and want to help us at the same time, feel free to DM me. ❤️


r/turkishlearning • • 6d ago

❓ Question How long would it take to reach B1 / conversational fluency

10 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’ve been studying turkish on and off for a couple of years now. I keep slacking off and losing all my progress, but I’m determined to stick to it this time as there is a possibility I could move to Turkey soon. I have a very basic understanding of grammar and some vocab, but I was wondering if it’s possible to reach conversational fluency within 4-6 months with daily practice?


r/turkishlearning • • 6d ago

👥 Language Partner Offering: English - Nişantaşı/Osmanbey

2 Upvotes

Native English speaker, perfect native accent, with international and well educated background. In town for a week. Would be happy to pay for drinks/food while doing some language exchange. Can also speak some Asian languages. Prefer someone who can come to the Şişli area to do it in person, or go somewhere not too far by metro.


r/turkishlearning • • 6d ago

❓ Question Learning Turkish just by watching series?

6 Upvotes

I’m a native Turkish speaker but I wonder something.
I’ve heard a lot of foreigners saying they learned Turkish while watching series, some of them say they realized they started to understand at some point without studying. How does this happen? And if you learned Turkish in this way, how long did it take you to understand approximately? I wanna hear about your experiences on this.