The Railway Station in Alsancak - İzmir

How to make yourself known, to address people in or formal and informal situations. Addressing Envelopes. Some daily greetings.

Turkish Modes of Address

"Who are you...?"

The usual method of address when you do not know the person's name or title is as follows:

Beyefendi - Sir - Daily pronunciation is truncated to: - Beyfendi

Hanımefendi - Miss or Madam - Daily pronunciation is truncated to: - Hanfendi

These are used in formal situations and to strangers

Personal Addressing - Formal and Informal

As stated, the above are used in formal situations. Once names are known then bey and hanım are used after the first name, this usage is still formal and semi-formal. These titles follow the given-name (Christian name) and are written without a Capital Letter

Mustafa bey - Mr. Mustafa

Ayşe hanım - Miss or Mrs. Ayşe

These are used in formal situations when you know the person's first name but also in informal situations to acquaintances, friends and even to you own family members.

Surnames are not usually used in Conversational Turkish, so the Mustafa bey can mean - Mr. Mustafa and Ayşe hanım can mean Mrs. OR Miss Ayşe (in a formal situation) or it can mean just a friendly Mustafa or Ayşe (without the title) between acquaintances.

Addressing Letters and Envelopes

There is an increasing use of addressing people by their surname - especially used on television in interviews etc.

This method uses the word - Sayın - esteemed before the surname directly.

If the interviewee's name is Musafa Kurt, then he may be addressed as Mustafa bey - (formal and informal) or directly by his surname as Sayın Kurt - Esteemed Kurt - (formal and public) or Bay Kurt - Mr. Kurt - (polite and official).

Note that Bay - Mr. - and - Sayın - Esteemed - are usually spelt with capital letters, but they can be found without capital letters.

Addressing Envelopes - an Example

Some Abbreviations used in addresses

1. Sok. (Sokak) - Street
2. Cad. (Cadde or Caddesi) - Road
3. Bul. (Bulvar or Bulvarı) - Avenue
4. Yol. (Yol) - Way, Route
5. Mah. (Mahalle or Mahallesi) - District
6. D. (Daire) - Apartment, Suite
7. Apt. (Apartman) - Apartment
8. K. (Kat) - Floor
9. No. (Numara) - Number
10. Nolu. (Numarala) - Numbered

Greetings

In semi formal situations there is a four stage greeting procedure.

(1) - The Welcome:

hoş geldiniz or less formal hoş geldin - Welcome!.
This is answered by hoş bulduk - We found it well!

(2) - The Greeting:

This is an exchange of merhaba - Hello

(3) - The Asking after Health Stage:

nasılsınız? (formal) or nasılsın? (informal) - How are you?

(5) - The Response:

This is is answered by ıyiyim, teşekkür ederim - I am well, thank you.
It then followed by a question about the other's health: - siz nasılsınız? - You, how are you?

Other Daily Greetings

1. günaydın   -   good morning, good day, good afternoon
2. iyi günler  -  good day
3. iyi akşamlar   -  good evening
4. iyi geceler   -  good night - (said on leaving company)
5. görüşmek üzere   -  see you soon
6. hoşça kal  -  so long - (lit: stay joyful)

Listen to Hosça kal.. - Saying - "Cheerio.. Goodbye.."

Note that the plural is used in - "Good day, Good evening, Good night" - similar to the Spanish - "Buenos Dias"

Some Daily Informal Greetings

For an informal greeting like - Hi! - in English Turkish uses - Selam..! - to which the answer is the same - selam..!

Also one can use - What's up..? - Na'ber..? Na'ber..? - is commonly used in everyday languge. It is actually - Ne haber..? - What news..?
Lit: - It's good. and from you.?
The answer is generally - iyidir, senden..?

Another informal greeting is - ne var? ne yok..? - What is happening..?
Lit: What is there..? What isn't there?.. (going on..?)
The answer to this one is - iyilik..! - Goodness..! Wellness..!

A Long - Goodbye..

There is a "Formula Speak" that is used quite lot and is very common for saying your "Goodbyes. This is often used when leaving company or on going away to somwhere..

The person(s) who are leaving will say - Allaha ısmalardık..! - goodbye..! - [a quasi religious-type formula].

The answer said by those staying behind is - güle güle..! - Cheerio..! - Lit: Go with a smile!

If you use this formula after visiting your Turkish friends they will be suitably impressed..

The Muslim Peace Greeting

selâmünaleyküm   -  a Muslim peace greeting - answered by   -  aleykümselâm

This latter is mainly used between passing strangers - normally both male - during travel or on entry to a crowded room, such as a tea house, when one cannot address everybody personally.