Эркинбой Маманазаров – Modern Turkish Slang and Everyday Speech for adults (страница 2)

How to ask:

Nasılsın? (NAH-suhl-suhn) "how are you?" (the standard).

Nasıl gidiyor? (NAH-suhl gee-dee-YOR) "how's it going?"

Keyfler nasıl? (KEYF-lair NAH-suhl) "how's the mood?"

How to answer, from "great" to "I'm a corpse":

İyiyim (ee-YEE-yim) "I'm good, fine."

İyilik (ee-yee-LEEK) "all good" (the classic reply to naber).

İyidir (EE-yee-deer) "yeah, all good."

Bomba gibiyim (BOM-bah gee-BEE-yim) "I'm on fire, feeling great."

Fena değil (feh-NAH deh-EEL) "not bad."

İdare eder (ee-dah-REH eh-DAIR) "it'll do, getting by."

Patladım (paht-lah-DUHM) "I'm wiped, totally drained."

Ölüyorum (ur-lew-YOR-um) "I'm dying" (from tiredness, laughter, or heat).

İyilik, senden? (ee-yee-LEEK, sen-DEN) "Good, and you?" The classic answer specifically to Naber. Memorize the combo: Naber? – İyilik, senden? It sounds completely local. Example: Naber? İyilik, senden naber? (What's up? Good, what about you?)

Eh işte (eh EESH-teh) "Eh, getting by." The all-purpose honest answer when things are neither great nor a disaster. Often with a light sigh. Example: Nasılsın? Eh işte, idare ediyoruz. (How are you? Eh, we're managing.)

Görüşürüz (gur-ew-SHEW-rewz) "See you." The everyday goodbye. Neutral and warm at the same time. Example: Hadi görüşürüz, kendine iyi bak! (Alright, see you, take care!) When and with whom: almost everyone. Alternatives: more formal Görüşmek üzere (gur-ewsh-MEK ew-zeh-REH).

Kendine iyi bak (ken-dee-NEH ee-YEE bahk) "Take care of yourself." Warm, caring. Often paired with Görüşürüz. When and with whom: friends, close people, but it also sounds nice with people you barely know.

Hadi / Haydi (HAH-dee) "Alright / come on / let's go." A little engine of a word. It launches a goodbye or an action. On its own it already means "okay, I'm off." Example: Hadi bana müsaade. (Alright, I'll take my leave.) Polite but conversational. When and with whom: everyone, extremely common.

Bay bay / bb (bahy bahy) "Bye-bye." Light, a touch cute or childlike, but young people use it a lot, especially as bb in chats. Example: Tamam canım, bb (Okay dear, bye .) When and with whom: friends, your partner, light texting.

Eyvallah (ey-vahl-LAH) "Thanks / deal / take it easy." A very multi-purpose, friendly, slightly masculine word. It can mean "thanks," "okay, got it," or "alright, bye." Sounds matey. Example: Hallederim, eyvallah kanka. (I'll handle it, thanks bro.) When and with whom: more common in male company and among friends; not for a very formal setting.

A few more goodbyes for the collection:

Hoşça kal (HOSH-chah kahl) "take it easy, farewell."

İyi günler / akşamlar (ee-YEE gewn-LAIR / ahk-shahm-LAHR) polite and neutral, also when parting.

Görüşmek üzere (gur-ewsh-MEK ew-zeh-REH) "until we meet," a touch more formal.

This is a secret weapon. Turks constantly address each other not by name but by "role." The right address instantly makes you one of the group.

kanka / kanki (KAHN-kah / KAHN-kee) "Bro / mate / dude (gender neutral)." The most popular friendly address, used for anyone. Literally from "kan kardeşi" (blood brother), but it lost the literal meaning long ago. Example: Kanka bu akşam müsait misin? (Bro, are you free tonight?) When and with whom: friends and peers. Not for an older stranger or the office. Alternatives: dostum (DOS-tum, "buddy"), kardeşim (kar-deh-SHIM, "my brother/sister").

abi / abicim (ah-BEE / ah-bee-JEEM) "Older brother," used for an older man or just for a guy in a friendly, respectful way. A magic word. This is how you address the waiter, the taxi driver, the shopkeeper, the older friend. The mood warms up instantly. Example: Abi bir çay alabilir miyim? (Brother, can I get a tea?) When and with whom: almost any man, especially in service.

abla / ablacım (ahb-LAH / ahb-lah-JEEM) "Older sister," the female counterpart to abi. For a woman a bit older, or in service. Polite and warm. Example: Abla, bu kaç para? (Sister, how much is this?)

Other common address terms:

kardeşim (kar-deh-SHIM) "my brother/sister," friendly.

dostum (DOS-tum) "buddy."

reis (reh-EES) "boss, chief," respectful and playful, usually to a guy.

koçum (KO-chum) "champ, buddy," warm and a touch patronizing.

hocam (HO-jahm) "teacher, master," respectful to an expert, a teacher, sometimes any professional.

moruk (mo-RUK) "old man, dude," a bit dated but still alive.

️ moruk is friendly but rough and slightly "2000s." Not for strangers. abi/abla is almost always safer.

lan / la (lahn / lah) This does not translate into a single word. It is an amplifier that adds familiarity, emotion, and sometimes rudeness. In meaning it sits somewhere between "damn," "hey you," and "no way." It changes the whole tone of a sentence. Example (friendly): Naber lan! (What's up, man!) Example (annoyed): Ne diyorsun lan? (What the heck are you saying?) When and with whom: very close friends. Tone and context decide everything. ️ With elders, at the office, with strangers, lan sounds rude or aggressive. Listen to how locals use it first, then add it in. Among close guy friends it is normal, but with a girl you barely know, or with someone's parents, it is off limits.

A friend texts you: "Naberrr ". Give two different natural replies.

How do you address a male waiter so it sounds warm and local?

Translate into living Turkish: "Alright, see you, take care!"

Why is "Ne diyorsun lan?" risky to say to someone you barely know?

Your companion is older and fairly formal. Which greeting is safer: Selam, Naber lan, or Merhaba?

For example: "İyilik, senden?" or "İyidir, naber sende?"

Abi (for example, "Abi, bir çay alabilir miyim?").

"Hadi görüşürüz, kendine iyi bak!"

lan adds familiarity and easily reads as aggression or disrespect toward someone who is not a close friend.

Merhaba. It is neutral and safe in any situation.

Chapter 2. Emotions and reactions

Living speech runs on reactions. Turks are expressive, and in conversation it matters that you do not go silent but "play along": be surprised, be impressed, be annoyed. This chapter is about the small phrases that turn you into a real conversation partner instead of a translator.

Yok artık! (yohk ahr-TUHK) "No way! / You're kidding! / Come on!" A reaction to something unexpected or unbelievable. One of the most frequent emotional phrases there is. Example: Ayrılmışlar mı? Yok artık! (They broke up? No way!) When and with whom: friends, peers, informal. Alternatives: milder Hadi canım (HAH-dee jah-NUHM); stronger Olamaz! (o-lah-MAHZ, "it can't be!").

Cidden mi? / Gerçekten mi? (jeed-DEN mee / gehr-CHEK-ten mee) "Seriously? / Really?" A neutral, very common reaction. Cidden is a touch more colloquial, gerçekten a touch more neutral. Example: Sınavı geçtim! Cidden mi, tebrikler! (I passed the exam! Seriously, congrats!) When and with whom: everyone.

Vay be! (vahy beh) "Wow! / Whoa!" Admiring and surprised. be is a light intensifier. Example: Yeni araba mı? Vay be! (A new car? Wow!) When and with whom: friends, informal.

Vallahi mi? (vahl-lah-HEE mee) "For real? / Honestly?" From vallahi ("I swear to God"), but in living speech it is just "no way, really?" In everyday context it is not taken as a religious oath. Example: Onu kovmuşlar. Vallahi mi ya? (They fired him. For real?) When and with whom: friends, peers.

More surprise reactions:

Hadi canım! (HAH-dee jah-NUHM) "come on, get out!"

Olamaz! (o-lah-MAHZ) "it can't be!"

Şok oldum (shohk ol-DUM) "I'm shocked."

Kafam gitti (kah-FAHM geet-TEE) "my mind is blown" (from surprise).

İnanmıyorum (ee-nahn-muh-YOR-um) "I can't believe it."

Helal! / Helal olsun! (heh-LAHL / heh-LAHL ol-SUN) "Well done! / Respect! / You earned it!" Praise with a note of respect for effort or a deed. Very warm. Example: Tek başına yapmış, helal olsun! (He did it on his own, respect!) When and with whom: friends, coworkers in a friendly way.

Eline sağlık (eh-lee-NEH sah-LUHK) "Thanks for your work / nicely done" (literally "health to your hands"). You say it to whoever cooked, made, or fixed something. If you do not know this phrase, you lose a lot of points at the table. Example: Yemek harikaydı, eline sağlık! (The food was great, thank you!) When and with whom: everyone, especially the host, cook, or craftsman.

Efsane (ef-sah-NEH) "Legendary / fire / awesome" (literally "legend"). A young person's rating word. The concert is efsane, the person is efsane, the night is efsane. Example: Dünkü parti efsaneydi! (Last night's party was fire!) When and with whom: friends, informal.

Bayıldım (bah-yuhl-DUHM) "I love it / I'm obsessed" (literally "I fainted"). Very emotional approval. Often about food, things, people. Example: Bu şarkıya bayıldım! (I'm obsessed with this song!) When and with whom: everyone, informal.

More words of praise:

Süper (SEW-pair) / Harika (hah-ree-KAH) "super / great."