A1 · Beginner35 words and phrases Audio for every word
City Places and Directions in Turkish
To ask the way in Turkish you need two questions: (Where is the museum?) and (How can I get to the airport?). Then listen for (right), (left) and (straight). Here are the places you’ll look for in a Turkish town, the stations and stops, the direction words and the phrases you’ll hear on the street. Every word and sentence has audio.
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Places in town
şehir
city
İstanbul çok büyük bir şehir.
Istanbul is a very big city.
merkez
center, downtown · şehir merkezi: city center
Akşam merkezde yemek yiyelim mi?
Shall we have dinner downtown tonight?
sokak
street
Bu sokakta çok güzel kafeler var.
There are lots of nice cafés on this street.
cadde
avenue, main street
İstiklal Caddesi her zaman kalabalık.
İstiklal Avenue is always crowded.
meydan
square
Meydanın ortasında büyük bir saat kulesi var.
There’s a big clock tower in the middle of the square.
banka
bank
Bankada sıra çok uzundu.
The line at the bank was very long.
hastane
hospital
En yakın hastane nerede?
Where is the nearest hospital?
eczane
pharmacy
Eczane saat dokuzda açılıyor.
The pharmacy opens at nine.
otel
hotel
Otelimiz denize çok yakın.
Our hotel is very close to the sea.
cami
mosque
Caminin yanında küçük bir çay bahçesi var.
There’s a little tea garden next to the mosque.
müze
museum
Müze pazartesi günleri kapalı.
The museum is closed on Mondays.
market
grocery store · a big one is a süpermarket
Köşedeki marketten ekmek alır mısın?
Could you get some bread from the store on the corner?
Stations and stops
durak
stop · otobüs durağı: bus stop
Otobüs durağı hemen köşede.
The bus stop is right on the corner.
istasyon
station
İstasyonda buluşalım.
Let’s meet at the station.
metro
subway, metro
Metroyla gitmek daha hızlı.
It’s faster to go by subway.
otogar
bus station · for buses between cities
Ankara otobüsü otogardan kalkıyor.
The bus to Ankara leaves from the bus station.
havalimanı
airport · also havaalanı
Havalimanı şehirden kırk kilometre uzakta.
The airport is forty kilometers from the city.
iskele
ferry pier
Vapur iskeleden her yarım saatte bir kalkıyor.
The ferry leaves from the pier every half hour.
Left, right and straight ahead
Add -a for “to the right/left” and -da for “on the right/left”: (turn right), (on the left).
sağ
right
Müze sağda, caminin karşısında.
The museum is on the right, across from the mosque.
sol
left
Eczane solda, bankanın yanında.
The pharmacy is on the left, next to the bank.
düz
straight
Yaklaşık iki yüz metre düz gidin.
Go straight for about two hundred meters.
dönmek
to turn
İkinci sokaktan sola dönün.
Turn left at the second street.
trafik ışıkları
traffic lights
Trafik ışıklarından sağa dönün.
Turn right at the traffic lights.
köşe
corner
Köşeyi dönünce otel karşınızda.
When you turn the corner, the hotel is right in front of you.
karşısında
across from, opposite · the place comes first: hastanenin karşısında
Eczane hastanenin karşısında.
The pharmacy is across from the hospital.
yanında
next to
Otelin yanında güzel bir lokanta var.
There’s a nice restaurant next to the hotel.
arkasında
behind
Otopark binanın arkasında.
The parking lot is behind the building.
önünde
in front of
Seni müzenin önünde bekliyorum.
I’m waiting for you in front of the museum.
Asking the way
Start with (Excuse me). People are happy to help, and some will even walk you part of the way.
Affedersiniz
Excuse me
Affedersiniz, bir şey sorabilir miyim?
Excuse me, can I ask you something?
Nerede?
Where?
Müze nerede? — Biraz ileride, sağda.
Where’s the museum? — A bit further on, on the right.
Nasıl gidebilirim?
How can I get there? · the place first, with -e: Taksim'e nasıl gidebilirim?
Havalimanına nasıl gidebilirim?
How can I get to the airport?
Buraya yakın mı?
Is it near here? · uzak: far
Otogar buraya yakın mı? — Hayır, biraz uzak.
Is the bus station near here? — No, it’s a bit far.
Yürüyerek kaç dakika?
How many minutes on foot?
Müzeye yürüyerek kaç dakika? — Beş dakika, çok yakın.
How many minutes is the museum on foot? — Five minutes; it’s very close.
Kayboldum.
I’m lost.
Kayboldum, bana yardım eder misiniz?
I’m lost. Could you help me?
harita
map
Haritada gösterebilir misiniz?
Could you show me on the map?
Good to know
- Turks give directions by landmarks more than street names: the mosque, the pharmacy, the bank. Listen for (next to), (across from) and (behind).
- Movement takes -e/-a and location takes -de/-da: (I’m going to the museum), (I’m at the museum). The guide to Turkish cases explains both.
- also means alive and well, which is why means thanks.
- People often answer with (over there) or (further on) and point. For tickets, taxis and hotels, see Turkish phrases for travel.
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