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Where Should You Start Learning Turkish? A Turkish Guide for Beginners
M
Merve Yılmaz Canöz
Author
A practical guide for beginners who want to learn Turkish. Discover the basics of Turkish sentence structure, suffixes, everyday expressions, pronunciation, and effective learning strategies to start using Turkish with confidence.
Have you just started learning Turkish? Maybe you have moved to TĂĽrkiye, have a Turkish-speaking partner or friends, or simply want to learn a new language.
Whatever your reason, Turkish may seem a little different at first. Especially the length of words and the sentence structure can feel unfamiliar in the beginning. However, Turkish has a very regular structure. Once you understand the system, learning Turkish can be much easier than you might think.
At Simply Turkish, this is exactly what we aim to do: make Turkish more understandable, practical, and connected to everyday life.
1. First, understand Turkish sentence structure
The basic sentence structure in Turkish is generally:
Subject + Object + Verb
For example:
Ben Türkçe öğreniyorum.
I am learning Turkish.
I am learning Turkish.
Here:
- Ben = subject
- Türkçe = object
- öğreniyorum = verb
If you come from a language such as English or German, having the verb at the end of the sentence may feel a little unusual at first.
But after a few examples, you will quickly get used to this structure.
2. Words change through suffixes
One of the most important features of Turkish is that new meanings can be created by adding different suffixes to the end of words.
For example:
ev
evler
evlerim
evlerimde
evler
evlerim
evlerimde
We can change the meaning of a word by adding different suffixes.
This can make Turkish look like a language with very long words. However, once you break the word into smaller parts, the system is quite logical.
For example:
evlerimde
= ev + ler + im + de
= house + plural + my + in
So, when learning Turkish, don't be afraid of long words. Learn to break them down into smaller parts.
3. Start speaking from day one
One of the most common mistakes when learning Turkish is waiting until you have learned “enough Turkish” before starting to speak.
In fact, the opposite approach is more helpful.
From the very beginning, you can use a few basic expressions:
Merhaba! – Hello!
Nasılsın? – How are you?
İyiyim. – I’m fine.
Teşekkür ederim. – Thank you.
Lütfen. – Please.
Anlamadım. – I didn’t understand.
Tekrar eder misiniz? – Could you repeat that?
Nasılsın? – How are you?
İyiyim. – I’m fine.
Teşekkür ederim. – Thank you.
Lütfen. – Please.
Anlamadım. – I didn’t understand.
Tekrar eder misiniz? – Could you repeat that?
You don't need to speak perfect Turkish to use these expressions. The important thing is to start using the language in real communication.
4. Learn everyday Turkish
Learning a language only from a textbook is not enough.
It is also important to learn the words and expressions that people actually use in everyday life.
For example, you may often hear these expressions in TĂĽrkiye:
Ne haber?
What’s up?
What’s up?
Ne var ne yok?
How are things?
How are things?
Görüşürüz.
See you.
See you.
Kolay gelsin.
Have a good/easy day at work.
Have a good/easy day at work.
Afiyet olsun.
Enjoy your meal.
Enjoy your meal.
Expressions such as “Kolay gelsin” and “Afiyet olsun” do not always have an exact equivalent in other languages. That is why learning Turkish is not only about learning words, but also about understanding how the language is used culturally.
5. Don't be afraid of Turkish pronunciation
One of the nice features of Turkish is that it is relatively close to being pronounced as it is written.
For example:
merhaba → mer-ha-ba
kitap → ki-tap
masa → ma-sa
kitap → ki-tap
masa → ma-sa
Some Turkish letters may feel unfamiliar at first:
ç, ş, ğ, ı, ö, ü
In particular, the sounds ı and ğ are new to many Turkish learners.
However, if you listen to and practise them regularly, you will get used to them quite quickly.
6. Don't try to learn everything at once
When learning a new language, trying to learn too many words, grammar rules, and exceptions at the same time can reduce your motivation.
Instead, set small goals.
For example, during your first week:
- Learn 20 basic words.
- Learn how to introduce yourself.
- Learn 5 everyday expressions.
- Learn the Turkish numbers.
- Listen to Turkish for 10 minutes every day.
Small but regular steps can be much more sustainable than trying to study a lot all at once.
7. The best way to learn Turkish: use Turkish
Knowing grammar rules alone is not enough to truly learn a language.
Listen to Turkish.
Speak Turkish.
Read Turkish.
Write Turkish.
Make mistakes.
Try again.
Speak Turkish.
Read Turkish.
Write Turkish.
Make mistakes.
Try again.
And most importantly: don't be afraid of making mistakes.
Making mistakes while learning a language does not mean that you are failing. On the contrary, it shows that you are actively using the language.
Learn Turkish with Simply Turkish
If you are just starting to learn Turkish or want to improve your existing Turkish, it is important that your learning process is clear, communication-focused, and connected to everyday life.
Simply Turkish – Turkish, made simple.
We are here to make Turkish simpler, clearer, and more useful in everyday life.
In our next article, we will look at one of the topics Turkish learners often find challenging:
How do you use the Turkish suffix “-iyor”?
See you next time!
Dr. Merve Yılmaz Canöz
Dr. Merve Yılmaz Canöz
