Turkish words worth knowing
Eleven words you will hear on our tours, what they mean and roughly how to say them.
You do not need Turkish to enjoy Istanbul, but a handful of words changes how people treat you. These are the ones that come up on our tours, most of them at a table.
- Baklava bak-lah-VAH
- Layers of filo pastry packed with chopped nuts and soaked in syrup. Every neighbourhood argues about who makes the best, and we will happily take you to settle it.
- Bomba BOM-bah
- The house tea at the Çorlulu Ali Paşa medrese: fresh mint, lemon, hibiscus and cinnamon in hot water. Order one and stay an hour.
- Çay chai
- Turkish black tea, crimson in the glass, drunk from breakfast until bed. It arrives in a tulip shaped glass with sugar on the side, and refusing the second one is considered a little rude.
- Halay ha-LIE
- The line dance of eastern and southeastern Turkey. Everyone holds hands and moves together, and nobody minds if you get the steps wrong.
- Halva hal-VAH
- A crumbly sweet built on tahini or another nut butter with sugar. Sold by weight, cut from a block the size of a suitcase.
- Lokanta lo-KAN-tah
- A working restaurant where the food is already cooked and sitting in trays. You point at what you want. This is where Istanbul actually eats lunch.
- Medrese med-reh-SEH
- An Ottoman religious school, built between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most closed after the First World War and now house cafes, workshops and quiet courtyards.
- Nargile NAR-gee-lay
- The water pipe, also called hookah or shisha. Fruit tobacco, smoke drawn through a glass water basin, and two hours of conversation with whoever is at the next table.
- Rakı rah-KUH
- The aniseed spirit. Mix it with water and it turns milky white, which is why it is called lion’s milk. Drink it slowly and with food.
- Sahlep SAH-lep
- A hot winter drink of milk, orchid root, starch and cinnamon. Thick enough to hold a spoon upright, and the reason January in Istanbul is bearable.
- Türk kahvesi turk kah-veh-SEE
- Turkish coffee. Finely ground beans boiled in a small pot with water and sugar, served in a cup the size of a thimble. Let the grounds settle before the first sip.
Two more that will carry you a long way: merhaba for hello and teşekkür ederim for thank you. Say either one and watch the room warm up.