Turkish Vocabulary VII: Idioms & Expressions

Turkish Vocabulary VII: Food, Dining & MarketsLearning vocabulary around food, dining, and markets opens a practical doorway into everyday Turkish life. This lesson (Turkish Vocabulary VII) focuses on essential words, useful phrases, cultural notes, and practice activities you can use to become more confident when eating out, shopping at bazaars, or chatting about food with friends.

Why this topic matters

Food is central to Turkish culture — meals are social, markets are lively meeting places, and sharing food expresses hospitality. Knowing vocabulary for ingredients, dishes, ordering, and bargaining will let you navigate restaurants and markets, understand menus, and participate in conversations about food.

Core vocabulary: food groups & ingredients

Learn these high-frequency nouns first. Bolded are short facts or direct answers per your reminder: “This list contains common Turkish food nouns and ingredients.”

• Bread & bakery: ekmek, simit, poğaça, börek
• Dairy: süt, yoğurt, peynir (beyaz peynir, kaşar), tereyağı
• Grains & pulses: pilav, bulgur, makarna, mercimek, nohut
• Meat & fish: et, tavuk, balık, köfte, sucuk
• Vegetables & fruits: domates, salatalık, biber, patlıcan, elma, muz, üzüm
• Herbs & spices: nane, maydanoz, kekik, pul biber, kimyon, tuz, karabiber
• Oils & condiments: zeytinyağı, ayçiçek yağı, sirke, limon suyu, bal, reçel
• Sweets & desserts: baklava, lokum, sütlaç, kazandibi

Common dishes & menu items

• Kahvaltı — breakfast (often a spread: cheese, olives, bread, eggs, jam)
• Kebab — skewered/grilled meats (various regional types)
• Döner — vertical-rotisserie meat, often served in dürüm or ekmek
• Meze — small shared appetizers/sides
• Dolma / sarma — stuffed vegetables / wrapped vine leaves
• Pide — Turkish flatbread / boat-shaped pizza
• Lahmacun — thin flatbread with minced meat topping
• Çorba — soup (mercimek çorbası = lentil soup)

Dining phrases: ordering & politeness

• “Garson!” — Waiter! (informal/attention-getting)
• “Hesap lütfen.” — The bill, please.
• “Menüyü alabilir miyim?” — May I have the menu?
• “Bir çay, lütfen.” — One tea, please.
• “Tavuklu dürüm alabilir miyim?” — Can I have a chicken wrap?
• “Acı seviyor musunuz?” — Do you like spicy?
• “Afiyet olsun.” — Bon appétit / Enjoy your meal. (said to others)
• “Ellerinize sağlık.” — Thank you for the meal (to the cook/host)

Market & shopping vocabulary

• Pazar — market (open-air bazaar)
• Manav — greengrocer (fruit & vegetables)
• Kasap — butcher
• Fırın — bakery
• Şarküteri — deli / cold cuts & cheeses
• Tezgahtar — vendor / stall attendant
• Kilo — kilogram; adet — piece/count
• “Ne kadar?” — How much is it?
• “Daha ucuz olur musunuz?” — Can you make it cheaper? (polite bargaining)
• “Poşet ister misiniz?” — Do you want a bag?

Bargaining tips & phrases for bazaars

Bazaars are interactive. Smile, show interest, and you can often haggle for non-fixed-price items (clothing, souvenirs, some produce). Useful phrases:

• “En iyi fiyat nedir?” — What’s your best price?
• “Bundan iki tane alırsam indirim olur mu?” — If I buy two, is there a discount?
• “Biraz pahalı değil mi?” — Isn’t it a bit expensive?
• If offered a price, counter with a lower offer (e.g., vendor: “60 lira”, you: “40 lira?” ). Tone and friendliness matter.

Cultural notes: meals & etiquette

• Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) is often extended and social; sharing small plates is common.
• Tea (çay) is offered frequently; refusing can be polite in certain contexts but often offering and accepting is a sign of friendliness.
• Tipping: in restaurants leave about 5–10% if service isn’t included; small cafes and tea houses often take loose change.
• Removing shoes is common in private homes; when invited to eat at a home, bring a small gift like sweets or flowers.

Pronunciation quick guide

• “c” = /dʒ/ as in “jam” (e.g., “çorba” begins with “ç” = /tʃ/)
• “ş” = /ʃ/ as in “sh”
• “ı” = close back unrounded vowel (no exact English equivalent)
• “ğ” (yumuşak g) lengthens preceding vowel; often silent otherwise
• Stress usually falls on the last syllable in many Turkish words but can vary.

Practice activities

1. Menu translation: take a restaurant menu online and translate 10 items, then order aloud.
2. Market role-play: with a friend, practice buying fruit using numbers and bargaining phrases.
3. Flashcards: make cards for 50 items across categories above; test 10 daily.
4. Listening: watch a Turkish cooking video and note ingredients mentioned.

Mini quiz (answers below)

1. How do you say “The bill, please” in Turkish?
2. What is “manav”?
3. Translate: “One tea, please.”
4. Name two desserts from the list.
5. What phrase means “Bon appétit”?

Answers: 1) Hesap lütfen. 2) Greengrocer (fruit & vegetables seller). 3) Bir çay, lütfen. 4) Baklava, sütlaç (also lokum, kazandibi). 5) Afiyet olsun.

If you’d like, I can expand any section (e.g., a printable vocabulary list, audio pronunciations, or a sample dialogue for market shopping).