Basic Turkish Phrase Guide for Travelers in Demre

Planning a trip to Demre? Whether you’re browsing the market stalls, ordering fresh gözleme, or asking for directions to the ancient tombs of Myra, a few Turkish words can go a long way. This quick and easy phrase guide is here to help you connect, explore, and enjoy every warm “Merhaba!” that comes your way.

👋 Greetings & Essentials

Turkish	English	Pronunciation
Merhaba	Hello	mehr-hah-bah
Günaydın	Good morning	gew-nahy-duhn
İyi akşamlar	Good evening	ee ak-sham-lar
Hoşça kal	Goodbye (when they’re staying)	hosh-cha kahl
Güle güle	Goodbye (when they’re leaving)	goo-leh goo-leh
Lütfen	Please	loot-fen
Teşekkür ederim	Thank you	teh-shehk-kur eh-deh-reem
Bir şey değil	You’re welcome	beer shey deh-eel
Evet / Hayır	Yes / No	eh-vet / hah-yuhr
Affedersiniz	Excuse me / Sorry	ahf-feh-der-sin-iz

📍 Getting Around

Turkish	English	Pronunciation
Nerede?	Where is…?	neh-reh-deh
Tuvalet nerede?	Where is the bathroom?	too-vah-let neh-reh-deh
Burası neresi?	What is this place?	boo-rah-suh neh-reh-see
Lütfen haritaya bakar mısınız?	Can you look at the map, please?	loot-fen hah-ree-tah-yah bah-kar muh-suh-nuhz
Yardım eder misiniz?	Can you help me?	yar-dum eh-der mee-suh-nuhz

🧾 Eating Out

Turkish	English	Pronunciation
Menü var mı?	Do you have a menu?	meh-noo var muh?
Bu nedir?	What is this?	boo neh-deer?
Tavsiye eder misiniz?	Do you recommend something?	tahv-see-yeh eh-der mee-suh-nuhz?
Su	Water	soo
Kahve	Coffee	kah-veh
Çay	Tea	chai
Bira / Şarap	Beer / Wine	bee-rah / shah-rahp
Et / Tavuk / Balık	Meat / Chicken / Fish	et / tah-vook / bah-luhk
Tatlı	Dessert	taht-luh
Hesap lütfen	The bill, please	heh-sahp loot-fen

🛍️ Shopping & Markets

Turkish	English	Pronunciation
Ne kadar?	How much is it?	neh kah-dahr?
Pahalı	Expensive	pah-hah-luh
Ucuz	Cheap	oo-jooz
Pazarlık olur mu?	Can we bargain?	pah-zar-luhk oh-loor moo?
Çok güzel!	Very nice!	chok goo-zel

💡 Useful Extras

Turkish	English	Pronunciation
Anlamadım	I don’t understand	ahn-lah-mah-duhm
İngilizce biliyor musunuz?	Do you speak English?	een-gee-leez-jeh bee-lee-yor moo-suh-nooz?
Biraz Türkçe biliyorum	I speak a little Turkish	bee-raz turk-cheh bee-lee-yo-room
Harika!	Awesome!	hah-ree-kah
Çok teşekkürler	Thanks a lot	chok teh-shehk-kur-ler

💬 Fun Local Words You Might Hear in Demre

Turkish	Meaning	Pronunciation
Hadi	Come on / Let’s go	hah-dee
Canım	My dear / Sweetheart (friendly)	jah-nuhm
Abi / Abla	Older brother / sister (respectful way to address someone)	ah-bee / ah-blah
Mis gibi	Smells amazing!	mees gee-bee
Deniz	Sea (also… my name!)	deh-neez 😄

Final Tip:

Turkish people are incredibly warm and welcoming — even a few words in Turkish will open doors and hearts. Don’t worry about perfect grammar or pronunciation. Just smile, say “Merhaba!”, and enjoy the magic of Demre.