Read the invented chat below as if it appeared on screen in a series. The six examples use full spelling; the chat and table also show shortened forms. No dialogue comes from a programme.
The idea
In informal chat, slm stands for selam (hi), mrb for merhaba (hello), and tmm for tamam (OK). These are writing shortcuts, not new suffixes or a rule for shortening every word. Restore the whole word, then read the rest of the message for the action.
| Chat form | Full spelling |
|---|---|
| slm | selam |
| mrb | merhaba |
| tmm | tamam |
Read the text
Ece: slm, kapı açık mı?
Deniz: mrb, ben alt kattayım.
Ece: Ben kapıda bekliyorum.
Deniz: tmm, hemen geliyorum.
Examples
- Ben kapıda bekliyorum.I am waiting at the door.
- Telefonum şimdi çantamda.My phone is in my bag now.
- Mesajını şimdi okuyorum.I am reading your message now.
- Selam, kapı açık mı?Hi, is the door open?
- Merhaba, ben alt kattayım.Hello, I am on the floor below.
- Tamam, hemen geliyorum.OK, I am coming right away.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
Do not read tmm alone as proof that the sender is angry. Here hemen geliyorum tells us that the sender is coming right away; the abbreviation itself only supplies “OK”. Keep full spelling when practising your own sentences.
Try it yourself
Write the full greeting for slm.
Show answer or example answer
selam
selam: the letters s, l and m match this greeting once its two vowels are restored; it opens the conversation.
Expand mrb into the full greeting.
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merhaba
merhaba: this greeting restores more than vowels: h and the vowels are missing from mrb, so a vowel-only guessing rule would fail.
Write the full word for tmm in this reply.
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tamam
tamam: before hemen geliyorum, this word acknowledges the message. Both missing vowels are a, giving two syllables.
Deniz writes: tmm, hemen geliyorum. Is Deniz coming or leaving? Choose geliyor or gidiyor.
Show answer or example answer
geliyor
geliyor: geliyorum means “I am coming”; when describing the sender, use the third-person form. The reply announces an approach, not a departure.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Write the full greeting for slm.
Expand mrb into the full greeting.
Write the full word for tmm in this reply.
Deniz writes: tmm, hemen geliyorum. Is Deniz coming or leaving? Choose geliyor or gidiyor.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write a four-message exchange about meeting at a door. First use full words; then replace only the greetings and “OK” with the forms in the table. Check that the action stays clear.