Saying goodbye: hoşça kal, güle güle, iyi geceler

The idea

A Turkish farewell depends on who leaves. The one who leaves says hoşça kal (stay well) to the one who stays; the one who stays says güle güle (go smiling) to the one who leaves. To several people, or politely to one, the leaver says hoşça kalın. At bedtime both say iyi geceler.

Examples

• Hoşça kal, yarın görüşürüz.Bye, see you tomorrow.The person who is leaving says hoşça kal, literally "stay well". Görüşürüz, "we will see each other", adds the promise to meet again.
• Güle güle, yine gel.Bye, come again.The person who stays says güle güle to the one who goes, here a host to a guest. It literally means "go smiling" and stays the same for one person or many.
• Ben şimdi gidiyorum, hoşça kalın.I am leaving now, goodbye.Adding -ın turns kal into a plural or polite command. The speaker is the one leaving, so hoşça kalın is meant for several people, or for one person addressed politely.
• İyi geceler, tatlı rüyalar.Good night, sweet dreams.Both people say iyi geceler, whoever goes to bed first. It is only for parting at night, never a hello.
• kalınstay (plural or polite)kal·ın-in / -ın / -un / -ün: polite command
• görüşürüzwe will see each othergörüş·ür-ir / -ar / -er: the aorist (gelir, yapar)·üzAorist person endings: -im, -sin, -iz, -siniz, -ler
• İyi günler.Have a good day.A shop assistant and a customer say it to each other when they part in the daytime. It can also greet, so the situation decides.
• Akşam görüşürüz.See you this evening.

Watch out

Do not say hoşça kal to a guest who is leaving: it is the wish of the one going, so it sounds as if you are the one walking out. As host, answer with güle güle. Keep iyi geceler for parting at night as well; it is not a hello when you arrive in the evening, which is iyi akşamlar.

Try it yourself

1. A guest is leaving through the door and you are staying at home. Say goodbye to the guest.

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   güle güle

   güle güle: you are the one staying and the guest is going, and the words wish that guest a happy road; hoşça kal belongs to the person walking out.

2. You are leaving your friend's home and your friend is staying. Say goodbye to your friend.

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   hoşça kal

   hoşça kal: you are going and your friend stays; kal is the informal command "stay".

3. You are leaving and Ayşe Hanım is staying inside; speak to her politely. Say goodbye.

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   hoşça kalın

   hoşça kalın: Ayşe Hanım is addressed politely, so the command takes -ın; bare kal would be too familiar.

4. You are going to bed and your family is still in the living room. Wish them a good night.

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   iyi geceler

   iyi geceler: going to bed is a parting for the night, and the plural geceler is fixed in this wish.

Use it today

Write two short goodbyes: one as the person leaving a friend's flat, one as the host at the door. Then add a goodnight for someone going to bed.