Anneanne or babaanne? Naming your grandparents
Mum’s mum or dad’s mum? Choose anneanne and babaanne accurately, understand dede and nine, and use these words when speaking to your grandparents.
Read and practiseAdventure journal
Turkish for heritage learners
Learn the family words, phone-call phrases and spoken forms you hear at home, and see how they differ from standard Turkish.
Adventure journal
Turkish for heritage learners
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A call home: meals, news and greetings
A familiar voice on the phone: answer a grandmother’s questions, share a small piece of news and send greetings to someone who is not on the call.
Read and practiseAt the family table: accepting, declining and thanking
Seconds or no seconds? Accept food, decline another helping and thank the cook in Turkish, with afiyet olsun, elinize sağlık and short family exchanges.
Read and practiseVisiting relatives: welcome, gifts and goodbye
At a relative’s door, know who says welcome and who replies. Practise offering a small gift and ending a family visit politely in Turkish.
Read and practiseBayram greetings: wishes for the family
A bayram greeting changes with the person you address. Practise warm wishes, a natural reply and the words for exchanging greetings and festive pocket money.
Read and practiseBlessings and wishes in family conversation
Admiration or hope? Choose maşallah, inşallah and geçmiş olsun in family conversation, and recognise the farewell allahaısmarladık.
Read and practiseFamily photos: who's in the picture?
An old album starts a conversation: identify relatives, say where you took a photo and describe what someone was like in a short Turkish dialogue.
Read and practiseWhere your family is from: a hometown conversation
A family can have roots in one town and live in another. Practise asking about origins in Turkish and separating hometown, birthplace and current home.
Read and practiseSummer at the family home in the village
Two weeks at your grandfather’s house: talk about a summer village visit in Turkish, from the length of your stay to lunch and tomorrow’s plans.
Read and practiseWhat parents say: hunger, warmth and gentle nudges
A cardigan, a bowl of soup, another question: understand caring Turkish phrases at home and choose a reply that answers what your relative actually asked.
Read and practiseAsking grandparents about childhood and retelling their stories
Grandpa’s schooldays invite more than a yes or no: ask about childhood in Turkish, follow up on a detail and pass on a family story with its source.
Read and practiseA family's migration story: leaving and making a home
A departure becomes a family story: describe migration and settling in Turkish, then distinguish distance from home, homesickness and a return visit.
Read and practiseFamily group chat: messages and voice notes
A buzzing family chat can mix short spellings and voice notes. Decode Turkish messages, address the right relative and ask for a written reply when you cannot listen.
Read and practiseEngagements and weddings: words for joining in
A wedding invitation brings new words: distinguish an engagement from a henna night, congratulate the couple and ask politely before taking a photo.
Read and practiseTen Turkish proverbs heard from older relatives
A coin jar can prompt a proverb. Understand ten Turkish sayings older relatives quote, explain the advice in context and ask when the meaning is unclear.
Read and practiseRegional speech at home: words, sounds and meaning
Regional words can hide familiar meanings. Decode Turkish family conversations, distinguish vocabulary from pronunciation and ask what relatives mean without correcting them.
Read and practiseSwitching languages in a Turkish family conversation
Two languages in one conversation: recognize a switch, ask for a Turkish equivalent and rephrase German, Dutch or French words for the person listening.
Read and practiseCondolences: speaking to a bereaved family
After a death in the family, offer condolences in Turkish, recognise a respectful announcement and reply with thanks without confusing the speaker’s role.
Read and practiseFamily paperwork: document names and whose details to enter
Whose details belong on the form? Read Turkish civil-document names, distinguish an original from a photocopy, and clarify who the applicant is in a family dialogue.
Read and practiseSpeaking Turkish with your own children
Bedtime brings small decisions: invite your child to read, praise a second attempt, set a clear limit and tell a tiny Turkish story in your own words.
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