You will make polite requests with lütfen, soften them with a question form, and use buyurun when you give or invite.
The idea
Lütfen can stand at the start, before the verb or at the end of a request: Lütfen bekleyin, Bekleyin lütfen. To sound polite to a stranger, ask a question instead of giving a command: Su verir misiniz? (literally: do you give water?). To open a favour, use Bir rica edebilir miyim?.
| Phrase | Use |
|---|---|
| Bir çay lütfen. | ordering at a counter |
| Su verir misiniz? | asking a stranger to give or bring you something |
| Lütfen bekleyin. | a polite instruction to a stranger or a group |
| Bir rica edebilir miyim? | opening a request for a favour |
| Buyurun. | handing something over or inviting someone |
Examples
- Lütfen bana su verir misiniz?Could you give me some water, please?Even with lütfen, a bare command to a stranger sounds like an order. The question verir misiniz? (literally: do you give?) is the everyday polite form.
- Lütfen kapıyı kapatın.Please close the door.
- Bir çay lütfen.One tea, please.
- Lütfen yavaş konuşur musunuz?Could you speak slowly, please?
- Buyurun, çayınız.Here you are, your tea.When you hand something over, Turkish uses buyurun. Lütfen only asks; it never gives or invites.
- Buyurun, oturun.Please, have a seat.
- Lütfen burada bekleyin.Please wait here.Bekle- ends in a vowel, so the polite command adds a buffer y: bekleyin. After a consonant the ending is plain, as in kapatın.
- Bir rica edebilir miyim?May I ask a favour?Rica etmek means to request. Before a vowel the t of et- softens to d: edebilir, not etebilir.
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Watch out
English please also covers handing over and inviting, but lütfen only asks. When you give something or invite someone to sit, say buyurun: Buyurun, çayınız, not Lütfen, çayınız.
Try it yourself
You hand a guest their tea. Fill the gap with the word for 'here you are' (not lütfen).
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buyurun
buyurun: you are giving something, and lütfen can only ask, so handing over and inviting take buyurun.
Make the polite command from bekle- (to wait): wait, please.
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bekleyin
bekleyin: bekle- ends in a vowel, so the polite command takes a buffer y and the ending becomes -yin.
Complete the polite request 'Could you give me water?' with ver- (to give) and its -ir ending.
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verir
verir: the question verir misiniz? literally asks whether you give, which sounds gentler than a command.
May I ask a favour? Fill the gap with the form of etmek (to do) that means 'can do', and mind the consonant.
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edebilir
edebilir: the t of etmek softens to d before a vowel, so et- + -ebilir gives edebilir.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
You hand a guest their tea. Fill the gap with the word for 'here you are' (not lütfen).
Make the polite command from bekle- (to wait): wait, please.
Complete the polite request 'Could you give me water?' with ver- (to give) and its -ir ending.
May I ask a favour? Fill the gap with the form of etmek (to do) that means 'can do', and mind the consonant.
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 three short lines: ordering a drink, asking a stranger to wait, and handing someone the salt. Check that only the first two contain lütfen.