Turkey's Language
Features of Turkish, learning difficulty and comparison with world languages
About Turkish
Turkish is a language belonging to the Ural-Altaic language family, spoken by more than 80 million people, with a rich suffix structure. Turkish, which is the official language of Turkey, is also spoken in Cyprus, Balkans and Central Asia.
Learning Difficulty and Duration
Difficulty Level
3/5
Medium difficulty level, 3/5 for English speakers
Learning Duration
6-12 Ay
Time required to reach basic level
Speakers Worldwide
80+ Milyon
Number of Turkish speakers
Language Features
Suffix Structure (Agglutinative)
In Turkish, words are expanded with suffixes. Multiple suffixes can be added to one word.
ev → ev-ler → ev-ler-de
Pronoun System
Turkish has 6 personal pronouns and they are conjugated with suffixes.
Ben → Sen → O → Biz → Siz → Onlar
Word Order
Word order in Turkish is flexible, usually SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) structure is used.
SOV: Ben kitap okuyorum
Vowel Harmony
Turkish has 8 vowel letters and suffixes change according to vowel harmony.
a, e, ı, i, o, ö, u, ü
Example Words - In Different Languages
| Turkish | English | German | French | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merhaba | Hello | Hallo | Bonjour | Hola |
| Teşekkür ederim | Thank you | Danke | Merci | Gracias |
| Lütfen | Please | Bitte | S'il vous plaît | Por favor |
| Evet | Yes | Ja | Oui | Sí |
| Hayır | No | Nein | Non | No |
| Su | Water | Wasser | Eau | Agua |
| Ekmek | Bread | Brot | Pain | Pan |
| Güzel | Beautiful | Schön | Beau | Hermoso |
Turkish Learning Resources
Learn Turkish with Preply
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Learn Turkish on PreplyFrequently Asked Questions About Turkish
How Do You Say "Good Morning" in Turkish?
In Turkish, "Günaydın" is said. This word consists of "gün" (day) and "aydın" (bright) and is used for morning greetings.
How Do You Say "How Are You" in Turkish?
In Turkish, "Nasılsın" is said. This word consists of "nasıl" (how) and "sın" (you are) and is used to ask about someone's condition.
How Do You Say "Hello" in Turkish?
In Turkish, "Merhaba" is said. This word is of Arabic origin and is used in general greetings and can be said at any time of the day.
How Do You Say "Good Evening" in Turkish?
In Turkish, "İyi Akşamlar" is said. This word consists of "iyi" (good) and "akşamlar" (evenings) and is used for evening greetings.
Is Turkish Difficult to Learn?
Turkish has a medium difficulty level (3/5). English speakers can reach basic level with 6-12 months of regular study.
What Are the Features of Turkish?
Turkish is a language with suffix structure, vowel harmony, 6 personal pronouns and uses SOV word order.
How Many People Speak Turkish Worldwide?
Turkish is spoken by more than 80 million people. It is widespread in Turkey, Cyprus, Balkans and Central Asia.