When I came to Turkey for the first time and heard Turkish speech, it seemed to me terribly rude and ugly. But, having got acquainted with the Turkish language closer, I realized how wrong I was. In the lexicon of even the most simple and uneducated Turk, you can, to your surprise, find a lot of phrases and expressions showing how highly developed the culture of communication is in Turkey and how much secularism it has - which, in my opinion, is so lacking in the modern Russian language. When I come from Turkey to Russia, I really miss these polite phrases and expressions that abound in the Turkish language. For any occasion, the Turks have phrases for encouragement, consolation and praise, which decorate the conversation and make communication more pleasant. I call such expressions “bows” to myself.

Probably, for each such expression in Russian there is an analogue, but for some reason they either remained in the past with us, or simply are not used in everyday life.

If, for example, you pass by the same shops and workshops every day, then, in addition to the usual greeting, you can wish their owners good work: “Hayırlı işler!”, Or say “Kolay gelsin”, which literally translates as “Let it comes (comes) easily. By the way, this phrase can be said to everyone who is busy with something - doing homework, preparing dinner, repairing something, or to someone who is going to do something.

To those who are just starting a new business or work, they say "Başarılı olsun" - "success", or "Hayırlı olsun" - "prosperity".

"Bon appetit" ("afiyet olsun") Turks say not only before meals, but also after. To praise the cooking of a Turkish hostess, you can say “Ellerine sağlık” - “Health to your hands” as a thank you. To which the hostess will again tell you “afiyet olsun”, which in this case will mean “to your health”.

Health can be wished not only to the cook, and not only to the hands. Similar expressions are appropriate for other parts of the body: the singer, if you liked his singing, wish health to the throat, the dancer - health to the legs, and so on. 🙂

When someone sneezes, the Turks say "çok yaşa", which means "live long". At the same time, the one who just sneezed answers “sen de gör” - “and you will see (how long I live)”, or “hep beraber” - “all together” (we will live long).

If someone is sick, has just recovered, or has experienced something bad (except the death of loved ones), the Turks say "geçmiş olsun", which means "let it remain in the past." The same is wished to passengers on planes, trains and branded intercity buses after arriving at their destination, when they say goodbye to passengers - it is believed that the road, no matter how pleasant it may be, is always a test and inconvenience.

It is wrong to say “geçmiş olsun” to a person who has lost a loved one. The Turks in this case say "başınız sağ olsun", that is, they wish them to be in good health no matter what.

Guests, visitors to shops, restaurants and other establishments are greeted with the words "hoş geldiniz" - "it's good that you came", or in our opinion, "welcome", to which the guests respond with the expression "hoş bulduk", which is still not very clear to me, which translates roughly as "we found it pleasant" or "it's good that we found it." Indeed, it is pleasant that such a greeting can be heard almost everywhere - from a small shop to a branded boutique.

If you have purchased a new thing, then, depending on its purpose, they tell you: "Güle güle giy" - "wear with pleasure" - about clothes, "Güle güle oturun" - about a new apartment, or the general phrase "Güle güle kullanın" - Use with pleasure.

To those who have just washed, cut their hair or shaved, they say “sıhhatler olsun” - a special wish for health, like ours “with light steam”.

Even in order to say goodbye, the Turks do not get by with one expression “Goodbye”: they say “hoşça kalın” - “happily stay” to the one who stays, and “güle güle”, which literally means “laughing”, to the one who leaves. In fact, it is a shortened form of "güle güle git, güle güle gel" - "leave laughing, come laughing." The departing person can also say "Allah'a ısmarladık" - "We leave you to the will of Allah." Those who set out on a journey are wished "iyi yolculuklar" - "happy journey". By the way, when I didn’t know about expressions like “Güle güle giy” (“wear with pleasure”), I thought that the sellers were saying goodbye to me, trying to get me out of the store as soon as possible. 🙂

"Selamun aleykum!" - "Aleykum selam!"

To fully cover the topic of the culture of communication in Turkey, it is worth talking about the features of everyday communication.

Turks greet each other with phrases suitable for the time of day, and “good afternoon” and “good evening” can also be used to say goodbye. Conservative Muslims prefer “Selamün aleyküm”, which means “peace be with you”, to secular greetings, you need to answer “Aleyküm selam” - “peace be with you too”.

“Selam” seems to be a short form of “Selamün aleyküm”, but it is not. “Selam” is more of a youth greeting used among peers or in the family circle, such as our “hello” or “salute”.

The habit of kissing on both cheeks when greeting and parting made me laugh a lot at first - imagine a group of young guys kissing each other in the middle of the street. Now I'm somehow used to it, besides, as it turned out, kissing someone is not at all necessary - the Turks usually kiss cheek to cheek, for young people in their company it can be kissing each other foreheads.

It is customary to greet older family members, especially on holidays, by kissing their hand. The kiss here can also be symbolic - the wrist is applied to the chin, and then to the forehead. Hands are kissed not only by the elderly, but also by those who are respected and loved.

As with us, when meeting Turks, they usually inquire about each other's affairs, saying "nasılsınız?" - “how are you?”, and it’s not customary to answer “fine” or talk about your problems - usually everyone answers “iyiyim” - “good”, or just says “thank you” - “teşekkür ederim”, inquiring about business in response interlocutor - "Siz nasılsınız?" - “And how are you?”. To say that things are so-so - "şöyle böyle" - is accepted only by close people. After the greeting, questions are asked about the health of each other's relatives, the state of work, etc., to which they also usually answer that everything is in order, glory to Allah, and this continues the longer, the less often people see each other. Although this “exchange of courtesies” from the outside may seem redundant and hypocritical (after all, you can’t really learn from it about the real state of affairs), its meaning is to show that you care about the affairs of your interlocutor and the health of his family members, but whether he wants to devote you to the details is his business.

It can be funny to watch how the owner of the house asks each guest separately about his affairs, then the hostess starts asking after him.

Alternative forms of the question “how are you” can put a foreigner who has just started learning Turkish into a dead end - they are not written about either in textbooks or in phrasebooks. However, they are often used in everyday speech. One of these questions sounds like “ne yapıyorsun?”, that is, “what are you doing?”. Before, I used to be at a loss in conjecture: why is this suddenly the person I just said hello to asks what I'm doing, and what should he answer? It turns out that this question should be taken as the usual “how are you” and answer it with “iyiyim” - “I'm fine” or just “iyi” - good.

Among friends, the questions “Ne var ne yok?” are also popular. and "Naber?". The first can be translated as "What is, what is not?", and the second comes from "Ne haber?" - "What's the news?" You can answer "iyi", "iyidir", "iyilik", etc. in response to "Ne var ne yok?" ask "Sende ne var ne yok?", to "Naber?" - "Senden naber?"

Gratitude in Turkish is not limited to just one word "thank you". You can choose a word suitable for the degree of your gratitude from a whole arsenal: “teşekkür ederim”, “teşekkürler” - “thank you”, “sağ ol” or “sağ olasın” - “thank you”, “eyvallah” - “uh-huh” (my informal translation ), “Allah razı olsun” - “God bless you”, etc. I note that all these words and expressions are in the Russian language, but for some reason they are not in use with us 🙁

And, of course, there are several answers to gratitude: “rica ederim” - “please” (literally - “I ask you”), “bir şey değil” and “ne demek” - “nothing”, “no thanks ".

If many of the above words and expressions are only an ornament to the conversation, then there are some things, for the non-use of which, in some cases, a person will be considered ill-mannered. For example, it is considered indecent to simply talk about what successes you have achieved, where you have rested, even about what you ate - that is, about everything that may not be available to your interlocutor due to his financial or social status. So that your speech is not considered as boasting, you must definitely say “Söylemesi ayıp” before it - “ashamed to speak” (“do not consider it immodest”).

Do not worry if you do not know enough about all the secrets of Turkish etiquette - Turks make allowances for the difference in mentality for foreigners, but they are very happy when they see that you are trying to behave in accordance with it.

Don't remember God in vain

It seems that the Turks do not know this expression. Everything in the life of Muslims is done by the will of Allah, with his permission (“Allah izin verirse” - “If Allah allows”) and with his help. And, of course, the Turks have a suitable phrase for every occasion. These expressions are so firmly established in everyday life that their use is not at all an indicator of religiosity - even the most atheistic Turks use them.

One of the most frequently used exclamations among the Turks is “Allah allah!” - depending on the intonation, it can express surprise, indignation, irritation, irony, and many more different emotions. The one who says it, thus, calls on Allah to be a witness to what is happening and to judge the situation fairly.

Starting to do something, before eating, going on a trip or even entering public transport, many say: “Bismillah” - “In the name of Allah”, if the matter is serious, then they say “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim” - “In the name of Allah, the Gracious and Merciful ".

Often, the question "How are you?" the Turks answer "Çok şükür" - "thank God". When expressing hope, the Turks rarely say “I hope”, more often you can hear “inşallah” - “if God grants”.

A person who is doing something difficult is said "Allah kolaylık versin" or "Allah yardımcı olsun" - "May Allah help you." Often, when the case is hopeless, this phrase is said with irony.

Sometimes Allah is asked to punish the offender: “Allah kahretsin!” or "Allah belani versin!" “God punish you.” Often this curse is “disguised” by saying “Allah belanı vermesin!” “May Allah not punish you.” If you hear this phrase from a Turk who was very much laughed at, then do not be afraid - this is not a curse, but an expression of admiration for your sense of humor. However, you should not use it with unfamiliar people. In this case, the phrase “Sen beni güldürdün, Allah da seni güldürsün” is more appropriate - “You made me laugh, so may Allah make you laugh.”

The Turks are quite superstitious, especially they are afraid of the evil eye of children. If you admire someone else's child, then it is best to add “maşallah” after that - something like “Save Allah from the evil eye.” "Mashaallah" is liked by truckers on their trucks. Maşallah is also used to express admiration for something (“How lovely!”) or to politely express envy, such as a friend's new car. 🙂

"Woman! Yes, I'm telling you!"

I was always jarred by the fact that in Russia people are forced to communicate with each other by gender. What a pity that the addresses once used in tsarist Russia now sound either too formal or somehow mocking.

In Turkey, such appeals are for every taste. There are even several types of appeals: official, secular and common people.

In general, in Turkey it is customary to address each other by their first names, partly because last names are a relatively new phenomenon here. The only addresses used with the surname are Bay ("Mr") and Bayan ("Mrs") - analogues of the English "Mr. and" Mrs. ". However, they are mainly used in dubbing American films.

If you do not know the name of a person, then you can turn to a man “Béyeféndi” - (“Sir”), and to a woman - “Hanımeféndi” (“Madame”). There is also a universal appeal - "Efendim" - suitable for both sexes or a group of people. Some very polite people add "Efendim" at the end of each of their sentences, which makes their speech full of respect and dignity at the same time.

If you know a person and communicate with him officially, then you need to add “Bey” to the name (if it is a man), and “Hanım” if it is a woman. For example: Ali Bey, Emine Hanım.

Instead of a name, you can use a profession:
Polis Bey - mister policeman
Doktor Hanım - Mrs. Doctor
Sofor Bey! - mister driver!

Exceptions include professions that rather determine the status of a person: children at school, like their parents, colleagues and superiors, address teachers not by their first and middle names, as we have, and not by their last names, as, for example, in America, but " öğretmenim" ("my teacher") or "hocam" ("my mentor"). It is customary to address masters in any business (shoemaker, tailor, cook, confectioner) “usta” – “master”.

With closer communication, the Turks use other addresses. For example, within a family, younger children, when referring to older brothers and sisters, will certainly add “abi” (“big brother”) or “abla” (big sister), for example, “Mehmet abi” - just like “Brother Rabbit and Brother Fox ". You can refer to the older brother simply "abi", and to the sister "abla".

The same appeals can be heard in the conversation of complete strangers. In my opinion, this shows the warmth and goodwill of the Turks towards each other (and not only). Addressing a stranger as a relative sets a completely different tone for communication between people.

Children, even strangers, are addressed “oğlum” ([olum] - “my son”, “son”), girls - “kızım” ([kyzym] - “my daughter”, “daughter”).

Older women are called “abla”, men are called “abi”. "Teyzé" - although translated as "aunt", is used in relation to older women, whom we would call "grandmother". Be careful: do not call “teyze” a woman who, although suitable for your aunt, is still not quite a grandmother - she can be very offended. “Grandfathers” are addressed as “amca” ([amja] - “uncle”).

If a woman communicates with acquaintances of her husband or makes purchases with him, then she is usually addressed not as “abla”, but as “yenge” ([yenge]) - “brother's wife”.

Very often, especially when talking with children, the Turks add "canım" ([janym]) - "dear". However, this "janym" in adult speech can carry not only a warm connotation. Depending on the situation, this appeal may have a patronizing (“dear”, “friend”), arrogant, caustic or mocking tone. Also, this word can be heard in some expressions like “tabii canım!” - “naturally”, “of course!”, Or, for example, “yok canım” and “hadi canım” - “come on!”, “quit!”, “stop it”.

I will probably stop there. I think you no longer have any doubt that the Turks are pleasant interlocutors. 🙂 Probably, the article turned out to be rather dry and similar to a Turkish phrasebook, but I hope that it will be useful to those who study Turkish or are trying to understand the intricacies of Turkish etiquette.

Phrasebook

(some words and expressions mentioned in this article)

• Hayırlı işler [khayyrly ischler] - "Good work"
• Kolay gelsin [kolay gelsin] - “Let it come (come) easily”, “God help you”
• Başarılı olsun [başaryly olsun] - a wish for success
• Hayırlı olsun [khayyrly olsun] - a wish for prosperity (usually a new business or acquisition)
• Afiyet olsun [afiyet olsun] - "Bon appetit"
• Ellerine sağlık [ellerine saalyk] - “Health to your hands” - praise to the hostess for food
• Çok yaşa [chok yasha] - “Be healthy”, “live long”
• Sen de gör [sen de ger] - "and you will see (how long I live)"
• Hep beraber [hep beraber] - “all together” (we will live long)
• Geçmiş olsun [gechmish olsun] - "let it remain in the past"
• Başınız sağ olsun [bashynyz sa olsun] - an expression of condolences for the loss of a loved one
• Hoş geldiniz [hosh geldiniz] - "welcome"
• Hoş bulduk [hosh bulduk] - guests' response to "welcome"
• Güle güle giy [gule gyulegiy] - “wear with pleasure”
• Güle güle kullanın [gule güle kullanin] - “use with pleasure”
• Sıhhatler olsun [sykhatler olsun] - “with light steam”, “with a haircut”
• Hoşça kalın [hoshcha kalyn] - "happily stay"
• Güle güle [gule güle] - “goodbye” (says the remaining one)
• Allah’a ısmarladık [Allaha ysmarladyk] - “We leave you to the will of Allah”
• İyi yolculuklar [iyi yoldzhuluklar] - "happy journey"
• Selamün aleyküm [salamyun aleykum] - "peace be with you"
• Aleyküm selam [alaykyum salam] - "Peace to you too"
• NasIlsInIz? [nasylsynyz] - "how are you?"
• Siz nasIlsInız? [syz nasylsynyz] - “How are you?”
• Şöyle böyle [cheyle böyle] - “so-so”
• Ne yapIyorsun? [ne yapyyorsun] - colloquial. "How are you", lit. "What are you doing?"
• İyiyim [iyiyim] - "I'm fine"
• İyi [iyi] - good
• Ne var ne yok? [ne var ne yok] - "how are you?", "what's new?"
• Naber? [naber] - "What's the news?"
• Sende ne var ne yok? [sende ne var ne yok] - “what’s new with you?”
• Senden dial? [senden naber] - “what news do you have?”
• Teşekkür ederim [teshekur ederim] - "thank you", "thank you"
• Sağ ol [sa ol], sağ olasın [sa olasyn] - "thank you"
• Eyvallah [eyvalla] - “uh-huh” (my informal translation)
• Allah razı olsun [Allah times olsun] - "God bless you"
• Rica ederim [rija ederim] - "please" (literally - "I ask you")
• Bir şey değil [bir schey deil] - “nothing”, “no thanks”
• Ne demek [ne demek] - “nothing”, “no thanks”
• Söylemesi ayıp [soylemesi ayyp] - “ashamed to say”, “do not consider immodest”

• Allah izin verirse [Allah izin verirse] - "If Allah allows"
• Allah Allah! [Allah Allah] - "God, God"
• Bismillah [bismillah] - ("In the name of Allah")
• Bismillahirrahmanirrahim [Bismillahirrahmanirrahim] - "In the name of Allah, the Gracious and the Merciful"
• Çok şükür [chok sukyur] - "thank God"
• İnşallah [inshallah] - “if God will give”, “God will give, ...”
• Allah kolaylık versin [Allah kolaylık versin] - “May Allah make your lot easier”
• Allah yardımcı olsun [Allah yardımdzhi olsun] - "May Allah help you"
• Allah kahretsin [Allah kahretsin] - "punish you Allah"
• Allah belanı versin [Allah belanı versin] - “punish you Allah”, “be you wrong”
• Allah Belani Vermesin! [Allah belyany vermasin] - “do not punish you Allah”
• Sen beni güldürdün, Allah da seni güldürsün [sen beni güldürdün Allah da seni güldürdün] - “You made me laugh, so may Allah make you laugh”
• Maşallah [mashallah] - “Save Allah from the evil eye”, as well as “What a charm!”

- q. beykut 1 … Kazakh tilinin aimagtyk sozdigi

Bay- bay; m. [Turk.] In the countries of the Near and Middle East, as well as among the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and Transcaucasia: the title of tribal and feudal nobility, officials (rulers of regions, military leaders, etc.); the person holding that title. * * * Bay… encyclopedic Dictionary

Bay- (lord, ruler) the title of nobility in the countries of the Near and Middle East. Corresponds to the Arabic title emir. Assigned to people of noble birth. In the Ottoman Empire, the bey is the ruler of the district (sanjak). During the Middle Ages in the Ottoman Empire ... ... Historical dictionary

bay-- Sir (used after a proper name as a form of polite address or mention: Hasan bey, Ishmael bey). Explanatory Dictionary of Ephraim. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

bay- BEY, me and BEK, eh, husband. The title of petty feudal rulers and officials in some countries of the Near and Middle East (until 1917 also in Transcaucasia and Central Asia), as well as a person who has this title; adding to the name in the value. mister... ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

Bay- Turkic title and rank, military and administrative, originally coming from the common Turkic title "run" ruler, leader, prince, master. As usual in the Turkic languages, this title has a direct parallel in terms of defining family relations ... Political science. Dictionary.

BAY- see Beck... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

BAY Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

bay- 1. BEY1, bey, husband. (Turkish bey). In old Turkey, the title of petty vassal prince; now an addition to the name, in the meaning. mister. 2. FIGHT2, fight. led. from beat, beat. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Books

• Bay! Corsair from the future, Korchevsky Yuri Grigorievich, Hurricane fantastic action movie from the author of the bestsellers "Pli!", "Fire!", "Volley!" and "On target!" Caught up in the whirlpool of time, our contemporary is carried away into the distant past in order to take the fight not ... Category: Combat domestic fiction Series: Publisher: Eksmo, Buy for 476 rubles
• Bay! Corsair from the future, Korchevsky Yu.G. , A whirlwind sci-fi thriller from the best-selling author of Pli!, Fire!, Volley! and "On target!" Caught up in the whirlpool of time, our contemporary is carried away into the distant past in order to take the fight... Category: Fighting fiction Series: Fighting fantasy Yu. Korchevsky Publisher:

There were several questions on this topic, and it seemed to me that it would be easier to write one explaining post for those interested. I emphasize that this does not mean that it should be so and only so. It's more of an information note, as it can be.

1. In the state of the Great Seljukids Persian was the state and literary language. It was used by the local administration, literary works were written on it. Arabic was used in some branches of science, education and jurisprudence. There is no information about the role of the Oghuz language (Turkic) in the life of the Seljuk state.
Muslim theologians and jurists wrote in Arabic, poets in Persian. Iranian theologians and poets already surrounded Sultan Kylych-Arslan and his sons, one of whom even bore the Persian name Kay-Khusrev. ... Thus, the cultural life of the Turks of Asia Minor was served to a greater extent by Persian, and to a lesser extent by Arabic.
Turkic was spoken by the people, and then mainly outside the cities. The cities were diverse in composition. The townspeople, as well as the Turkic aristocracy, were alien to absolutely everything Turkic.
(c) V.G. Guzev "Old Ottoman language"

2. In view of the fact that there are very few written sources from the Seljuks, we also have little information about their customs. To make life easier for everyone, I suggest using the early Ottoman titles and addresses , which, in general, are an alloy of Persian, Arabic and Turkic words. It’s just that they are more familiar to us, we all heard a little about them. For example:

Khazretleri- his/her majesty/highness

Sultan, padishah, hunkar, khan- about the Sultan. Example: Sultan Alparslan Khan Khazretleri - His Majesty Sultan Alparslan.

Shehzade hazretleri- appeal to the heir. Shekhzade Ruknaddin Khazretleri - His Highness "Tsarevich" Ruknaddin

Vizier- the title of chief ministers and high dignitaries

Pasha- a high title in the political system. At first, governors and generals were called pashas, ​​then any high-ranking person. It is also used as an honorary title, equal to "sir" or "master". Haydar Pasha or simply "pasham" - my pasha, my lord

bay- mister. Military and administrative rank. Bey - leader, led tribal militia in the tribal army. Gradually it became a polite address to a respected person. Example: Kadir Bey

yeah- the title of military leaders, as well as some heads of the heads of groups of court servants who were on a salary. Also the word "aha" inmeans "elder brother" or "uncle". Kiraz-aga

effendi- respectful "Mr.". A polite appeal to noble persons up to the Sultan, to all literate citizens. In general, "effendi" is an officer rank corresponding to a lieutenant. Salim effendi.

Descending - pasha, bey, yeah, effendi

xanim efendi- respect. "Miss". Example: Leyla-khanim or khanim-efendi. "Hanim-efendi, let me in"?

Khatun- a noble woman, an appeal to court ladies. Example: Zelikha Khatun

Mufti -a Muslim spiritual rank, a legal theologian who had the right to issue a fatwa, that is, a legal opinion that gives legal force or declares illegal certain actions of the authorities. The Grand Mufti, or Sheikh-ul-Islam, was considered the head of the Muslim community.

Celebi- adviser, clergyman among Muslims. Also called the heirs to the throne, princes, princes: Evliya-chelebi

cadi- a judge under Sharia law or in a broader sense

haji- the person who performed the hajj

A little about the harem to get acquainted with the system and customs :)

Jariye- all the girls who got into the harem, the lowest level

Kalfa- a servant from the staff of the palace, a former jariya. She could no longer count on communication with the Sultan.

Mouth- diligently disaccustomed the entire period of training jariya. It was among the lips that candidates were chosen for relations with the Sultan and further career advancement is possible.

Gozde- a former mouth, a woman who was noticed by the Sultan and spent at least one night with her

Iqbal- a concubine who became the constant favorite of the Sultan

Khaznedar- treasurer and administrator of the harem

Kadyn- former ikbal, who gave birth to the Sultan only a daughter, or whose sons died

Sultan- a former ikbal, whose son was born. And also all the daughters and sisters of the padishah who cannot rise above this title.

Haseki- inalienable title of the Sultan's beloved wife

Valide, valide sultan - the highest female title. The concubine received this title if her son officially became the next sultan. Valide ruled the harem.

3. Extremely common and atmospheric words

Mashallah- a sign of amazement, joy, praise and gratitude to God and humble recognition that everything happens by the will of Allah. Charm phrase when pronouncing praise, approval, admiration. Analog "Thank God!", "Well done!". "Mashalaa, what a beautiful child you have", "Be happy, mashalla!"

Inshallah- if God wills, if it is God's will. Accompanies a statement about plans or events. Expresses hope for the fulfillment of the plan. "God willing!", "With God's help!" "Inshallah, everything will work out for you", "Don't worry - inshallah, she will come"

She spent three months in Turkey, passing it entirely from east to west. Throughout November, she lived among Turkish students in Cappadocia and managed to notice many interesting features about the people and the country. Tanya shares her observations about who the Turks are and how they live with 34travel.

1. Here it is customary to take off your shoes before entering the house, so each apartment has a real shoe store and, interestingly, no one will steal shoes! Why take up extra space in the apartment and pollute it - the Turks say - if there is plenty of space for shoes on the landing?

2. Turkish cuisine is one of the best! You can’t just take it and stop eating - so you have to walk a lot! Both men and women are excellent cooks. Moreover, in modern families they are engaged in cooking "in European style" - whoever comes home from work first, cooks.

3. It is impossible to imagine a day without a glass of tea, but what is there a glass - such a good teapot. Even dubious fans of teas will drink it there three or four times a day. Moreover, it is customary to drink tea not after a meal, but during or just like that. By the way, making tea is a separate issue. This is not just a bag of boiling water for you to pour. You can write a whole book about this process - except that the Chinese have become more sophisticated.

4. Men call each other "kanka" all the time, which means something like "bro." And this is how they address both close friends and just acquaintances, from whom you need something and you show increased respect. Appeal so only to equal in age.

5. After a couple of visits to the store, you know the name of the seller, and he knows your name. “Would you like some bread, milk and a bag of tangerines (at € 0.25 per kilo!), as usual?” - will always cheer you up in the morning.

6. Turks are very fond of using the very useful word "very": very beautiful, very good (çok güzel, çok iyi). They explain this by the fact that by nature they are extremely emotional and just words to describe them are always not enough.

7. The most common word in the language is güzel. Universal word! It means good, and tasty, and beautiful. And the girl guzel, and the weather guzel, and baklava guzel, and everything in general guzel. Guzel country!

8. The expression "garbage recycling" here causes big eyes and misunderstanding of what is happening. In Turkey, no one cares about separating waste.

9. Each purchase (even in a package) is put in a bag for you and at the exit in one big bag. Maybe even two! If you buy only bread and milk, you will receive three packages. All this is free in any store and market. And of course they also have a special bag for bags in the kitchen.

10. There is no division into "he" and "she" in Turkish. It is possible to understand that we are talking about a man or a woman only on the basis of the name or polite addresses like “miss” and “sir”.

11. Wherever you go, you will see a portrait of the father of the Turkish people, Atatürk. And not alone. After Allah, he is in an honorable second place, and for the unbelievers, even in the first.

12. The main unspoken rule about Ataturk is not to say anything bad about Ataturk. In no case!

13. Over time, you get used to perceive yogurt not as a dessert, but as a normal addition to food. Anyone, even soup. And the Turks claim that it was they who invented it about 1500 years ago. The usual sweet fruit yogurt is also sold here, but it is not very popular and is not as cheap as the plain one.

14. Gradually you get used to the sounds of the azan - the call to prayer, and this music from the mosques stops waking you up at night. Although at first waking up at night will be a dubious pleasure.

15. Here, only one style of road crossing is accepted and successfully works - “kamikaze-style”. The bottom line is that you need to run across in a matter of centimeters from flying cars. Zebras, traffic lights? What is this?

16. There is a Turkish flag hanging in your room. All other rooms too. There is no apartment in Turkey without the Turkish flag, as well as a shop, a shop, and even more so a state institution. If suddenly there is no flag in the room, it means that it hangs in our hearts, say the Turks.

17. Instead of "ok" they say the local "tamam".

18. When you meet, you hug everyone and kiss your cheeks three times. Men and women - it doesn't matter, they love to smack here.

19. On the street, it is quite possible to meet two guys walking hand in hand: men here express their friendship in this way and easily hug each other and kiss on the cheek. At the same time, it is considered indecent to show great tenderness to each other on the streets. The maximum is to hold hands and smack on the cheeks. In morals, of course, not so strict.

20. Olives, cheese, scrambled eggs, yogurt - the standard breakfast of any rogue. Even if you are a student and the wind is walking in your pocket, these holy foods will always be in your refrigerator. Then you already eat pasta like a normal person.

21. In Turkish there is an unusual expression "to drink a cigarette". The verb "içmek" means both "drink" and "smoke" at the same time, because the Turks do not have a separate word for smoking, so "let's go have a drink" will be a mystery to you - will you get a glass of water or a hookah?

22. Although alcohol is not prohibited in the country, it is so expensive that drinking a can of beer with friends comes out in a good amount. Is that the local "Efes" is not so affordable, and even then in big cities. A good local wine in Cappadocia starts from €6.

23. All this baklava, kunefe and other Turkish delights are also very expensive.

24. Having eaten in a more or less decent establishment, you always expect wet wipes with a very pronounced aroma of lemon cologne along with the bill. They even have a special name - "colony".

25. There are a lot of common words in our languages ​​- shower, sofa, hat, vase, ticket. And even a cishotka and a sack. And there are similar-sounding words with different meanings: a woman in Turkish means father (with an emphasis on the second “a”), a mess is a glass, a button accordion is a woman, a tavern is a pumpkin, a brick is a straw, a fist is an ear, tobacco is a plate and a barn - castle! And "Baran" is a completely ordinary and not at all funny male name.

26. The Turkish language has a cool word "nazlanmak", in Russian there is no analogue, but it means to pretend to be indifferent when in fact something really worries you. Saying "no" when you really want to say "yes". Such passion!

27. Refined sugar is ubiquitous, and in cafes, each cube is most often packed in a separate piece of paper. Here with the usual bulk can be a problem. And you can’t find beets in the whole country, so you can’t make borscht here.

28. If you bite into a kebab, you might find french fries inside!

29. The favorite pastime of the Turks is to play backgammon while drinking tea. This is how hours can pass.

30. Turks are very fond of singing and many have naturally good voices. And they sing often - cooking, cleaning the house, sitting at the table and, of course, in the shower.

31. Any foreigner who knows at least half a word of Turkish immediately evokes emotion and joy. One “merhab” (“hello”) is enough to make you smile all day long. In general, foreigners are treated kindly here, they always try to help (but this may not be so pronounced in the most touristic places).

32. - the people living in Eastern Turkey, often from the mountainous and inaccessible regions of the country, cause hostility here, albeit hidden.

33. Outwardly, the Turks are very different from each other: from dark brunettes with swarthy skin, as we used to imagine them, to fair-skinned blondes, whom even the Turks themselves often mistake for Europeans.

34. A special subject of male pride in the generation over 45 is a mustache. As soon as the uncle begins to turn gray, he immediately grows a dashing mustache and is considered handsome.

35. The Turks highly value friendship and for the sake of a friend they will do anything. The most important thing is the parents.

36. Turks are self-critical and have a good sense of humor. Moreover, the blacker and sarcastic the joke, the more it is appreciated. Black humor rules in Turkey.

37. Turks are quite polite in dealing with each other, especially in small towns. And they are very fond of exchanging phrases, standing together in line or waiting for the green light of a traffic light.

38. The Turks are extremely proud of their hospitality, and a traveler here can easily be invited to visit at least to drink tea.

39. Curvy girls are loved here, in Turkey there is a saying in everyday life that describes the beauty of a woman: “She was so beautiful that she had to turn around to enter the door.”

40. Almost all men smoke, women less often, but also do not shun. Hookahs are ubiquitous here.

41. All the rumors that Slavic girls in Turkey are considered girls of "easy virtue" are not greatly exaggerated. Therefore, girls named Natasha will have to somehow hide their name.

42. In small towns and in traditional families, toilet water is still preferred over toilet paper.

43. Most women do not cover their heads, but recently a fashion for headscarves has appeared among young people, which is not connected with religion. At the same time, another light and fluffy scarf is placed under the scarf, which creates the effect of a huge head. This is considered beautiful.

44. In you can meet shoe shiners, and this is not a tourist attraction.

45. At the entrance to almost every city there is a huge sculpture associated with the main occupation in this city. For example, pitchers are made in Avanos, so there is a huge jug there. And in front of Fetia is a giant mandarin, it is here that they are grown.

46. On the streets of coastal cities, especially in the evening, sellers of mussels in trays climb out. Give me a couple of lire, and they will put a couple of shells on a cardboard box and pour lemon over this business.

47. There are more ancient Greek theaters in Turkey than in Greece! Just drive south and go, drive around these theaters.

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