Getting around
Metro
Kapılar kapanıyor.
The doors are closing.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Ankara
Turkey
Ankara is Turkey's capital: ministries, campuses, and wide boulevards on the Anatolian plateau.
How the language is used
Turkish runs offices, classrooms, and the street. You need it for ordinary errands.
In this city
- Language
- Turkish
- Also heard
- Mostly Turkish
- A local word
- Günaydın — Good morning.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
The counter
Büro
Günaydın.
Good morning.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
Food
Pazar
Bir kilo elma.
A kilo of apples.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The street
Sokak
İyi günler.
Good day.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
Turkish runs the office, the classroom, and the street. You need it for an ordinary errand.
Around Kızılay, Ulus, Çankaya, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Ankara can run on four lines: “Kapılar kapanıyor.”, “Günaydın.”, “Bir kilo elma.”, and “İyi günler.”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- With strangers and in shops, siz is the polite you. Sen is for friends.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Ankara, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Günaydın. It means Good morning..
Places you can see
- Anıtkabir — Atatürk's mausoleum sits on a hill above the city.
- Museum of Anatolian Civilizations — Galleries keep objects from early cultures of Anatolia.
- Kızılay — A central district of bookshops, cafés, and crossing avenues.
Food
You sit down for slow-cooked Ankara dishes, then a glass of tea. You ask for them in Turkish.
Getting around
Metro and buses link the hills. Signs and announcements are in Turkish, and you follow them.
Daily life
You use Turkish at the counter, on the bus, and in a government office.
A few everyday phrases
Turkish
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Merhaba | Hello |
| Teşekkürler | Thank you |
| Günaydın | Good morning |
| Benim adım… | My name is… |
