From Dawn to Dusk: How to Say Hello in Turkish

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Merhaba is the safest all-purpose way to say “hello” in Turkish. Depending on the setting, you’ll also hear the casual selam, the welcoming hoş geldiniz, or the morning greeting günaydın.

As a native speaker, I’ve rounded up different ways to say hello, how to respond to hello in Turkish, and other common greeting words. You’ll also see which forms are informal, formal or plural, so you can choose a greeting that fits the person and situation.

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

Use the audio buttons to hear each phrase rather than guessing from English spelling. The dotless ı in nasılsın and günaydın, for example, is a different letter from i. If the Turkish alphabet is new to you, start with our Turkish alphabet and pronunciation guide.

English	Turkish	Audio
“Hello”	Merhaba
“Hello”	Merhabalar
“Hi”	Selam
“How are you?” (informal singular)	Nasılsın?
“How are you?” (formal singular or plural)	Nasılsınız?
“Good morning”	Günaydın
“Good day”	İyi günler
“Good evening”	İyi akşamlar
“Welcome” (informal singular)	Hoş geldin
“Welcome” (formal singular or plural)	Hoş geldiniz

Merhaba: The All-Purpose Turkish Greeting

Merhaba works at any time of day and in both polite and casual conversation. You can use it with a stranger, colleague, shopkeeper, friend or family member. If you’re not sure which greeting fits, this is the safest choice.

You may also hear merhabalar. It adds the Turkish plural ending -lar, selected after the final a by vowel harmony. In everyday use, though, it’s an expanded greeting that may address one person or a group; it doesn’t need to mean several literal “hellos.” The tone can vary with the speaker and setting, so learners can use plain merhaba as the neutral default.

Where Does Merhaba Come From?

Merhaba is Arabic in origin. Whatever its history, it is now an ordinary Turkish greeting, so you can learn it simply as “hello.”

Selam: A More Casual Way to Say Hello in Turkish

Selam is close to “hi” or “hey.” It is common with friends, family and peers, though it can sound too casual in a formal introduction or a situation where you want to show particular respect.

Merhaba or Selam: Which One Should You Use?

Use merhaba when you want a neutral greeting that works almost anywhere. Choose selam when the conversation is clearly casual. Friends may use either, so this is a question of tone rather than two completely different meanings.

Selamünaleyküm and Aleykümselam: A Religious Greeting and Reply

Selamünaleyküm is not simply a longer version of casual selam. It is a separate Arabic-origin formula meaning “Peace be upon you.” The conventional reply is aleykümselam, returning the wish of peace.

In Turkey, this exchange can sound religious or traditional. How often you hear it depends on the community and setting; it is less neutral than merhaba.

Turkish Greetings by Time of Day

Merhaba and selam are not tied to a particular time. Turkish also has greetings for the morning, daytime and evening.

Günaydın: “Good Morning” in Turkish

In the morning, greet people with günaydın (“good morning”). You can reply with the same word. If it’s early and you know the person well, you might also ask Kahve ister misin? (“Would you like some coffee?”):

• Günaydın!: “Good morning!”
• Günaydın! Kahve ister misin?: “Good morning! Would you like some coffee?”
• Çok iyi olur!: “That would be great!”

İyi akşamlar: “Good Evening” in Turkish

As evening begins, use iyi akşamlar (“good evening”). It works both when you greet someone and when you leave:

• Merhaba, iyi akşamlar.: “Hello, good evening.”
• İyi akşamlar, nasılsın?: “Good evening, how are you?”
• İyiyim, sen?: “I’m well, and you?”

İyi günler: “Good Day” in Turkish

İyi günler literally wishes someone a good day. It is useful in daytime service encounters and can also be said when leaving. It may do the job of English “good afternoon,” but “good day” is the closer translation.

How to Say “Welcome” in Turkish

When you receive someone at your home, workplace or another venue, say hoş geldiniz for one person addressed politely or for more than one person. With one person you address informally, use hoş geldin.

The customary reply is hoş bulduk. Word for word, it is roughly “we found it pleasant,” but you can learn it as the set response “glad to be here” or “thank you.” A single guest can still use the plural-looking bulduk in this fixed expression.

How People Greet Each Other in Turkey

A verbal greeting may be followed by a handshake, cheek kisses or, on particular occasions, hand-kissing. The choice depends on the relationship, age, setting and personal preference. If you’re unsure whether physical contact is welcome, let the other person set the cue.

A Handshake for a First Meeting

Handshakes are common in formal and business settings and when people meet for the first time. They aren’t compulsory, though, so a spoken merhaba is enough if the other person does not offer a hand.

Cheek Kisses for Friends and Family

Friends and relatives may greet with a kiss on each cheek, often as cheek-to-cheek contact with a kissing sound. Don’t assume everyone will use it; familiarity and individual preference matter.

Hand-Kissing at Bayram

During religious Bayrams, younger relatives traditionally show respect by kissing an older family member’s hand and then touching it to their forehead. Turkey’s two major religious festivals are Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) and Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha).

This is a family and respect tradition rather than an everyday greeting. Visitors are not expected to initiate it.

How Do You Respond to Merhaba?

When someone says merhaba, the easiest response is merhaba right back. You can then ask nasılsın? with one person you know well, or nasılsınız? with someone you address politely or with a group.

Nasılsın? and Nasılsınız?: “How Are You?” in Turkish

Nasılsın? is informal and singular. The ending addresses one familiar person. Nasılsınız? uses the plural form, either for several people or as a polite singular. The vowels in both endings follow Turkish vowel harmony, which is why you see dotless ı.

In casual conversation, you may hear naber?, a shortened form of ne haber? (“what’s new?” or “what’s up?”). It isn’t the form to choose for a formal introduction.

In Turkish Cypriot speech, you may also hear napan?. It is related to ne yapıyorsun? (“what are you doing?”) and can work as a casual “what’s up?” greeting. Local pronunciation includes dialect features that an English respelling would hide, so listen to a Turkish Cypriot speaker rather than relying on an approximate respelling.

For nasılsın? or nasılsınız?, a natural answer is İyiyim, teşekkürler. Ya sen? (“I’m well, thanks. And you?”) or the polite Ya siz?. With naber?, you can say İyilik, senden naber? (“All good; what’s up with you?”). A question such as napan? may invite either a quick account of how you are or what you are doing, depending on context. Our guide to saying thank you in Turkish covers teşekkürler and other useful replies.

Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum: “Nice to Meet You”

When you are introduced to someone, say Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum (“Nice to meet you” or “Pleased to meet you”). The shorter Memnun oldum is also common. A natural reply is Ben de memnun oldum (“Nice to meet you too”).

Practise Your Turkish Greetings

Start with merhaba as your reliable all-purpose greeting. Add selam for casual conversations, günaydın in the morning, iyi günler during the day and iyi akşamlar in the evening. Then practise matching nasılsın? or nasılsınız? to the person you are speaking with.

For your next step, explore our favourite Turkish resources. If you want a structured audio course, read our TurkishClass101 review to see what it teaches well and where it falls short.