Guide · 6 min read

Turkish slang Istanbul locals really use (with examples)

Textbook Turkish will get you through a hotel check-in, but on the streets of Istanbul you will hear a different language. Young people in Kadıköy, shopkeepers in Beşiktaş and taxi drivers everywhere use a rich, funny and very expressive slang. Understanding it helps you follow real conversations, Turkish TV series and social media. Using a little of it, in the right place, makes locals laugh with you, not at you.

Fatih Koçoğlu · Turkish teacher

Here are the slang words and expressions I hear every single day, what they really mean and, just as important, when not to use them.

Words for friends and people

Turks use family words for almost everyone. Abi (big brother) is used for any older man, from your friend's brother to the waiter. Abla (big sister) is the same for women. Amca (uncle) and teyze (auntie) are for older men and women. These words are not slang in a rude sense; they are warm and respectful.

Kanka is the real slang word for "buddy" or "bro". It comes from "kan kardeşi", blood brother. Close friends use it all the time: "Kanka, neredesin?" (Bro, where are you?). Kardeşim (my sibling) is also used for friends, and moruk (old man) is a cheeky word for a friend of any age. Do not use kanka or moruk with strangers, teachers or older people.

Reactions you hear every five minutes

Yok artık! means "No way!" and expresses disbelief. Vay be! is "Wow!". Aman! is "Oh my!" or "Oh no", and Eyvah! is the panicked "Oh no!" when something goes wrong. Oha! is a strong "Whoa!" that is a little rude, so be careful with it. Hadi ya! with surprise means "Come on, really?".

Valla (from "vallahi", I swear) is used to make a statement stronger: "Valla çok güzel!" (honestly, it's really nice). Cidden means "seriously", and the question "Cidden mi?" is "Seriously?". Harbiden is the slangier version you hear from young people.

▶ Video lessons

▶Yok artık

▶Aynen

▶Hadi

▶Abi / Amca

▶Helal olsun!

▶Vay be!

YouTube: @learnturkishwithfatih →

Agreeing and disagreeing

Aynen means "exactly" and is probably the most overused word among young Turks. Some people say it ten times in a conversation. Tamam is "okay", and Olur is "sure, that works". Eyvallah is a manly, friendly "thanks" or "okay, cheers", used a lot by shopkeepers and taxi drivers.

Helal olsun! is respect for someone who did something good or brave. To disagree softly, Turks use "Bilmem ki" (I don't know...) or the famous Bakarız (we'll see), which usually means no.

Bakarız.
bah·kah·ruhz
We'll see. (usually means no)Listen

Hadi: the word that moves Türkiye

Hadi (or haydi) means "come on" or "let's go". It pushes people to act: "Hadi gidelim!" (let's go!), "Hadi bakalım" (come on, then), "Hadi ama!" (oh, come on!). Parents say it to children ten times a morning. It is friendly between equals, but can sound bossy with strangers.

Hadi dışarı çıkalım!
hah·dee duh·shah·ruh chuh·kah·luhm
Let's go out!Listen

Feelings and stress

Kafayı yemek, literally "to eat the head", means to go crazy: "Kafayı yedim!" (I'm losing it!). Kafayı takmak means to be obsessed with something. Boş ver (let it go) is the national philosophy for small problems. Sıkıldım means "I'm bored", and when everything is too much, Turks sigh "Of ya!".

Street and social media words

Çok iyi is "very good", but young people say "Efsane!" (legendary) for something amazing and "Bomba!" (a bomb) for something great, especially food. Kral (king) is used to praise a friend: "Kralsın!" (you're the king!). Bir tanesin! means "you're one of a kind".

Online you will see many abbreviations: "slm" (selam, hi), "nbr" (naber, what's up), "tmm" (tamam, okay), "kib" (kendine iyi bak, take care) and "aynen" written as "aynn". On TikTok and Instagram, "keşfet" means the explore page, and people write "keşfete düş" hoping to go viral.

Endearments that are not just for lovers

Canım (my soul) is used by friends, mothers and even the woman selling simit: "Buyur canım." Güzelim (my beautiful) and tatlım (my sweet) are also common among women. Aşkım (my love) is romantic and best kept for your partner, although close girlfriends use it jokingly.

Allah Allah, hayırdır and other everyday expressions

Many everyday expressions include the word Allah, and they are used by religious and secular people alike. "Allah Allah!" is pure surprise or mild annoyance, like "Good grief!". "Hayırdır?" literally asks "is it something good?" and means "What's going on?" or "What's up with you?", often when someone looks worried or acts strangely. "Kolay gelsin" and "Geçmiş olsun" are not slang, but you will hear them in every street conversation too.

"Ne bileyim" (how should I know) is a shrug in words. "Yani" (I mean, so) fills every pause, just like "like" in English: "Yani, bilmiyorum..." And "şey" (thing) is what Turks say when they cannot find a word: "Şey... nasıl desem?" (Um... how should I put it?). Using yani and şey naturally is one of the fastest ways to sound fluent.

When not to use slang

Slang is fun, but timing matters. With older people, officials, teachers, doctors and customers, stick to polite Turkish: "Nasılsınız?", "Teşekkür ederim", "Kusura bakmayın". Calling a police officer "kanka" or answering your host's grandmother with "Aynen" will get you strange looks.

Also avoid swear words, even ones you hear often in films. Some Turkish swearing is very strong and insults someone's family. Words like "lan" (hey, man) appear in every second dizi scene, but they can sound aggressive from a foreigner. Listen first, and use slang only after you hear your friends use it with you.

How to learn slang without sounding strange

The best way is to listen: watch Turkish YouTube vlogs, comedy shows and modern dizi set in Istanbul. Notice who says what to whom. Start with the safest words: aynen, hadi, boş ver, yok artık and kolay gelsin. Add abi and abla with shopkeepers. Leave kanka and moruk for when you have real Turkish friends.

My short videos on YouTube explain one word at a time, with real-life situations, and you can watch some of them right here. If you want a full, organised list of everyday Turkish, including slang and phrases for every situation, my book below has 500 of them with pronunciation.