Why a few words are worth learning
Turkish can look intimidating on paper, but the few words that matter on a boat trip are short and regular. Turkish spelling is almost perfectly phonetic: once you know how the letters sound, you can read any word aloud correctly.
The effort is noticed. People working in tourism along this coast hear the same English phrases all day. A tourist who tries even a clumsy teşekkürler stands out, in a good way.
This glossary sticks to what you will actually use or hear: greetings, river words, food, a few questions and some of the things the crew will say.
Five letters that change everything
Most Turkish letters sound roughly as they would in English. These five are the exceptions that trip people up:
- c sounds like the English j. So cami (mosque) is “jah-mee”.
- ç sounds like ch, as in chair. So çay (tea) is “chai”.
- ş sounds like sh, as in ship. So şişe (bottle) is “shee-sheh”.
- ğ is silent and simply lengthens the vowel before it. So Köyceğiz is roughly “koy-jay-iz”.
- ı, without a dot, is a short “uh” sound, as in the second syllable of “cousin”.
Two more worth knowing: ö and ü sound as they do in German. And Turkish words tend to be stressed lightly and evenly, so you do not need to worry much about emphasis.
Greetings and polite basics
- Merhaba (MER-ha-ba): hello. Works any time of day.
- Günaydın (gün-eye-DUN): good morning. Perfect for the quay at departure time.
- Teşekkür ederim (teh-shek-KÜR eh-deh-rim): thank you. Teşekkürler is a shorter, friendly version.
- Lütfen (LÜT-fen): please.
- Evet / Hayır (eh-VET / HA-yuhr): yes / no.
- Tamam (ta-MAM): OK, fine, agreed. You will hear it constantly.
- Pardon: sorry, excuse me.
- Hoşça kalın (HOSH-cha ka-LUN): goodbye, said by the person leaving. The person staying replies güle güle (gü-LEH gü-LEH).
If you learn only two, make them merhaba and teşekkürler. They will carry you through the entire day.
Words of the river
- Tekne (tek-NEH): boat.
- İskele (is-keh-LEH): jetty or quay, where the boats tie up.
- Göl: lake. Deniz (deh-NIZ): sea. Plaj: beach.
- Çay: tea, but also a stream or small river. The river here is Dalyan Çayı.
- Sazlık (saz-LUK): reed bed.
- Kaya mezarları (ka-YA meh-zar-la-RUH): rock tombs.
- Çamur banyosu (cha-MOOR ban-yo-SU): mud bath. Kaplıca (kap-luh-JA): hot spring.
- Kaplumbağa (kap-loom-ba-A): turtle.
- Dalyan: fishing weir, and the reason for the town’s name.
The last one has a story behind it, which we tell in Dalyan means fishing weir.
Food and drink on the boat
- Su: water. Soğuk su (so-OOK su): cold water.
- Öğle yemeği (öh-leh yeh-meh-EE): lunch.
- Balık (ba-LUK): fish. Tavuk (ta-VUK): chicken.
- Ekmek (ek-MEK): bread. Salata: salad.
- Karpuz (kar-PUZ): watermelon, a common end to lunch in summer.
- Mavi yengeç (ma-VEE yen-GECH): blue crab, a local speciality.
- Lezzetli (lez-zet-LEE): delicious.
- Afiyet olsun (a-fee-YET ol-SUN): enjoy your meal, said to someone eating.
If you want to go further with local food, see our guides to Dalyan blue crab and where to eat in Dalyan.
A few useful questions
- Saat kaçta? (sa-AT kach-TA): at what time?
- Ne kadar sürer? (neh ka-DAR sü-REHR): how long does it take?
- Yüzebilir miyim? (yü-zeh-bi-LEER mee-yim): can I swim?
- Tuvalet nerede? (tu-va-LET neh-reh-DEH): where is the toilet?
- Burada mı? (bu-ra-DA muh): is it here?
Do not worry about understanding the answer perfectly. Most people will reply with gestures, a number on their fingers or a switch into English, and the question itself has already done its job.
Heat, sun and water
- Sıcak (suh-JAK): hot. Çok sıcak: very hot, the most-used phrase of any August.
- Soğuk (so-OOK): cold. Serin (seh-RIN): pleasantly cool.
- Güneş (gü-NESH): sun. Gölge (göl-GEH): shade.
- Yavaş (ya-VASH): slow, slowly.
- Dikkat (dik-KAT): careful, watch out.
You will hear dikkat when boarding and at the mud baths, where the ground is slippery. It is worth recognising.
Phrases you will hear from the crew
- Buyurun (bu-yu-RUN): here you are, please go ahead, come in. An all-purpose welcoming word.
- Hadi or haydi (HA-di): come on, let us go.
- Geldik (gel-DIK): we have arrived.
- Yarım saat (ya-RUM sa-AT): half an hour. Bir saat: one hour.
- Kolay gelsin (ko-LAI gel-SIN): literally “may it come easy”, said to someone who is working.
That last phrase is the one to use yourself. Saying kolay gelsin to the crew as they tie up the boat or serve lunch is a small, very Turkish courtesy, and it almost always earns a warm reply.
For the rest of the day’s practicalities, from timings to what is included, the complete Dalyan boat trip guide has you covered.
