Convenience Store

1. Bir ekmek alabilir miyim?

   Bir ek-mek a-la-bi-lir mi-yim?

   Could I have a loaf of bread?

   Usage

   A bakkal or büfe takes delivery of fresh ekmek in the morning and again in the afternoon, piled in a basket by the till. The price is capped by the municipality, so it is nearly identical everywhere and is not something to haggle over

   Grammar Note

   The pattern "verb stem + -abilir/-ebilir + mi + person ending" politely asks for permission or ability. The shorter "Bir ekmek lütfen." works just as well

2. Taze ekmek yarım saat sonra gelir.

   Ta-ze ek-mek ya-rım sa-at son-ra ge-lir.

   The fresh bread arrives in half an hour.

   Usage

   Said by staff. Bread is not baked in the shop but delivered from a nearby fırın (bakery), so when it sells out you wait for the next run. If you cannot wait, ask "Fırın nerede?" and go to the bakery directly

   Grammar Note

   "Gelir" is the aorist (geniş zaman), used for schedules, habits and general facts. "Geliyor" would instead mean "it is on its way right now"

3. Yarım kilo beyaz peynir alabilir miyim?

   Ya-rım ki-lo be-yaz pey-nir a-la-bi-lir mi-yim?

   Could I have half a kilo of white cheese?

   Usage

   In a bakkal, cheese, olives and cold cuts sit in a glass case and are sold loose by weight (açık satış) rather than pre-packed. You state the quantity and it is cut for you. Beyaz peynir is the salty white cheese central to a Turkish breakfast

   Grammar Note

   "Yarım" means "half of one" (yarım kilo = 500 g) while "buçuk" means "and a half" (bir buçuk kilo = 1.5 kg). 250 g can also be called "çeyrek kilo"

4. Kaç gram olsun?

   Kaç gram ol-sun?

   How many grams would you like?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Whenever you order something sold by weight you will be asked the amount. Answer with a figure such as "Üç yüz gram" (300 g), or gesture and say "Bu kadar" (about this much). Staff often cut slightly over and check with "Olur mu?"

   Grammar Note

   "Olsun" is the third-person optative of olmak and functions as the all-purpose service phrase "shall it be…?". Compare "Kaç tane olsun?" (how many pieces?) and "Sıcak olsun mu?" (shall it be hot?)

5. Beş litrelik su var mı?

   Beş lit-re-lik su var mı?

   Do you have a five-litre bottle of water?

   Usage

   Tap water is generally not drunk in Turkey, so a bakkal stocks everything from half-litre bottles to five- and ten-litre jugs. Large sizes are far better value for a longer stay, and a 19-litre damacana can be delivered to your flat with one phone call

   Grammar Note

   The suffix "-lik/-lık" derives "of/for a given measure", attaching to volumes and sums: beş litrelik (five-litre), yüz liralık (a hundred liras' worth). "Noun + var mı?" is the basic way to ask whether something is in stock

6. Poşet ister misiniz? Poşet ücretli.

   Po-şet is-ter mi-si-niz? Po-şet üc-ret-li.

   Would you like a bag? Bags are chargeable.

   Usage

   Said by staff. Plastic bags have been chargeable by law in Turkey since 2019, costing around 25 kuruş each and itemised separately on the receipt. For small purchases items are often simply handed to you without a bag

   Grammar Note

   The "-siniz" ending is the polite second-person plural (siz), which staff always use with customers. The opposite of "ücretli" (chargeable) is "ücretsiz" (free): -li means "with", -siz means "without"

7. Poşete gerek yok, çantam var.

   Po-şe-te ge-rek yok, çan-tam var.

   No bag needed, I have my own bag.

   Usage

   How to decline the chargeable bag. Locals typically carry a cloth bag (bez çanta), so refusing is completely unremarkable. "Poşet istemiyorum." also works

   Grammar Note

   "…e gerek yok" is the fixed pattern for "there is no need for …", with the thing in the dative (-e/-a). The "-m" in "çantam" is the first-person singular possessive suffix (çanta + m = my bag)

8. Bozuk param yok, sakız vereyim mi?

   Bo-zuk pa-ram yok, sa-kız ve-re-yim mi?

   I have no change — shall I give you chewing gum instead?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Small coins run short in independent shops, so a lira or two of change is still sometimes returned as gum or sweets. To decline, say "Yok, sağ olun, bekleyeyim." (no thanks, I will wait)

   Grammar Note

   The ending "-eyim/-ayım + mi" forms a first-person offer, "shall I …?" (vereyim mi = shall I give?). "Bozuk para" literally means "broken money", i.e. money broken into coins; "para bozdurmak" means to get a large note broken into small change (foreign currency exchange is "döviz bozdurmak")

9. Ufak param yok, sadece iki yüzlüğüm var.

   U-fak pa-ram yok, sa-de-ce i-ki yüz-lü-ğüm var.

   I have no small money, only a two-hundred-lira note.

   Usage

   Say this up front when you only have a large note. Early in the day a bakkal has almost nothing in the till, and a 200-lira note may send the owner next door to get it changed. ATMs tend to dispense 200s, so break them on small purchases when you can

   Grammar Note

   Banknotes are named by adding "-lik/-lık/-luk/-lük" to the numeral: ellilik (50), yüzlük (100). In "yüzlüğüm" the final k softens to ğ because a vowel-initial possessive suffix follows

10. Kartla mı, nakit mi?

    Kart-la mı, na-kit mi?

    Card or cash?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Chain mini-markets such as Migros Jet take cards as a matter of course, but many bakkal owners prefer cash even when they have a terminal. A one-word answer — "Nakit." or "Kartla." — is enough

    Grammar Note

    The question particle harmonises with the preceding vowel, appearing as mı / mi / mu / mü (kartla → mı, nakit → mi). The suffix "-la/-le" is the instrumental "by/with"

11. Kartla ödemede alt limit var mı?

    Kart-la ö-de-me-de alt li-mit var mı?

    Is there a minimum amount for paying by card?

    Usage

    Small shops dislike card fees and often set their own floor, such as cards only over 50 lira. It has no legal basis, so if you are refused you either pay cash or add something to the basket. Buying a single bottle of water by card is best avoided

    Grammar Note

    "Ödemede" is the verbal noun ödeme (payment) plus the locative -de, i.e. "in payment". Turkish forms verbal nouns with "-me/-ma" and can then stack case endings on them

12. İstanbulkart dolumu yapıyor musunuz?

    İs-tan-bul-kart do-lu-mu ya-pı-yor mu-su-nuz?

    Do you top up İstanbulkart here?

    Usage

    Transit cards are topped up at station machines but also over the counter in a büfe or bakkal — look for the "İstanbulkart dolum noktası" sign. Hand over the card, say the amount, and expect a one- or two-lira fee at some shops. The card is called Ankarakart in Ankara and İzmirim Kart in İzmir

    Grammar Note

    "Dolum" is a noun from dolmak (to be filled), and "dolum yapmak" means to top up. Turkish very often builds verb phrases by pairing a noun or loanword with yapmak or etmek

13. Şimdi ödemeseniz de olur, deftere yazarım.

    Şim-di ö-de-me-se-niz de o-lur, def-te-re ya-za-rım.

    You do not have to pay now — I will put it on the tab.

    Usage

    Said by staff. A bakkal keeps a "veresiye defteri", a tab book in which regulars are noted down and settle at the end of the month. Even a traveller staying a while nearby can become a familiar face and be told this after forgetting a wallet. Always settle up on your next visit

    Grammar Note

    The pattern "-se/-sa + person + de olur" grants permission: "it is fine even if you …". Buying on tab is called "veresiye"; asking "Veresiye var mı?" as a customer is reserved for people the shopkeeper knows well

14. Tost yapabilir misiniz?

    Tost ya-pa-bi-lir mi-si-niz?

    Could you make me a toasted sandwich?

    Usage

    A büfe, and some bakkals, keep a sandwich press behind the counter and will grill you a cheese or salami toastie to order. It is one of the cheapest hot snacks in Turkey — "kaşarlı tost" (cheese) and "sucuklu tost" (spiced sausage) are the classics. This is the local equivalent of asking for food to be heated up

    Grammar Note

    Though borrowed from English "toast", Turkish tost means a pressed sandwich of two slices with a filling, not simply grilled bread. "-abilir misiniz" is the standard polite request formula

15. Bir bardak çay alabilir miyim?

    Bir bar-dak çay a-la-bi-lir mi-yim?

    Could I have a glass of tea?

    Usage

    Most büfes keep a samovar of tea going all day, served in the slim tulip glass for a few lira. Drinking one standing at the counter while you shop is an everyday sight, and the owner may even offer you one free with "Çay içer misiniz?" — it is fine to accept

    Grammar Note

    "Bardak" (glass) doubles as a measure word, as in "bir bardak su" (a glass of water). To specify strength, add "açık" (weak) or "koyu"/"demli" (strong)

16. Bu saatte alkol satışı var mı?

    Bu sa-at-te al-kol sa-tı-şı var mı?

    Is alcohol being sold at this hour?

    Usage

    Retail alcohol sales are banned by law in Turkey from 22:00 to 06:00. A curtain or cover over the drinks fridge is the visible sign of it. Sales can also stop on religious holidays and election days, so buy earlier in the day if you want a drink

    Grammar Note

    "Alkol satışı" is a noun-noun compound (belirtisiz isim tamlaması) in which the second noun takes the third-person possessive -ı. The same pattern gives "otobüs durağı" (bus stop) and "Türk kahvesi" (Turkish coffee)

17. Saat yirmi ikiden sonra alkol satamıyoruz.

    Sa-at yir-mi i-ki-den son-ra al-kol sa-ta-mı-yo-ruz.

    We are not allowed to sell alcohol after ten in the evening.

    Usage

    Said by staff. Even if you carry it to the till, past the cut-off it will not be rung up; pressing the point only risks a fine for the shop, so let it go. Bars and restaurants fall under different rules and can serve you late into the night

    Grammar Note

    "Satamıyoruz" is satmak (to sell) + the impossibility marker -ama + present -ıyor + first-person plural -uz, i.e. "we cannot sell". Note that ability uses -abil while inability uses -ama/-eme

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