Turkish Phrases for Special Occasions: Birthdays, Bayrams, Weddings and More
Founder, native Turkish speaker
Turkish has a ready-made phrase for almost every moment in life. Someone has a birthday, buys a car, gets the flu, comes back from the barber or cooks you dinner, and there is a set expression for it. People notice when you use them. Saying the right one at the right time often makes a bigger impression than a long, perfect sentence.
This guide collects the phrases Turks actually use for birthdays, New Year, the bayrams, weddings, new babies, illness and loss, with the usual replies so you are not left smiling in silence.
Table of Contents
- Sen and Siz: One Wish, Two Forms
- Birthdays
- New Year and Christmas
- Bayrams and Ramadan
- National Days and Special Days
- Engagements and Weddings
- A New Baby
- A New Home, Car, Job or Outfit
- Exams, Work and Good Luck
- Illness and Accidents
- Condolences
- Everyday Courtesy Phrases
Sen and Siz: One Wish, Two Forms
Most wishes in this guide come in two forms. Use sen (you, informal) with friends, family and children. Use siz (you, formal or plural) with older people, people you don't know well, and groups.
The difference is usually just the ending:
- Doğum günün kutlu olsun! Happy birthday! (to a friend)
- Doğum gününüz kutlu olsun! Happy birthday! (to your boss, a neighbor, or a group)
You will also see the pattern ... kutlu olsun (may your ... be celebrated) again and again. Once you know it, you can wish someone a happy almost anything.
Birthdays
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| İyi ki doğdun! | Literally "it is good that you were born" | The most common and warmest birthday wish. Formal: İyi ki doğdunuz! |
| Doğum günün kutlu olsun! | Happy birthday | Works everywhere, in cards and messages too. Formal: Doğum gününüz kutlu olsun! |
| Nice mutlu yıllara! | To many happy years | Often added after the first wish, or written in a card |
| Nice yaşlara! | To many more years of life | Short and friendly, good for a quick message |
At a birthday party, people sing İyi ki doğdun to the tune of Happy Birthday, adding the person's name. A natural thank you is Çok teşekkür ederim! (Thank you very much!) or simply Sağ ol! (Thanks!).
New Year and Christmas
New Year's Day is a public holiday in Turkey, and New Year's Eve (yılbaşı gecesi) is the big night out of winter. If you are planning where to spend it, see our guide to New Year's destinations in Turkey.
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Mutlu yıllar! | Happy New Year | The standard wish, from late December to the first days of January |
| Yeni yılın kutlu olsun! | Happy New Year | A little warmer. Formal: Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun! |
| İyi yıllar! / İyi seneler! | Have a good year | Casual, often said when leaving a shop or a party before New Year |
| Mutlu Noeller! | Merry Christmas | For Christian friends. Christmas is not a public holiday in Turkey. |
The usual reply to any of these is Size de! (To you too!) or, to a friend, Sana da!
Bayrams and Ramadan
The two religious holidays, Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı, are the biggest family occasions of the year. People visit older relatives, call everyone they know and send a lot of messages. The dates move every year, so check our Turkish public holidays calendar.
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| İyi bayramlar! | Happy holidays | The everyday wish for any bayram, religious or national. Safe with everyone. |
| Bayramınız kutlu olsun! | Happy bayram | A bit more formal, common in messages |
| Bayramınız mübarek olsun! | Have a blessed bayram | For the religious holidays only |
| Hayırlı Ramazanlar! | Have a blessed Ramadan | At the start of and during Ramadan |
| Hayırlı iftarlar! | Have a blessed iftar | Around the evening meal that breaks the fast |
| Allah kabul etsin. | May God accept it | To someone who is fasting or has just prayed |
Reply to İyi bayramlar with Size de iyi bayramlar! (Happy holidays to you too!), or just Size de!
National Days and Special Days
For national holidays and special days, put the name of the day in front of kutlu olsun:
- Cumhuriyet Bayramımız kutlu olsun! Happy Republic Day! (29 October)
- 23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı kutlu olsun! Happy 23 April National Sovereignty and Children's Day!
- Anneler Günün kutlu olsun! Happy Mother's Day! (the second Sunday of May, as in many countries)
- Öğretmenler Gününüz kutlu olsun! Happy Teachers' Day! (24 November, to your Turkish teacher)
National holidays use Bayramımız (our bayram), because the day belongs to everyone.
Engagements and Weddings
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Tebrikler! / Tebrik ederim! | Congratulations | Any good news, including an engagement or a wedding |
| Mutluluklar dilerim! | I wish you happiness | To the couple, in person or in a card |
| Bir yastıkta kocayın! | Grow old on one pillow | The classic wedding wish, for a long life together |
| Allah tamamına erdirsin. | May God let it reach completion | To a newly engaged couple, wishing that the engagement ends in a wedding |
A New Baby
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Gözünüz aydın! | Literally "may your eyes be bright" | Congratulations on happy news, especially a birth. Also said when someone's loved one comes home safely. |
| Allah analı babalı büyütsün! | May God let the baby grow up with mother and father | The most typical wish for a newborn |
| Hayırlı olsun! | May it bring good | A short, safe wish for the parents |
A New Home, Car, Job or Outfit
Turks wish each other well on anything new. Hayırlı olsun! (May it bring good) fits a new job, a new house, a new car, a new business or a new baby. For things someone will use, Turkish adds güle güle (literally "laughing"), meaning "enjoy it happily":
- Güle güle oturun! Enjoy your new home! (literally "live in it happily")
- Güle güle kullanın! Enjoy using it! (a new car, phone or anything else)
- Güle güle giy! Enjoy wearing it! (new clothes or shoes, to a friend)
The answer to all of these is a simple Teşekkürler! or Sağ olun!
Exams, Work and Good Luck
- Bol şans! Good luck! (before an exam, interview or match)
- Başarılar! Wishing you success! (very common in messages and at work)
- Kolay gelsin! May it come easy! Said to anyone who is working: a shopkeeper, a cleaner, a colleague at their desk. It is one of the most useful phrases in Turkish. The reply is Sağ ol or Sağ olun.
Illness and Accidents
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Geçmiş olsun! | May it be in the past | To someone who is ill, injured, or has had any bad experience, from a cold to a car accident or a burglary |
| Acil şifalar! | Get well soon | Common in messages to someone who is ill |
| Allah şifa versin. | May God give healing | A warm, more traditional wish |
Reply to Geçmiş olsun with Sağ ol or Sağ olun (Thank you).
Condolences
When someone has lost a loved one, these are the phrases people use. They are fixed expressions, so you don't need to find your own words.
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Başınız sağ olsun. | Literally "may your head be healthy" | The standard condolence, said to the family. To a close friend: Başın sağ olsun. |
| Allah rahmet eylesin. | May God have mercy on them | About the person who has died |
| Mekânı cennet olsun. | May their place be paradise | About the person who has died |
The family usually answers Dostlar sağ olsun. (May our friends be well.)
Everyday Courtesy Phrases
A few phrases come up every single day, and using them will make you sound far more natural:
- Afiyet olsun! Enjoy your meal! Said to someone eating, and by the cook to the guests.
- Elinize sağlık! Literally "health to your hands". Said to whoever cooked or made something for you. The cook replies Afiyet olsun!
- Sıhhatler olsun! Said to someone who has just had a haircut, a shave or a bath.
- Kolay gelsin! Said to anyone at work, as above.
Final Thoughts
You don't need to learn all of these at once. Start with İyi ki doğdun, İyi bayramlar, Geçmiş olsun, Kolay gelsin and Elinize sağlık. They cover a surprising number of everyday situations. If you want to practice them in real conversations, try Roleplay, where you can chat with Turkish characters and get corrected as you go.