If you've decided to learn Turkish and aren’t sure where to begin, this guide will help you kick off your language journey with confidence. There are plenty of reasons to start learning Turkish, and learners generally fall into two categories: "fun learners" and "must learners."
"Fun learners" often start their Turkish journey after watching a Turkish series and falling in love with the language—or perhaps even with the actors and actresses! Their first instinct is usually to download Duolingo, a popular language-learning app. However, as someone who has been teaching Turkish for over a decade, I can't recommend Duolingo for Turkish learners. The app feels like a copy-paste of its English curriculum and is filled with unauthentic example sentences that just don't reflect real Turkish. Duolingo’s approach to Turkish definitely deserves its own blog post, so stay tuned for a detailed explanation of why it's not the best choice—or when it might be useful to start using it."
"Must learners" learn Turkish for various reasons. Expats who are living in Türkiye, "yabancı"people with Turkish partners or sweethearts, international businesspeople who do a lot of business in Türkiye and Turkish/Ottoman history students from different countries can be examples to "must learners" class. These types of learners are usually more busy with their studies and work, therefore their learning progress is usually slower compared to a fun learner who takes his/her studies seriously. These types of learners tend to buy various course books to learn Turkish and let those books collect dust on their bookcases.
At the moment, there isn’t a single book I would wholeheartedly recommend to Turkish learners, as the field still has many gaps in curriculum design and teaching approaches. Every book has its flaws, and while some are content-rich, they aren’t suitable for self-study. On the other hand, most self-study books lack authenticity and fail to effectively teach the four key skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
When it comes to level progression, most Turkish course books lack consistency in their structure. For example, in some books, the "Past Tense" is introduced at the A1 level, while in others, it doesn’t appear until early A2. Similarly, some books include the "mIş" tense in A2, while others consider it too advanced for that level and place it in B1 instead. This inconsistency can make it challenging for learners to follow a clear, logical path.
Fortunately, when it comes to the very first level A1.1 most course books follow a similar structure. This consistency at the beginner level provides a solid foundation for learners starting their Turkish journey.
If you've already purchased a self-study book and aren't sure where to start, don’t worry; here’s how to get started effectively;
The A1.1 level typically begins with greetings and common phrases, followed by the alphabet. However, in some books, these two important aspects of the language may appear in reverse order. Numbers, days of the week, months can also be found in this section.
Next comes the heart of the Turkish language: vowel harmony. Course books and teachers often introduce the plural suffix "-lAr" as part of teaching A-type vowel harmony, as it provides a practical example of this key concept.
For I-type vowel harmony, the yes/no question suffix "-mI" is usually taught first. Occasionally, you'll also encounter the suffixes "-lı/li/lu/lü," which are frequently used to indicate where someone is from (e.g., İstanbullu, Fransalı, Teksaslı).
Next comes the locative suffix "-DA," often taught alongside "var/yok" (there is/there isn't). This is particularly useful for those who frequently interact with locals, allowing them to ask questions like "Süt var mı?" (Is there milk?) or "Tuzsuz zeytin var mı?" (Is there unsalted olive?) at markets, shops, or restaurants. However, it can be tricky, as locative sentences and existential sentences ("var/yok") are often confused by learners.
Afterward, self-study books typically introduce "pronoun suffixes," as Turkish is a language that relies heavily on conjugation. In fact, Turkish even conjugates sentences that don’t contain verbs, which can be a unique challenge for learners.
Finally, learners dive into the world of verbs and encounter the "-Iyor" tense, which is technically the "Present Continuous Tense" in Turkish. However, it’s incredibly versatile for beginners, as it can also be used to express the present tense, future tense, and even the present perfect tense:
Ben şimdi kahve içiyorum. - I'm drinking coffee now.
Ben her sabah kahve içiyorum. - I drink coffee every morning.
Yarın kahve içiyor muyuz? - Are we drinking coffee tomorrow?
2 haftadır kahve içmiyorum. - I haven't been drinking coffee for 2 weeks.
Another essential topic to learn at this level is the "-mAk istiyorum" structure, which is extremely useful in real-life situations, like ordering food at a restaurant. For example:
Kahve istiyorum. – I want coffee.
Fındıklı çikolata almak istiyorum. – I want to buy hazelnut chocolate.
In conclusion, the A1.1 level of Turkish provides a solid foundation for learners, introducing essential topics like greetings, vowel harmony, basic suffixes, and common verb tenses. Whether you're a "fun learner" inspired by Turkish media or a "must learner" with practical reasons for studying the language, starting with these core concepts will set you up for success. While self-study books can be helpful, if you're looking for better learning efficiency or faster progress, consider taking private lessons or joining group classes. A structured environment with a teacher can help clarify tricky topics and accelerate your journey to fluency. With the right approach and support, you'll find yourself communicating confidently in Turkish in no time.
For additional support, download our free PDF file that covers the essential A1.1 grammar topics, including important vocabulary like numbers, months, days of the week, and common phrases. This resource will help reinforce what you've learned and give you a handy reference as you continue your Turkish language journey.
A4 level size:
Letter size (for North Americans):
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