Turks are lovely, no wonder everyone (me included) falls in love with them all the time. If you have a Turkish crush in your sights, but you don’t know how to initiate the conversation, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re already past that phase and need deeper words to express your endless love to your lover, we got you too! Without further ado, let’s get to matchmaking!
Landing a date with a Turk
Let’s say you’ve got your eyes on a stranger at your gym, school, university, cafe or a beautiful ferry ride. Now, you need to approach them in a casual manner (now is not the time for Neo-Ottoman poetry). Land a date first, then pull out the big guns.
First, let’s plan your approach. Step one, draw attention (swap this out for a simple greeting if you’re texting). Step two, compliment. Step three, ask out. Watch out for honorifics - use the 2nd person plural form of verbs and copulas!
Affedersiniz. - Excuse me.
Pardon. - Pardon.
Müsait misiniz? - Are you free/available (to talk)?
Now, compliment. It’s important to show that you’re paying attention to them, so avoid general compliments such as “You’re beautiful”. Make a comment about a specific feature of your love interest. It doesn’t have to be about their bodily features either, Turks pay a lot of attention to their attire, so you can comment on their style or a specific article of clothing. You can use more complicated structures (or just more specific adjectives) to add a flare to your speech.
Saçlarınız / Gözleriniz / Gözlerinizin rengi / Gülüşünüz / Kaşlarınız / Giyim tarzınız / Takılarınız / Pantolonunuz çok güzel. - Your hair / eyes / eye color / smile / brows / style / jewelry / pants are beautiful.
XYZ-niz o kadar güzel ki gözlerimi sizden alamıyorum. - Your XYZ is so beautiful that I can’t take my eyes off you. (this one is very risky and works better if you’ve seen this person multiple times)
Bayağı / Oldukça / Çok zevklisiniz. - You have great taste. (use this after complimenting their attire)
Here are some advanced adjectives to boost your game:
albenili - appealing, charming
büyüleyici - enchanting
cezbedici - alluring
tatlı - sweet, cute
sevimli - cute
hoş - pleasant
zarif - elegant
şık - stylish
etkileyici - moving, enkindling emotion
muhteşem - majestic
eşsiz - unique, unmatched
ışıklı/ışıl ışıl - bright, bringing joy
Assuming that you’ve received a positive answer, the final step is to ask them out. When making your proposal, ask them out on a date directly, instead of just asking for their number. This will prove that you’re serious with your intentions and not just playing around. Whatever you do, do NOT invite them to your house, we don’t do Netflix & Chill in Türkiye.
Sizi daha yakından tanımak isterim. - I’d like to know you more.
Sizinle baş başa bir akşam yemeği paylaşmaktan (büyük) mutluluk duyarım, tabii siz de isterseniz/sizin için de uygunsa. - I’d feel great happiness from sharing a dinner with you, if you’d like/if it’s OK with you, of course.
Sizin için de uygunsa benimle bir akşam yemeğine/kahvaltıya/kahveye ne dersiniz? - If it’s OK with you, what would you say to a dinner/breakfast/coffee with me?
Sizi baş başa bir akşam yemeğine davet edebilir miyim? - May I invite you to a one-on-one dinner?
Make sure to include the part in bold to show that you care about the availability/interest of the other party.
Include baş başa (one-on-one, just us two) to add a little spice.
If they say yes, respond with a quick word and a smile to show that you’re happy and grateful. Only then can you exchange numbers.
Harika! - Perfect!
(Bunu duyduğuma) sevindim. - I’m glad (to hear that).
Ideally, they’ll propose to give you their number (to keep the flow of the conversation).
O zaman size numaramı vereyim. - Let me give you my number then.
If not, you can playfully ask for their number instead.
Sanırım şimdi numaranızı almam gerekiyor. - I think now I’m supposed to take your number.
You should also ask for (and maybe compliment) their name while exchanging contact information (it’s possible to exchange names before the asking out phase as well).
Adınız ne(dir) bu arada? - What’s your name, by the way?
Çok memnun oldum. - It’s very nice to meet you.
Adınız da sizin gibi güzel. - Your name is beautiful just like you.
Finally, end the conversation with an appropriate phrase (hopefully your love interest will use some of these as well).
Tanıştığımıza tekrar çok memnun oldum. - Again, it’s very nice to meet you.
Ayrıntıları konuşuruz diye düşünüyorum. - I suppose we’ll talk out the details.
(Akşam yemeğinde/kahvaltıda) görüşürüz (öyleyse). - See you (at dinner/breakfast then).
Kendinize iyi bakın! - Take care!
Hoşça kalın! - Goodbye! (lit. Stay well!)
Throughout all of this, keep in mind that you’re a foreigner trying to initiate conversation in Turkish. Let me tell you, Turks love this and actually find it very cute. Use that cuteness and your accent to your advantage.
How to express your love to your Turkish lover
If you didn’t bomb your date, congratulations - you have a lover! Now, I bet you want to express your Big Love™ to the love of your life. Here are some poetic and some simple phrases to do just that.
Seni her gördüğümde yüreğim pır pır ediyor. - Everytime I see you, my heart beats really fast. (lit. my heart goes pır pır)
Sana çok âşığım. - I’m very much in love with you. (simple, but lovely)
Seninle konuşurken içimdeki kelebeklere hakim olamıyorum. - I can’t control the butterflies inside me while I’m talking to you.
Seni dünyalar kadar seviyorum. - My love for you is as big as the universe. (lit. I love you as much as the worlds.)
Yüreğimde/Kalbimde yalnızca/sadece sen varsın. - You’re the only one in my heart.
Senin olduğun her yer bana cennet. - Everywhere you are is heaven to me.
Beni bir tek sen böyle güzel seviyorsun. - You’re the only one who loves me this beautifully.
Kurban olurum sana. - I’d sacrifice myself for you.
Aşkımız öyle büyük ki ne sayfalara sığar ne ezgilere. - Our love is so big that it would fit neither the pages, nor the melodies.
Ölüm bizi ayırana dek biz ayrılamayız. - We can’t break up until death do us part.
Sensizlik bana verilebilecek en büyük ceza. - Being without you is the biggest punishment I could be given.
Seni düşünmeden edemiyorum. - I can’t stop thinking about you.
Nereye baksam seni görüyorum. - I see you everywhere I look.
Seninleyken soluduğum hava bile bir başka. - Even the air that I breathe is different when I’m with you.
Sen benim hayatımın anlamısın. - You’re the meaning of my life.
Sevginin ne olduğunu seninle öğrendim. - I learned what love is with you.
Seni deliler gibi seviyorum. - I’m madly in love with you. (lit. I love you like the mad.)
Hastayım sana. - I’m head over heels for you. (lit. I’m sick for you.)
Senin her şeyine âşığım. Gözlerine, güzel sözlerine, sesine, duygularına, dürüstlüğüne… - I’m in love with your everything. Your eyes, your pretty words, your voice, your emotions, your honesty… (and you keep going as long as you can)
Addressing your partner in Turkish
There are many cute and loving words you can call your Turkish lover. Here are some that will surely make their heart melt.
Aşkım - my love
Sevgilim - my lover
Canım - my life source
Hayatım - my life
Bebeğim - my baby
Göz bebeğim - apple of my eye
Bir tanem - my one and only
Balım - my honey
Cananım - my lady-love
Canparem - my life piece
Şekerparem - my sweetie-pie
Canımın içi - the innards of my life source
Tatlım - my sweetie
Yakışıklım - my handsome
Güzelim - my beautiful
Bal böceğim - my honey bug
Notice the 1st person possessive suffix on all of them? You can add that to any food item (use Turkish food for extra points) or internal organ and call your lover that. Here are some examples.
Bulgur pilavım - my bulgur pilaf
Bol tereyağlı iskenderim - my iskender with lots of butter
Nar ekşili sarmam - my sarma with pomegranate molasses
Künefem - my knafeh
Sulu köftem - my saucy kofta
Dalağım - my spleen
Böbreğim - my kidney
Ciğerim - my lung/liver
If you have any other English phrases in mind, don’t be afraid to write them down in the comments and we’ll translate them for you!
Arım, balım peteğim!