merhaba kardeşim
/meɾhaba kaɾdeʃim/from spelling rules
In Turkish, hello brother is merhaba kardeşim.
merhaba kardeşim is a friendly greeting used to address a male sibling or a close male friend. While the component kardeş literally means sibling, it is frequently used among male friends as a colloquial way to say 'brother' or 'mate'. You may also use Selam to say hello.
Which one should you use?
If you are addressing an older male friend or a male sibling who is older than you, it is more natural to use merhaba abi instead of merhaba kardeşim.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word kardeş is gender-neutral in Turkish and can refer to either a brother or a sister.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /meɾhaba kaɾdeʃim/. The /m/ is like [m]uch, the /ɾ/ is like the American English 't' in a[t]om, the /h/ is like [h]ome, the /b/ is like a[b]out, the /k/ is like [c]ore, the /ʃ/ is like [sh]oe and the /i/ is like cr[ee]k.
Did you know?
- The word merhaba is actually an Arabic loanword that originally stems from a root meaning 'welcome' or 'spaciousness'.
- Turkish speakers often use kardeşim to address complete strangers, such as a shopkeeper or a taxi driver, to create an instant bond of trust.
- In some social contexts, saying kardeşim during a disagreement can shift the tone from friendly to condescending or patronizing.
Examples in context
- Merhaba abi.Hello, brother.
- Selam abicim.Hello, my brother (adding "-cim" at the end makes it more endearing).
- Selam kardeşim.Hi, my sibling.
- Selam abi.Hi, bro.
- Merhaba kardeşim, nasılsın?Hello brother, how are you?
- Merhaba kardeşim, bugün çok yorgun görünüyorsun.Hello brother, you look very tired today.
- Merhaba kardeşim, yeni işin hayırlı olsun.Hello brother, congratulations on your new job.
Example conversation
Selin greets her close male friend Can on the street.
- SelinMerhaba kardeşim, ne haber?Hello brother, what's up?
- Canİyiyim Selin, sen nasılsın?I'm fine Selin, how are you?
- SelinBen de iyiyim, teşekkürler.I'm fine too, thanks.
- CanGörüşürüz o zaman.See you then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merhaba, CC BY-SA 4.0.
