How to Say “Hi, How Are You?” in Turkish

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Merhaba, nasılsın?
The English phrase "hi, how are you?" is translated into Turkish as Merhaba, nasılsın?
This phrase is a common greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being. You can use Merhaba, nasılsın? to greet someone informally or Merhaba, nasılsınız? to be more polite and formal. If you want to greet someone specifically throughout the day, you can use İyi günler, nasılsınız?, which means "Good day, how are you?"

What does it mean word for word?

The word nasılsın is a combination of the interrogative adjective nasıl (how) and the second-person singular suffix -sın (you are).

Which one should you use?

The choice between forms depends on your relationship with the person. Use nasılsın? when speaking to friends, family or people younger than you. Use nasılsınız? when addressing someone formally or when addressing a group of people.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

There are several levels of formality. For a standard polite or formal setting, use Merhaba, nasılsınız? For a simple, informal greeting, use Merhaba, nasılsın? Among friends and peers, the laid-back greeting Selam, nasılsın? is popular. For a much more casual and slangy way to say "hi, how are you?" among close friends, you can use Selam, naber?

How does it change in a sentence?

The phrase changes from nasılsın? to nasılsınız? when you switch from addressing one person informally to addressing someone formally or addressing a group of people.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Be careful with the level of familiarity. Using nasılsın? with a stranger or a superior can be seen as overly familiar.

When do people say it?

When someone asks you how you are, a standard polite response is İyiyim, teşekkür ederim, which means "I am fine, thank you."

Did you know?

  • The word merhaba comes from the Arabic root for 'spaciousness' or 'roomy'. It essentially tells the person they have come to a 'spacious place' where they are welcome.
  • While merhaba is the standard 'hello', the more casual selam is a shortened version of selamün aleyküm, an Islamic greeting meaning 'peace be upon you'.
  • When replying to naber?, it is common to answer with iyilik, which means 'goodness'. This treats the 'news' of your life as a noun rather than a sentence.

Examples in context

  • Merhaba, nasılsın? Çok uzun zaman oldu.
    Hi, how are you? It has been a long time.
  • Merhaba, nasılsın? Her şey yolunda mı?
    Hi, how are you? Is everything okay?

Example conversation

Burak and Selin meet at a cafe.

  1. Burak

    Merhaba, nasılsın?
    Hi, how are you?
  2. Selin

    İyiyim, teşekkürler. Sen nasılsın?
    I am fine, thanks. How are you?
  3. Burak

    Ben de iyiyim, sağ ol.
    I am fine too, thank you.
  4. Selin

    Hadi içeri girelim.
    Let's go inside.

Sources

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Yvonne Jill
Yvonne JillHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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