Ways to say it
| Turkish | Note |
|---|---|
| nasılsın? | informal |
| nasılsınız? | formal |
Both forms are common greetings used to ask about someone's well-being. The informal nasılsın? is the casual way to ask the question among friends. For extra politeness or emphasis in formal settings, you can say Nasılsınız, iyi misiniz? (How are you, are you well?). Similarly, in social gatherings or with people you have a friendly relationship with, the informal phrase Nasılsın, iyi misin? is often used.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the root word nasıl, which means "how", combined with a suffix. The suffix -sın means "you are" in the singular, and the suffix -sınız means "you are" in the plural or formal sense.
Which one should you use?
Use nasılsın? when speaking to one person you know well, such as a friend or a child. Use nasılsınız? when speaking to someone you do not know well, someone older or when addressing a group of people.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
nasılsın? is the informal and casual form used with friends. nasılsınız? is the standard and most common phrase used in formal situations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of the Black Sea region, people may use Nasılsunuz instead of Nasılsınız? when speaking formally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses second-person suffixes for the verb "to be" in the present tense: -sın is the second-person singular suffix, while -sınız is the second-person plural or formal suffix.
When do people say it?
A common response to either form is İyiyim, meaning "I am fine". To be more polite, you can add teşekkür ederim (thank you) after stating that you are fine, resulting in İyiyim, teşekkür ederim.
Did you know?
- In many social settings, instead of a literal 'how are you', people often use Ne var ne yok? which translates to 'what is there and what is not there?'
- In some traditional contexts, answering nasılsın? with iyiyim (I am fine) can be seen as too direct. Some people prefer to say şükür or hamdolsun, which means 'thanks to God', regardless of their actual mood.
- When asking nasılsınız?, it is common to accompany the phrase with a slight nod of the head or a hand placed over the heart to show sincerity and respect.
Examples in context
- Sen ve Tom nasılsınız?How are you and Tom?This example shows how to use the formal nasılsınız? when asking about multiple people.Tatoeba #12070226 by deyta, translation #12069709 by CK
- İyiyim, peki sen nasılsın?I'm fine. And how are you?This example demonstrates a common exchange using the informal nasılsın?Tatoeba #3368426 by deyta, translation #3249270 by nava
- Uzun zaman oldu. Nasılsın?It's been a while. How are you?This example shows how to use the informal nasılsın? after a greeting.Tatoeba #4803384 by deyta, translation #1736442 by Sibelius
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Elif meet at a local cafe.
- EmreSelam Elif, nasılsın?Hi Elif, how are you?
- Elifİyiyim Emre, sen nasılsın?I'm fine Emre, how are you?
- EmreBen de iyiyim, teşekkürler.I'm fine too, thanks.
- ElifHarika, hadi kahve içelim.Great, let's drink coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
