What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bana (to me), mesaj (message) and at (throw/cast).
Which one should you use?
In more informal settings, you might hear Bana yaz (write me) or the colloquial Bana bi' mesaj çek (Send me a message). In the Black Sea region, the expression Bana bir mesaj yazıver is prevalent, which translates to "Just write me a message".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Bana mesaj at is used informally when addressing friends. For formal situations, you can use bana mesaj gönder (send me a message) or the more polite/respectful Bana mesaj atabilir misiniz? (Could you send me a message?). For extreme courtesy, you can use Bana mesaj atma zahmetinde bulunabilir misiniz? (Would you mind sending me a message?) or the formal Lütfen bana mesaj gönderin (Please send me a message).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Black Sea region, you may hear Bana bir mesaj yazıver to mean "Just write me a message".
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative at can be changed to atın in the form bana mesaj atın to address more than one person or to be polite. To turn the command into a polite question, you can use bana mesaj atar mısın? (will you text me?).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bana mesaʒ at/. The /b/ sound is like the [b] in about, /n/ is like the [n] in not, /m/ is like the [m] in much and /s/ is like the [s] in send.
Did you know?
- The word at in Turkish is a homonym that also means 'horse'. While the verb in this phrase means 'throw', the noun form refers to the animal.
- Turkish speakers use two opposite physical actions to describe texting: at meaning 'throw' and çek meaning 'pull'.
- In the extremely formal request Bana mesaj atma zahmetinde bulunabilir misiniz?, the speaker refers to texting as a 'zahmet', or a hardship.
Examples in context
- Sami bana mesaj atmayacak.Sami won't text me.This sentence shows the negation of the phrase using bana mesaj at.Tatoeba #6808677 by deyta, translation #6807047 by OsoHombre
- Eve vardığında bana mesaj at.Text me when you get home.This sentence uses bana mesaj at to give a command upon arriving home.Tatoeba #8269808 by tulin, translation #6284917 by Hybrid
- Neden dün gece bana mesaj atmadın?Why didn't you text me last night?This sentence uses the negative question form of bana mesaj at to ask about the previous night.Tatoeba #4115729 by duran, translation #4109428 by CK
- Lütfen sen bana mesaj gönderPlease send me a message.
- Bana yaz, bi' haberleşelim.Text me, let's catch up.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Elif are saying goodbye at a cafe.
- EmreBenim gitmem gerekiyor.I have to go.
- ElifTamam, eve gidince bana mesaj at.Okay, text me when you get home.
- EmreTamam, mutlaka atarım.Okay, I definitely will.
- ElifGörüşürüz!See you!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries at, mesaj, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
