su lütfen
/su lytfen/from spelling rules
The English phrase "water, please" is translated into Turkish as su lütfen.
su lütfen is a polite and direct way to request water. In a restaurant or cafe setting, adding the word bir before su (to say "A water, please") makes the request sound more natural. You can also say Biraz su, lütfen. to mean "Some water, please."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of su (water) and lütfen (please).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
su lütfen is a polite, direct way to request water that is suitable for most casual and semi-formal service situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
While su lütfen is a direct way to ask, a more grammatically complete and common way to request water is Su alabilir miyim?, which means "Can I have some water?"
How do you pronounce it?
The /s/ sounds like the [s] in "send", the /u/ sounds like the [oo] in "cool", the /f/ sounds like the [f] in "food" and the /n/ sounds like the [n] in "not".
Did you know?
- The phrase suya düşmek, which literally means 'to fall into water', is an idiom used to describe a plan or a dream that has failed or collapsed.
- The word lütfen originates from the Arabic word luṭf, which means 'kindness' or 'gentleness'. When you say su lütfen, you are literally requesting 'water, as a kindness'.
- Turkish grammar uses a system called vowel harmony, which means the vowels in the words following su often shift to match its rounded 'u' sound.
Examples in context
- Bir bardak su lütfen.A glass of water, please.
- Su lütfen, çok susadım.Water, please, I am very thirsty.
Example conversation
Selin and Can are at a restaurant.
- SelinGarson, bir su lütfen.Waiter, one water, please.
- CanTabii, hemen getiriyorum.Of course, I'll bring it right away.
- SelinTeşekkür ederim, Can.Thank you, Can.
- CanRica ederim, Selin.You're welcome, Selin.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lütfen, su, CC BY-SA 4.0.
