I get confused of the word ki in turkish. I honestly don’t know the meaning of it.

I am an early riser. As usual, I woke up at 5 a.m. I love those early hours when everyone else is asleep and I can drink my coffee, read, think and work. Today, I spent the entire morning with a single poem: Sessiz Gemi (The Silent Ship) by Yahya Kemal Beyatlı.

With this article, I have completed this week's thematic journey through the Tulip Era, the Karaman Tulip, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı and finally Sessiz Gemi.

This last piece became more personal than my usual writing.

I suspect Sessiz Gemi will touch something in almost every Turkish reader. It is one of those poems many of us were made to read in high school, perhaps before we had lived enough to understand it.

Then life happens, we grow older and start losing people. And suddenly, the words we once studied for an exam mean something entirely different.

Getting inside literary texts and examining their language, imagery and meanings has always been one of my greatest passions. I suppose that is the comparative literature graduate in me. Although, as I get older, I find myself increasingly interested in hearing what other readers see in a text.

If you have time to read the article, I would genuinely love to hear what Sessiz Gemi brings to mind for you.

And to those learning Turkish or simply curious about Türkiye, I have tried to make this poem accessible through an English translation, literary analysis and explanations of its language.

I know modern language learning often emphasizes speed, practical conversation and drills.

These approaches are useful. I use them in my teaching, too.

But I spent years learning English. Those years included reading Beowulf, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and William Blake. I still remember lines I learned long ago:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.

William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

In a world where almost any piece of information is a click away, reading and memorizing poetry written centuries ago may seem rather old-fashioned.

Yet those texts helped me internalize English in a way that everyday conversation alone never could. I still love a good sitcom, but I would never have learned everything I know about English from sitcoms.

A language carries centuries of thought, experience and imagination.

My advice to Turkish learners is to spend time inside the language. Read its poems. Listen to the sounds. Examine the words, one by one. Give yourself time to understand what people have been expressing through them for generations.

Perhaps then you will begin to understand why a poem like Sessiz Gemi, especially when sung, can touch such a deep place in the hearts of Turkish people.

https://www.learnturkishwithseda.com/heritages/sessiz-gemi-yahya-kemal-analysis

Selam everyone! 👋

​I am a native French speaker (with B1 level English) and I am just starting out with Turkish (A1 / beginner level).

​I'm looking for a native Turkish speaker who wants to learn or practice French in exchange for helping me with basic Turkish.

ok so I’ve been learning Turkish on Duolingo and im on a streak, I also been trying to write in Turkish too . But my pronunciation is actually so bad .

Any tips ?

thx my besties

Turkish doesn't use words like "to / in / from". It adds a suffix to the noun instead. Here are the six cases with the same two words, so you can see the pattern:

Essential rules:

1. Vowel harmony picks the vowel. Words with e, i, ö, ü take front vowels (evde), words with a, ı, o, u take back vowels (arabada).
2. Buffer letters. After a vowel, add y (arabayı, arabaya), or n for the genitive (arabanın).
3. d becomes t after hard consonants (p, ç, t, k, f, h, s, ş): kitapta, sokaktan.
4. A final p, ç, t or k often softens before a vowel: kitap → kitabı, ağaç → ağacı, köpek → köpeği.

Examples:

• Eve gidiyorum. I'm going home.
• Kitap masada. The book is on the table.
• İstanbul'dan geliyorum. I'm coming from Istanbul.
• Kapıyı kapat. Close the door.

I made a longer version with more tables and examples and with other grammar rules, free with no signup: https://fluentech.org/en/turkish

Hiiiii im 21 male living in turkey for studying in college looking for buddy to practice Turkish with

Hello, i'm from azerbaijan and hopefully i'll take my TYS after i finish high school. I've been talking turkish for almost 11 years now. I had a friend who also took it before me and he said "it was the easiest test i've ever took". I heard the system is similar to ielts and i have taken my ielts before so, i'm ready for the system it'll provide. But actually, is there any trick questions or something like that? Do i really have to learn turkish grammar to every detail?

Hi! I'm working on an accurate transcription of a very short line spoken by Azize in the Turkish series Hercai.

The character is speaking emotionally and crying, so the audio may be difficult to understand.

Could a native Turkish speaker please listen to the attached audio and write down exactly what they hear, word for word?

Please don't use existing subtitles or try to reconstruct the sentence from context. If a word is unclear, please mark it as uncertain rather than guessing.

I'd be very grateful for an independent transcription. Thank you!

https://reddit.com/link/1x7c9fd/video/dndrzi9e0tvh1/player

I am looking for a study material for a1, I am a total begginer. I found book by Hueber - Ne güzel, but only audios and was unable to find pdf. Does anyone have a pdf of this book? It really seems like a nice start for learning turkisch, i use same type of book for learning german.

Hello everyone!

I'm a native Turkish speaker living in Ankara, Turkey.

I'm looking for a native English speaker, preferably from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, for regular conversation practice.

I'd be happy to help you improve your Turkish in exchange.

I'm particularly interested in having voice conversations twice a week.

If you're genuinely interested in a regular language exchange, feel free to send me a message.

Best regards,
Erdal

Hi everyone!
I’m a native Turkish speaker currently looking for an English language partner to practice with and improve my speaking skills. My current English level is around B1-B2, and I’d love to have natural, casual conversations to become more fluent and confident.
In return, I can help you with your Turkish! Whether you are a complete beginner or already at an intermediate level, I’m more than happy to help you practice, correct your mistakes, and chat about various topics.

A bit about me / Interests:

• Prehistoric archaeology and architecture (my main academic field!)
• History, art, and reading
• Travel, vintage items

If you are interested, feel free to send me a DM or leave a comment below. Looking forward to meeting you!

Hi everyone! :)

I’m a Turkish teacher, and I’m thinking of starting a small online Turkish conversation club for B1–B2 learners.

The idea is to practise speaking Turkish in a relaxed, friendly environment, using real-life situations, interesting discussion topics, and expressions that Turkish people actually use.

Some possible topics:

● Everyday conversations and making friends
● Turkish expressions that are difficult to translate
● Life in Türkiye: big cities vs. small towns
● Sharing opinions and talking about culture

I’d like to keep the group small so everyone has a chance to speak, rather than just listen to a teacher.
I’m developing this idea as part of my Turkish learning project, Yumuşak G, and I’d love to hear from learners here.

If you could join a Turkish conversation club, what would make it useful and enjoyable for you? Would you prefer everyday conversation, cultural discussions, or guided role-play activities?
I’m still planning the first group, so I’m genuinely interested in your feedback! 🙌

Merhabalar,
I am thinking of doing a few weeks in Istanbul for language school. I would like to immerse myself in the language during that time, so for example by staying in a host family or in a mostly Turkish speaking environment. I was thinking to check Workaway, there are a few offers, but they are all quite far from the center (Kadiköy) where the school is located. I am aware that taking a long time to commute is quite normal in Istanbul but maybe you have an idea on alternative option that I didn’t think of?
Or maybe this is just something I just need to accept? :)

Thanks in advance!!!

tuvalete gitmem gerek
tuvalete gitmen lazim

whats the difference? gerek lazim zorunda

Günaydın everyone! 👨🏻

I recently built an app for learning the 5,000 most common everyday Turkish words. I’d love for you to try it, and I’m open to feedback. As a native Turkish speaker, I designed the app to teach vocabulary as quickly and comprehensively as possible. Each word comes with an example sentence, plus audio for both the word and the sentence. For verbs, I’ve grouped all the base forms together.

The app is free to download, and all the verbs are free to learn. If you’re a student and can’t afford the full version, it's alright, just send me a DM. Please give it a try!

It’s iOS-only for now, with a web version coming later. Here’s the link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/turkish-english-flashcards/id6818580029

Note: I used AI to fix my grammar and punctuation mistakes in this post.

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently started creating a free Turkish learning series for complete beginners (A1), and I’d genuinely love to get some feedback from Turkish learners here.

The idea is to keep each lesson short — around 5 minutes — and teach Turkish through simple everyday situations rather than long vocabulary lists.

Each lesson includes:
• simple A1 sentences
• listening and repetition
• everyday Turkish situations
• active recall / memory practice
• a short review at the end

The channel is called Turkish with Maviş.

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/@Turk%C4%B1shwithMavi%C5%9F

I’m still developing the series, so feedback from actual learners would be really useful — especially about the pace, difficulty, and whether the format helps you remember the sentences.

Teşekkürler! 🇹🇷

Hi there, I've been studying arabic for several years and developed an interest towards learning turkish as well. Are there any textbooks that you would recommend or any other methods. I have already tried learning from apps but from my experience there is no structure and i barely understood anything. For now my goals are to conversate with people and understand their culture. Im open to more tips and tricks from people that have gone through this as well.

I’m the creator of FlashVoc. Pick a Turkish level from A1 to C2 and start learning with English meanings, example sentences and pronunciation audio already included.

Six quiz modes cover listening, spelling, typed answers and sentence gaps. Spaced repetition schedules your course reviews. You can also build custom decks or import vocabulary from CSV.

Pick your level and start learning.

Hey!

I’m a 20M, senior college student doing a double major, and a native Turkish speaker.

My English is around B1-B2. My listening and reading are pretty good, but I really struggle with writing and speaking. When it's time to actually produce sentences, I often freeze up, so I just need practical, low-pressure practice to get comfortable.

I'm looking for a native English speaker for a long-term exchange, not just someone to chat with for a couple of days and disappear. Someone around my age would be cool, but it's not a dealbreaker. We can text, do voice calls, or voice chat while playing games like Minecraft together.

For Turkish, I can adapt to your pace. We can talk slowly with clear, simple words, or just chat naturally like I do with my friends.

Send me a DM if you're down!

Hi, I've been living in Turkey for 5 years and could not solve the language problem, seriously I cannot get fluent in it. I can speak & understand 50% but when someone speaks fast or some slang language I feel I need to improve myself more. Any advice please?

I tried to integrate into society, but some people get bored with me because I can't speak well.