A weekly neighbourhood market (semt pazarı) is one of the best places to experience everyday Türkiye: piles of seasonal tomatoes, bunches of parsley and dill, crates of olives, wheels of cheese, and vendors calling out their prices (“Gel abla gel, tarladan yeni geldi!” — “Come on, sister, fresh from the field!”). It is also one of the best places to practice Turkish, because the conversations are short, friendly and full of numbers.
Many newcomers aren’t sure about the rules. Can you pick your own fruit? Can you taste? Should you bargain? This guide answers those questions and gives you the phrases, two dialogues and the blessings you’ll hear at every stall.
1. Where bargaining is (and isn’t) normal
| Where | Bargaining? | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly food market (semt pazarı) | Generally no | Produce, cheese, eggs and olives have prices marked per kilo. Haggling over small amounts is unusual, but vendors often round the total down as a courtesy. |
| Supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants | No | Fixed prices. |
| Bazaars and souvenir shops (e.g. the Grand Bazaar, Kapalıçarşı) | Yes | Carpets, leather, ceramics, copper and jewellery usually have room for negotiation. Polite, friendly bargaining is part of the experience. |
| Antique shops and flea markets (bit pazarı) | Yes | Second-hand and vintage items are normally negotiated. |
The golden rule of bargaining (pazarlık): stay friendly and patient. If you can’t agree, smile, say Teşekkürler, hayırlı işler (Thanks, all the best with your business), and move on.
2. Market etiquette: picking, tasting and quality
- Ask before you pick. Kendim seçebilir miyim? (Can I choose them myself?) Some vendors are happy for you to fill your own bag (poşet); others prefer to do it to avoid bruised fruit.
- Seçme vs. dökme. Signs may say seçme (hand-picked: sorted, best quality, usually dearer) or dökme (loose, unsorted: mixed quality and usually cheaper). Some stalls invite you to choose with a sign saying seç al (“pick and take”).
- Tasting. At cheese, olive and dried-fruit stalls, it’s normal to ask Tadına bakabilir miyim? (Can I taste it?). Vendors will often hand you a slice of kaşar or a few olives.
- Go late for bargains. Towards closing time, vendors often lower prices to clear their stock.
3. Dialogue: at the fruit and vegetable stall
A shopper (David) and a vendor (Pazarcı). The prices here are made-up examples for practicing numbers; real prices change often.
David: Kolay gelsin!
(Hello! — lit. may it come easy)
Pazarcı: Sağ ol abi, hoş geldin! Domatesler bugün çok taze, bal gibi!
(Thanks, welcome! The tomatoes are really fresh today, sweet as honey!)
David: Domatesin kilosu ne kadar?
(How much is a kilo of tomatoes?)
Pazarcı: Kilosu kırk lira. Salatalık mı olsun, yemeklik mi?
(Forty lira a kilo. For salad or for cooking?)
David: Salata için, sert olsun lütfen. Kendim seçebilir miyim?
(For salad, firm ones please. Can I pick them myself?)
Pazarcı: Tabii, buyur poşet. En güzellerini seç!
(Of course, here's a bag. Pick the best ones!)
David: Bir kilo domates, bir buçuk kilo da salatalık alayım.
(I'll take a kilo of tomatoes and a kilo and a half of cucumbers.)
Pazarcı: Hemen tartıyorum... Başka bir şey? Maydanoz, dereotu?
(Weighing them now... Anything else? Parsley, dill?)
David: Bir demet maydanoz da ver. Ne kadar tuttu?
(A bunch of parsley too. How much does it come to?)
Pazarcı: Doksan beş lira. Sen doksan ver, yeter.
(Ninety-five. Give me ninety, that's fine.)
David: Buyur, yüz lira.
(Here you are, a hundred.)
Pazarcı: On lira da para üstün. Bereket versin abi, yine bekleriz!
(And ten lira change. Thank you, come again!)
David: Sağ ol, hayırlı işler!
(Thanks, all the best!)Salatalık means “cucumber”, but it can also mean “for salad”, which is why the vendor’s question is a little play on words. And notice who says what at the end: the vendor, who receives the money, says bereket versin; the customer says hayırlı işler.
4. Weights and quantities
| Turkish | Pronunciation hint | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| bir kilo | beer kee-LO | one kilo | Bir kilo elma, lütfen. (A kilo of apples, please.) |
| yarım kilo | yah-RUHM kee-LO | half a kilo | Yarım kilo çilek alayım. (I’ll take half a kilo of strawberries.) |
| bir buçuk kilo | beer boo-CHOOK kee-LO | one and a half kilos | Bir buçuk kilo patates verir misiniz? (Could I have one and a half kilos of potatoes?) |
| çeyrek kilo / 250 gram | chey-REK kee-LO | quarter of a kilo / 250 g | 250 gram beyaz peynir, lütfen. (250 grams of white cheese, please.) |
| bir demet | beer deh-MET | a bunch | Bir demet nane. (A bunch of mint.) |
| bir tane | beer tah-NEH | one (piece) | Bir tane karpuz seçer misiniz? (Could you choose a watermelon for me?) |
| bir poşet | beer po-SHET | one bag | Bir poşet daha alabilir miyim? (Could I have another bag?) |
| kilosu | kee-lo-SOO | per kilo | Kilosu kaç lira? (How much per kilo?) |
| tanesi | tah-neh-SEE | each | Tanesi kaç lira? (How much each?) |
Market prices are a great way to practice Turkish numbers. If you struggle to follow fast prices, practice with the number converter until doksan beş and yüz kırk come automatically.
5. Dialogue: bargaining for a rug
A traveller (Elena) in a carpet shop with the shopkeeper (Esnaf). Again, the prices are only examples.
Elena: Merhaba, iyi günler! Bu kilim ne kadar?
(Hello! How much is this kilim?)
Esnaf: Hoş geldiniz! Bu el dokuması, kök boya, saf yün. Fiyatı 4.500 lira.
(Welcome! It's handwoven, natural dyes, pure wool. It's 4,500 lira.)
Elena: Çok güzel, ama bütçemi biraz aşıyor. Biraz indirim yapabilir misiniz?
(It's lovely, but it's a bit over my budget. Could you give me a discount?)
Esnaf: Sizi kırmayalım. Nakit öderseniz 4.000 olur.
(We won't say no. If you pay cash, it's 4,000.)
Elena: 3.500 verebilirim. Olur mu?
(I can give 3,500. Is that OK?)
Esnaf: O çok az, hanımefendi. Ortasını bulalım: 3.750.
(That's too little, madam. Let's meet in the middle: 3,750.)
Elena: Tamam, anlaştık!
(OK, it's a deal!)
Esnaf: Güle güle kullanın! Bir çay içer misiniz?
(Enjoy it! Would you like a tea?)Useful bargaining phrases: Daha ucuz olur mu? (Can it be cheaper?), Son fiyatınız ne? (What’s your best price?) and Biraz düşünüp geleyim (Let me think about it and come back). Daha ucuz uses daha (“more”) to form a comparative.
6. Blessings you’ll hear at the market
- Kolay gelsin! (May it come easy!) — say it to any vendor as you arrive. See what “kolay gelsin” means.
- Hayırlı işler! (May your business go well!) — a friendly greeting or goodbye for any shopkeeper.
- Bereket versin! (May it bring abundance!) — said by the seller when receiving your money, as a thank-you.
- Kesene bereket! (Abundance to your purse!) — also said by the seller to a customer who has paid.
- Güle güle kullanın! (Enjoy using it!) — said when you buy clothes, a rug or anything for the home.
Practice this
Next time you go to the market, aim to say three things in Turkish: a greeting, a price question (Kilosu ne kadar?) and a thank-you. For the names of the fruit, vegetables and cheeses you’ll see, continue with our guide to Turkish food and breakfast vocabulary.
