LESSON TRANSCRIPT

Absolute Beginner S1 #2
Introducing Yourself in Turkish

CONTENTS
2 INTRODUCTION
2 POST CONVERSATION BANTER
3 KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
4 GRAMMAR POINT
6 MARKETING PIECE

# 2
COPYRIGHT 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
INTRODUCTION

Gabriella: Hello and welcome back to TurkishClass101.com. This is Absolute

Beginner, season 1, lesson 2, Introducing Yourself in Turkish. Im Gabriella.
Feyza: Merhaba And Im Feyza!
Gabriella: In this lesson youll learn how to introduce yourself in Turkish.
Feyza: Thats right! One of the most important and basic things when youre learning
new languages and meeting new people, is to know how to introduce yourself.
Gabriella: So lets get started!
Feyza: The conversation takes place at a party, where two people are meeting and
introducing themselves to each other.
Gabriella: The conversation is between Merve and Hakan. They dont know each other
yet, but they want to get to know each other, and become friends.
Feyza: So they use informal language, but the overall formality level is applicable to
both formal and informal situations.

POST CONVERSATION BANTER

Gabriella: So Feyza, what are some important things listeners should know when
theyre introducing themselves in Turkey?
Feyza: Well, in very formal situations such as business meetings, Turkish people
usually introduce themselves with both their given name and then their surname, in
that order. For example: Ben Ece yken means Im Ece yken.
Gabriella: And in business environments, people will usually address each other with
their family names, right?
Feyza: Thats right. But in informal situations, like close friend circles or parties for
example, you should use the given name and the second person singular verb form,
because thats how it goes with informal cases.
Gabriella: Ive heard that Turkish people love parties!
Feyza: Well, who doesn't! But I think Turkish people are known for being very pleasant
and approachable.
Gabriella: So listeners, if you visit Turkey, dont hesitate to make the first move to get
to know someone.
Feyza: Well yes, but keep in mind that Turkey is home to a diverse society, so Id
recommend hanging out with friends that lead a similar lifestyle to you.
Gabriella: Hmm, what are these safe

T URKI S HCLAS S 101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF I N T URKI S H 2
zones?
Feyza: Close friends parties, after-work events with colleagues, and a friendship circle
of an already close friend for example. Turkish people like to hang out in large groups,
and usually the bonds and connections are very close and personal. But dont be
overwhelmed and discouraged by this, because people are still quite flexible when it
comes to friendships and getting to know non-Turkish people.
Gabriella: Of course, just like everywhere in the world, mannerisms and body language
are quite important.
Feyza: Thats true, for example - Turkish women are not very shy, but since coyness
is a valued trait, they may seem impossible to approach.
Gabriella: What if youre approaching them with confidence, intelligence, a fashionable
outfit and a big, warm smile?
Feyza: (laughs) Then youll be a winner!

KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES

Gabriella: Lets take a closer look at some of the words and phrases from this lesson.
Feyza: This time, we have a few phrases and basic words that are used a lot, so listen
carefully and try to remember how they are used!
Gabriella: The first one is
Feyza: ben
Gabriella: Listen carefully listeners, ben is a first person singular pronoun that
corresponds to I or me in English.
Feyza: In Turkish, we usually skip personal pronouns in daily language, because their
meanings are already embedded in the sentence via the suffixes at the end of the
verbs.
Gabriella: Interesting... could you give us an example?
Feyza: Certainly. For example: Ben renciyim meaning I am a student can be
shortened to renciyim
Gabriella: And it wont lose meaning, will it?
Feyza: Exactly, and it will still be grammatically correct. One thing to remember is that
the root of the verb is renci meaning student - this is of course a noun. But if you
add the letter 'y', the buffer letter, followed by -im which indicates the first person
singular, the word then functions as a verb. The direct translation of renciyim would
be : Student I am.
Gabriella: Got it! So whats our next

T URKI S HCLAS S 101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF I N T URKI S H 3
word?
Feyza: ad meaning name.
Gabriella: But I thought it was also called isim...
Feyza: Ah yes, Turkish has many synonyms, homonyms and antonyms.
Gabriella: How about loanwords?
Feyza: Those too! Turkey has been the cradle of civilization for thousands of years.
The Ottoman Empire which reigned until the early 20th century had lands from the
Balkans to North Africa, so the language has been influenced by many different
cultures, and some of these influences still remain.
Gabriella: Can you give us an example?
Feyza: Well actually, the previous example illustrates this well. isim is of Arabic origin
and ad is Turkish.
Gabriella: So which one of them is more common?
Feyza: Thats hard to say... but for example, in the official documents, ad is more
commonly used.
Gabriella: Good to know. Listeners, keep that in mind that when youre filling in
applications, registration forms, or when youre attending doctors appointments,
receiving postal deliveries, or doing any governmental procedures. For more
information on loan-words, including useful links, please check out the lesson notes.
Ok, what is our last one Feyza?
Feyza: memnun olmak
Gabriella: So this one is a phrase?
Feyza: Actually it is a verbal expression that means to be pleased to do something.
Gabriella: memnun sounds Arabic as well.
Feyza: Well spotted, Gabriella. Indeed, memnun is of Arabic origin and it means
glad, content, pleased. And Olmak is a very common verb meaning to become, to
be.
Gabriella: The verb olmak is usually combined with other words and has many
different meanings. Feyza, could you give us an example and then the listeners can
check the lesson notes for further examples.
Feyza: Sure. For example: Evimden memnunum meaning...
Gabriella: I am happy with my home OK, thats a lot of information to take in! Lets
move onto the grammar.

GRAMMAR POINT

T URKI S HCLAS S 101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF I N T URKI S H 4
Gabriella: In this lesson, youll learn how to introduce yourself by saying your name
when you meet for the first time, and how to express your appreciation and happiness
when getting to know someone new in Turkey.
Feyza: Yes, that is definitely your first mission when youre in a foreign country!
Gabriella: So, My name is.... in Turkish is
Feyza: Benim adm + (your name).
Gabriella: Can you tell us more about how to construct this phrase?
Feyza: Certainly. Although its not compulsory, you can form this phrase by using the
pronoun I, then the Turkish noun meaning name. Then of course comes your name.
Gabriella: And altogether?
Feyza: Benim adm Feyza.
Gabriella: And you can skip the pronoun here, right?
Feyza: Yes, and thats because the complementary noun adm has a possessive
suffix that indicates that the whole sentence is in the first person singular.
Gabriella: So, how does it sound when you shorten it?
Feyza: Adm Feyza. or you can also simply say Feyza or Ben Feyza, especially if
you are in a group of friends who introduce themselves one by one.
Gabriella: You do it when you want to bring attention to yourself, right?
Feyza: Yes. Now, the next one is an expression that shows youre happy to be getting
to know the other person. Its Tantmza memnun oldum.
Gabriella: Notice that this formal expression lacks the pronoun.
Feyza: In a sentence where the personal pronouns are missing, the suffix thats added
to the end of the indirect object shows the subject of the sentence. Dismissing the
personal pronoun is the natural way of speaking Turkish in most cases.
Gabriella: Whats the function of the suffix thats attached to the indirect object?
Feyza: The suffixes are -imiz and -mz, and they vary according to the vowel harmony
rules in Turkish. They indicate we/us in the second person plural.
Gabriella: Listeners, you can find more information on personal pronoun suffixes, and
examples of how to use them in the lesson notes.
Feyza: So listeners... are you ready for a challenge?
Gabriella: Feyza: will start the dialogue we analyzed this lesson, and you should repeat
after her, making sure you say your name instead.
Feyza: Dont be shy. Be forward and friendly like a Turk!
Gabriella: Here goes!
Feyza: Merhaba benim adm Feyza: [pause]
Feyza: Tantma ok memnun oldum.

T URKI S HCLAS S 101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF I N T URKI S H 5
[pause]
Gabriella: How did you go, listeners? Okay, well leave it there for this lesson.

MARKETING PIECE

Feyza: Listeners, can you understand Turkish TV shows, movies or songs?

Gabriella: How about friends and loved ones conversations in Turkish?
Feyza: If you want to know whats going on, we have a tool to help.
Gabriella: Line-by-line audio.
Feyza: Listen to the lesson conversations Line-By-Line, and learn to understand
natural Turkish fast!
Gabriella: Its simple really.
Feyza: With a click of a button, listen to each line of the conversation.
Gabriella: Listen again and again, and tune your ear to natural Turkish.
Feyza: Rapidly understand natural Turkish with this powerful tool.
Gabriella: Find this feature on the lesson page in the Lesson Materials section at
www.TurkishClass101.com
Feyza: Dont forget to check the lesson notes, and practice these expressions.
Gabriella: Until next time, thanks everyone!
Feyza: Hoakaln!!

T URKI S HCLAS S 101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF I N T URKI S H 6