Food & Drinks

1. Naharhana nirede?

   Na-har-ha-na ni-re-de?

   Where is the restaurant?

   Usage

   Basic phrase for finding a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Nirede" = "nire" (where) + locative suffix "-de". Turkmen uses case suffixes common across Turkic languages.

2. Menýu berseňiz?

   Men-ýu ber-se-ňiz?

   Could you give me the menu?

   Usage

   Before ordering at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Ber-" (give) + conditional "-se" + polite "-ňiz". Using the conditional form as a polite request is a Turkic feature.

3. Palaw beriň

   Pa-law be-riň

   Please give me palaw (pilaf)

   Usage

   Ordering palaw, the national dish of Turkmenistan (rice pilaf with meat and carrots). The spelling is palaw, not palow

   Grammar Note

   Palaw is a rice pilaf eaten across Central Asia; it is defined as meat fried in oil, topped with chopped onion and carrot, covered with water and cooked with rice. "Beriň" = "ber-" (give) + polite imperative suffix "-iň". Note the spelling is palaw, not palow.

4. Çorba getiriň

   Çor-ba ge-ti-riň

   Please bring soup

   Usage

   When ordering food at a restaurant. Note the spelling is çorba, not şorba, şorpa or şurpa

   Grammar Note

   "Getiriň" = "getir-" (bring) + polite imperative "-iň". Getirmek means to bring something from one place to another; there is no separate stem "get-". Çorba is defined as a liquid dish cooked with meat, vegetables and the like put into it.

5. Çaý içmek isleýärin

   Çaý iç-mek is-le-ýä-rin

   I want to drink tea

   Usage

   Tea (çaý) is an essential drink in Turkmenistan — a staple of hospitality

   Grammar Note

   "Isleýärin" = "isle-" (want) + present "-ýär" + first-person "-in". The infinitive "içmek" serves as the object.

6. Bu näçe?

   Bu nä-çe?

   How much is this?

   Usage

   Asking the price at a market or canteen

   Grammar Note

   Turkmen often omits the copula. "Bu näçe?" is short for "Bu näçe manat?" (How many manat is this?).

7. Gaty tagamly

   Ga-ty ta-gam-ly

   Very delicious

   Usage

   Complimenting the food — the greatest compliment to a cook or host

   Grammar Note

   "Tagamly" = noun "tagam" (taste/flavor) + adjective-forming suffix "-ly". A widely used pattern in Turkic languages.

8. Etli çörek barmy?

   Et-li çö-rek bar-my?

   Do you have meat-filled bread?

   Usage

   Asking for çörek — traditional Turkmen bread often filled with meat

   Grammar Note

   "Bar" (there is) + question suffix "-my" forms an existence question. "Etli" = "et" (meat) + suffix "-li" (having).

9. Suw getiriň

   Suw ge-ti-riň

   Please bring water

   Usage

   When asking for water during a meal

   Grammar Note

   "Suw" (water) is common across Turkic languages. Water is especially precious in Turkmenistan, surrounded by the Karakum Desert.

10. Hasaby getiriň

    Ha-sa-by ge-ti-riň

    Please bring the bill

    Usage

    Asking for the check after a meal

    Grammar Note

    "Hasap" (bill) takes accusative form "hasaby." The definite accusative suffix "-y/-i/-u/-ü" marks a specific direct object.

11. Ýagsyz bişiriň

    Ýag-syz bi-şi-riň

    Please cook without oil

    Usage

    When requesting healthy or diet-restricted cooking

    Grammar Note

    "Ýagsyz" = "ýag" (oil/fat) + privative suffix "-syz/-siz" (without). This suffix is highly productive across all Turkic languages.

12. Gawun we garpyz barmy?

    Ga-wun we gar-pyz bar-my?

    Do you have melon and watermelon?

    Usage

    Turkmenistan is famous for melons — Turkmen melons are prized as the best in Central Asia

    Grammar Note

    In Turkmenistan, the second Sunday of August is "Melon Day" (Gawun baýramy) — a national holiday celebrating the country's famous melons.

13. Tüwi

    Rice

    Usage

    A staple to point at when ordering

14. Çörek

    Bread

    Usage

    A staple to point at when ordering

15. Makaron

    Noodles

    Usage

    A staple to point at when ordering

16. Çig

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    For checking whether a dish is uncooked

17. Ajy

    Spicy hot

    Usage

    Point at it to ask whether a dish is hot; the same word also means bitter

18. Çorba

    Soup

    Usage

    Point at it when ordering

19. Peýnir

    Cheese

    Usage

    Point at it to order or to check ingredients

20. Mesge

    Butter

    Usage

    Also useful when avoiding dairy

21. Gatyk

    Yogurt

    Usage

    Point at it at breakfast or in a shop

22. Miwe

    Fruit

    Usage

    Point at it in a market or an eatery

23. Süýt

    Milk

    Usage

    Point at it to order or to check ingredients

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