Afiyet Olsun Meaning: What It Means in Turkish and How to Answer
What afiyet olsun means word by word, how to say it out loud, the moments when Turkish speakers use it, and the right reply for the cook and for everyone else.
Afiyet olsun is what Turkish speakers say to someone who is eating. The closest English is "enjoy your meal", but the Turkish phrase does more work: people say it before the first bite, in the middle of the meal and after the last one. Here is what it means, how to say it out loud, when to use it and how to answer it.
What does afiyet olsun mean?
- Afiyet means health and well-being.
- Olsun means "may it be" or "let it be".
Together, afiyet olsun is a wish: "may it be good for you". In English you can translate it as "enjoy your meal" or "bon appétit". It is written as two words, and it has no special Turkish letters, so it is easy to type on any keyboard.
How to say it out loud
Say ah-fee-YET ol-SOON. The stress falls on the last part of each word. The hint is close, not exact. Turkish is written the way it sounds, so say every syllable clearly. For all 29 letters with a sound hint each, see our Turkish alphabet guide.
When do people say it?
Much more often than English speakers say "enjoy your meal":
- Before the meal. The person who cooked puts the plates on the table and says afiyet olsun.
- During the meal. A colleague walks past your desk at lunch. A waiter brings more bread. A neighbor sees your family at a picnic table. Each of them says afiyet olsun and moves on.
- After the meal. You finish your plate and thank the cook. The cook answers afiyet olsun.
- When food is only mentioned. "I had lentil soup for lunch." "Afiyet olsun!"
- With drinks too. A glass of tea, a cup of coffee or a glass of water can all get an afiyet olsun.
Anyone can say it. You do not have to be the cook or the host.
How to reply to afiyet olsun
The reply depends on who said it.
- To the cook: Ellerine sağlık. It means "health to your hands", and it is the Turkish thank-you for a meal someone made. The polite form is Elinize sağlık.
- To anyone else: Teşekkür ederim ("thank you"), Teşekkürler ("thanks") or the friendly Sağ ol.
- To someone who is eating too: Sana da ("to you too") or the polite Size de. There is more about this small reply in Sana Da Meaning.
Very often the phrase is itself the reply. A guest says Ellerine sağlık, and the cook answers Afiyet olsun. Some cooks make it sweeter and say Afiyet şeker olsun, which adds the word for sugar to the wish.
A short conversation at the table
- Cook: Afiyet olsun! Enjoy your meal!
- Guest: Ellerine sağlık, çok güzel olmuş. Health to your hands, it is delicious.
- Cook: Afiyet olsun. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
The same two words open the meal and close it.
Afiyet olsun and bon appétit
English borrowed "bon appétit" from French, and people use it just before a meal. Afiyet olsun has no such limit. It works before, during and after eating, and it works for a snack as well as a dinner. That is why "enjoy your meal" is a good translation at the start of a meal and a strange one at the end. After the meal, "I'm glad you enjoyed it" is closer.
One more phrase for guests
When you get up from someone else's table, you can add Ziyade olsun. It means "may you have plenty", and it thanks the host for the food. With Ellerine sağlık for the cook and Afiyet olsun for everyone who is eating, you have the three phrases you will hear most at a Turkish table.
What it is not
- It is not a thank-you. To thank the cook, say Ellerine sağlık.
- It is not only for the cook to say. Anyone who sees you eating can say it.
- It is not one word. Write afiyet olsun, with a space.
Try it at home
- Give the phrase a job. Whoever puts the last plate on the table says afiyet olsun.
- Add the answer. Everyone else says ellerine sağlık to the cook.
- Use it on a video call. When a grandparent says what they had for dinner, your child can answer afiyet olsun.
- Put it in a lunch box. Write the two words on a small note next to the sandwich.
The one-line version
Afiyet olsun: may it be good for you. Say it to anyone who is eating, before, during or after the meal.
Related
- Kolay Gelsin Meaning: the Turkish phrase for anyone hard at work
- Sana Da Meaning: what it means and how to use it
- 15 Turkish words every kid should hear before age 8
- Turkish breakfast: what is actually on the table
- Simit and tea: the classic Turkish street pair
- Pingucan's Sunday Surprise: a read-aloud story with six kind Turkish words
For the table
A table where someone says afiyet olsun usually has tea on it. The Turkish Breakfast Table design shows the tea, the simit, the olives and the honey; see the whole Turkish Breakfast Table collection. For a story about a full Sunday table, there is The Great Turkish Breakfast, an illustrated audio e-book for children. And for the talk that follows the meal, see the Çay Bahane, Muhabbet Şahane collection.
