Turkish Grandma Sayings: 10 Things Anneanne Says and What They Mean
Ten sentences that Turkish grandmothers say again and again, with the meaning of each one, the moment you will hear it and an answer for a grandchild to try.
A Turkish grandmother can fit a whole hug into one short sentence. Most of her sentences are about food, warm feet and getting home safely, and many grandchildren know them by heart long before they know what every word means. Here are ten of them, with the meaning of each one, the moment you will hear it and an answer to try.
First, who is anneanne?
Turkish has two words for grandmother. Anneanne is your mother's mother, and babaanne is your father's mother. Some families say nine or nene for both. Our short video shows anneanne, babaanne and dede with our characters. In this guide we say anneanne, but every sentence works for a babaanne too.
1. Hırkanı al, üşürsün
"Take your cardigan, you'll get cold." A hırka is a cardigan. She says it when your hand is already on the door, and she says it in June as well as in January. Nobody expects a talk about the weather. The sentence means "I care about you, and I would like you to be warm."
An answer to try: Aldım, anneanne! "I've got it, Grandma!"
There is a whole story about this sentence: Grandma's Cardigan, to read aloud in English and in Turkish.
2. Yemek yedin mi?
"Have you eaten?" It is often her first question on the phone, before "how are you?". If you have eaten, she can relax. If you have not, a plate is already on its way.
An answer to try: Yedim, merak etme. "I have, don't worry."
3. Biraz daha ye
"Eat a little more." You will hear it when your plate is almost empty. An empty plate at her table does not stay empty for long.
An answer to try: Doydum, ellerine sağlık. "I'm full, health to your hands." Ellerine sağlık is the Turkish thank-you for the cook; there is more about it in Afiyet Olsun Meaning.
4. Terliklerini giy
"Put your slippers on." In many Turkish homes shoes stay at the door, and everyone wears slippers inside, guests included. Bare feet on a cold floor do not get past her. The Guest Slippers design is a small picture of this custom.
An answer to try: Giydim! "I've put them on!"
5. Islak saçla dışarı çıkma
"Don't go out with wet hair." She says it after a bath or a swim, usually while she is already holding a towel.
An answer to try: Kuruttum! "I've dried it!"
6. Ayağını sıcak tut, başını serin
"Keep your feet warm and your head cool." This one is an old proverb, and it has a second line that fewer people remember: Gönlünü ferah tut, düşünme derin, "keep your heart light and do not think too deeply". In four short parts it covers socks, calm and worry.
7. Varınca ara
"Call when you get there." You will hear it at every goodbye, whether the trip takes ten minutes or ten hours. She will not rest until the phone rings.
An answer to try: Ararım. "I will."
8. Güle güle git, güle güle gel
"Go smiling, come back smiling." She says it at the door when someone leaves on a journey. In some families she also pours a glass of water after the car and says Su gibi git, su gibi gel: "go like water, come back like water". It is an old custom and a wish for a smooth trip.
9. Ellerin dert görmesin
"May your hands see no trouble." This is her thank-you when you help: when you carry the bags, set the table or thread her needle.
An answer to try: Ne demek! "Don't mention it!"
10. Nazar değmesin
"May the evil eye not touch you." She says it right after a compliment: you have grown, your drawing is lovely, the baby is beautiful. It comes from an old folk custom, and it is a wish that nothing will spoil the good thing. The blue glass bead that goes with it is the nazar boncuğu; read what a nazar boncuğu is, or see the Nazar Değmesin design.
The names she calls you
- Kuzum: my lamb.
- Canım: my dear.
- Yavrum: my little one.
- Bir tanem: my one and only.
Any of them can go at the end of any sentence above: Hırkanı al, kuzum.
What they all mean
Read the ten sentences again and you will see one message in ten forms: stay warm, eat well and come home safely. That is why they are so easy to keep, even in a home far from Türkiye where most of the day is in another language.
Try them at home
- One sentence a week. Choose one and give it a place: Terliklerini giy at the door, Varınca ara at the school gate.
- Let anneanne say it. On a video call, ask her which sentence her own grandmother said to her.
- Swap the roles. Children love to say Hırkanı al, üşürsün to a grown-up who is leaving the house.
- Write it in a card. One sentence in Turkish and its meaning under it make a birthday card she will keep.
The one-line version
Turkish grandma sayings are care in a few words: take your cardigan, eat a little more, call when you get there.
Related
- What these Turkish sayings mean: a guide to our designs
- Gifts for Turkish grandparents: 9 warm ideas
- Afiyet Olsun Meaning and Kolay Gelsin Meaning
- Turkish proverbs with English translation
Her sentences as gifts
Two of these sayings are designs in our store. Hırkanı Al, Üşürsün puts the sentence itself on mugs, blankets and hoodies, and Yemek Yedin Mi? does the same for her favorite question. Grandma's Cardigan is the picture that goes with the first sentence: a cream knitted cardigan with chestnuts, autumn leaves and a pomegranate in its pockets. For more ideas, see Gifts for Turkish Grandparents.
