Essential Azerbaijani Phrases for Tourists: Speak Like a Local
Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili) is a Turkic language, very similar to Turkish. While many young people in Baku speak English, knowing a few local phrases will earn you huge smiles and better service.
The Basics 💬
| English | Azerbaijani | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello | Salam | Sa-lam |
| Goodbye | Sağ ol | Sa-ol |
| Yes | Bəli / Hə | Ba-li / Ha |
| No | Xeyr / Yox | Kheyr / Yokh |
| Thank you | Təşəkkür edirəm | Ta-sha-kur e-di-ram |
| Thanks (Casual) | Sağ ol | Sa-ol |
| Please | Zəhmət olmasa | Zah-mat ol-ma-sa |
| Excuse me | Bağışlayın | Ba-gish-la-yin |
| I don't understand | Başa düşmürəm | Ba-sha dush-mu-ram |
| Do you speak English? | İngiliscə danışırsınız? | In-gi-lis-ja da-ni-shir-si-niz |
Getting Around 🚕
| English | Azerbaijani | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Where is...? | ... haradadır? | ... ha-ra-da-dir |
| Toilet | Tualet | Tua-let |
| Airport | Hava limanı | Ha-va li-ma-ni |
| Metro | Metro | Met-ro |
| Stop here | Burada saxlayın | Bu-ra-da sakh-la-yin |
| How much? | Neçəyədir? | Ne-cha-ya-dir |
At a Restaurant 🍽️
| English | Azerbaijani | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Menu, please | Menyu, zəhmət olmasa | Men-yu zah-mat ol-ma-sa |
| Water | Su | Su |
| Tea | Çay | Chay |
| Bread | Çörək | Cho-rak |
| Chicken | Toyuq | To-yug |
| Meat (Lamb/Beef) | Ət | At |
| Delicious! | Çox dadlıdır | Chokh dad-li-dir |
| The bill, please | Hesab, zəhmət olmasa | He-sab zah-mat ol-ma-sa |
Numbers (For Bargaining) 🔢
| Number | Azerbaijani | Pronunciation |
|---|
| 1 | Bir | Beer |
| 2 | İki | I-ki |
| 3 | Üç | Uch |
| 4 | Dörd | Durd |
| 5 | Beş | Besh |
| 10 | On | On |
| 20 | İyirmi | I-yir-mi |
| 50 | Əlli | Al-li |
| 100 | Yüz | Yuz |
Pro Tips 💡
- "Qardaş" (Brother): Use this to address male taxi drivers or waiters. It's friendly and respectful.
- "Xanım" (Madam): Use this for women.
- Turkish Works: If you speak Turkish, everyone will understand you perfectly.
- Russian Works: Most people over 30 and many in service industries speak fluent Russian.
Salam and Sağ ol are the two magic words you need!
