Bedeutung
Giving directions to turn left.
Kultureller Hintergrund
If you ask for directions, a Turk might not just say 'Sola dön'. They might walk you to the corner to make sure you find it. This is part of the 'misafirperverlik' (hospitality) culture. Taxi drivers in Istanbul often appreciate passengers who know the route. Using 'Sola dön' confidently can sometimes prevent them from taking a longer 'scenic' route. In Turkey, people rarely use street names. They use mosques, banks, or even 'the big tree'. 'Sola dön' is almost always preceded by a landmark. When saying 'Sola dön', Turks often use a sweeping hand gesture. A slight tilt of the head toward the left is also common to emphasize the direction.
The 'L' Rule
Remember that 'Sol' ends in 'L' for 'Left'. This is an easy way to keep it separate from 'Sağ' (Right).
Don't forget the -a!
Saying 'Sol dön' sounds like 'Left turn' in a robotic way. Always add the '-a' to make it 'To the left turn'.
Bedeutung
Giving directions to turn left.
The 'L' Rule
Remember that 'Sol' ends in 'L' for 'Left'. This is an easy way to keep it separate from 'Sağ' (Right).
Don't forget the -a!
Saying 'Sol dön' sounds like 'Left turn' in a robotic way. Always add the '-a' to make it 'To the left turn'.
Soften the command
Add 'zahmet olmazsa' (if it's not too much trouble) before 'sola dönün' to sound like a native speaker with excellent manners.
Watch the hands
In Turkey, directions are visual. If you don't understand the words, watch the person's hands; they will almost always point the way.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing suffix for the direction 'left'.
Lütfen sol___ dön.
The word 'sol' ends in a back vowel 'o', so it takes the dative suffix '-a' according to vowel harmony.
Which of these is the formal way to say 'Turn left'?
How do you say 'Turn left' to a stranger?
Adding '-ün' to the verb 'dön' makes it formal or plural.
Match the Turkish phrase with its English translation.
Match the directions:
Sola = to the left, Dön = turn.
Complete the dialogue between a taxi driver and a passenger.
Passenger: 'Buradan nereye gideyim?' Driver: 'Işıklardan ____ dön.'
When giving a direction to turn, the dative case 'sola' is required.
Which phrase fits the situation: You are telling your best friend to turn left while driving.
Situation: Casual driving with a friend.
The informal imperative 'dön' is perfect for friends.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Formal vs Informal
Navigation Vocabulary
Verbs
- • Dön
- • Git
- • Sap
- • Dur
Nouns
- • Köşe
- • Işıklar
- • Yol
- • Sokak
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenLütfen sol___ dön.
The word 'sol' ends in a back vowel 'o', so it takes the dative suffix '-a' according to vowel harmony.
How do you say 'Turn left' to a stranger?
Adding '-ün' to the verb 'dön' makes it formal or plural.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
Sola = to the left, Dön = turn.
Passenger: 'Buradan nereye gideyim?' Driver: 'Işıklardan ____ dön.'
When giving a direction to turn, the dative case 'sola' is required.
Situation: Casual driving with a friend.
The informal imperative 'dön' is perfect for friends.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenYes, it is neutral. However, adding 'lütfen' (please) or using the formal 'Sola dönün' is always better.
'Dön' is a general turn, while 'sap' usually means turning off a main road onto a smaller one.
Because of Turkish vowel harmony. 'Sol' has a back vowel 'o', so it must take the back vowel suffix '-a'.
No, for a U-turn you should say 'Geri dön' or 'U dönüşü yap'.
You say 'İkinci sokaktan sola dön'.
Yes, 'Solcu' means 'leftist' in politics, and 'Soluk' means 'breath' (though they are etymologically different).
Use 'Soldan devam et' (Continue from the left).
Yes, it can mean 'to return' (Eve dön - Return home) or 'to revolve' (Dünya dönüyor - The world is spinning).
Yes, it's a new sound. Try saying 'egg' with your lips rounded like you're saying 'oh'.
No, that's the infinitive. It sounds like a dictionary entry. Use 'dön' or 'dönün'.
Camiden sonra sola dön.
Yes, it is identical in Northern Cyprus.
The opposite is 'Sağa dön' (Turn right).
Only if you are giving directions to an office. In that case, use 'Sola dönünüz'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Sağa dön
contrastTurn right
Düz git
similarGo straight
Geri dön
similarTurn back / U-turn
Sola sap
specialized formVeer left
Sola yanaş
similarPull over to the left
Sol tarafta
builds onOn the left side
