Meaning
Saying goodbye with a hand gesture.
Cultural Background
Waving from balconies is a national pastime. When a guest leaves, the host often goes to the balcony to wave until the guest's car is out of sight. The 'Turkish Wave' for 'come here' can be confusing. It involves the palm facing down and fingers moving toward the palm. This is NOT 'el sallamak' for goodbye. In rural areas, waving to strangers passing by in vehicles is a sign of hospitality and friendliness. In WhatsApp groups, the waving emoji is often used to say 'I'm here' or 'I've arrived' at a meeting point.
The Balcony Rule
If you are in Turkey and leaving a house, always look back at the balcony. Your host is likely there waiting to 'el sallamak'.
Dative Case
Remember: You wave TO someone. Use -e or -a. 'Bana el salla' (Wave to me).
Meaning
Saying goodbye with a hand gesture.
The Balcony Rule
If you are in Turkey and leaving a house, always look back at the balcony. Your host is likely there waiting to 'el sallamak'.
Dative Case
Remember: You wave TO someone. Use -e or -a. 'Bana el salla' (Wave to me).
Eye Contact
Turkish waving is usually accompanied by a warm smile and eye contact until the very last moment.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'el sallamak'.
Dün havaalanında kardeşime ______.
The sentence refers to 'yesterday' (Dün) and 'my brother' (kardeşime), so the first-person past tense is required.
Which sentence uses the correct case for the person being waved to?
Choose the correct sentence:
The verb 'el sallamak' always takes the dative case (-e/-a).
Complete the dialogue.
A: Bak, Mehmet karşıda! B: Evet, bizi görmedi. Hadi ona ______.
'Hadi' (Let's) requires the optative/imperative first-person plural form.
Match the action to the situation.
Vapur iskeleden ayrılıyor. Ne yaparsın?
Waving is the standard action when a boat (vapur) leaves the pier.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesDün havaalanında kardeşime ______.
The sentence refers to 'yesterday' (Dün) and 'my brother' (kardeşime), so the first-person past tense is required.
Choose the correct sentence:
The verb 'el sallamak' always takes the dative case (-e/-a).
A: Bak, Mehmet karşıda! B: Evet, bizi görmedi. Hadi ona ______.
'Hadi' (Let's) requires the optative/imperative first-person plural form.
Vapur iskeleden ayrılıyor. Ne yaparsın?
Waving is the standard action when a boat (vapur) leaves the pier.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it specifically means waving from a distance. For a handshake, use 'tokalaşmak'.
Yes, you can wave to say hello across a street, but it is much more common for 'goodbye'.
It is neutral. You can use it in any context to describe the action.
That is usually a 'come here' gesture (el etmek), not 'el sallamak' for goodbye.
Yes, but 'el salladım' is the more common idiomatic form.
'El sallamak' is specifically waving. 'El etmek' is a broader term for signaling with the hand, often to get attention.
You can say 'karşılık vermek' (to respond) or simply 'o da el salladı' (he waved too).
Only informally, like waving goodbye to a colleague leaving the office. In meetings, it's rare.
No, for a tail, we say 'kuyruk sallamak'.
Not really, but 'el sallamak' can sometimes mean 'to say goodbye to something forever' in a sarcastic way.
Related Phrases
el sıkışmak
similarTo shake hands (usually to agree).
el etmek
synonymTo signal with the hand.
tokalaşmak
contrastTo shake hands (greeting).
el çırpmak
similarTo clap hands.
