How to say - "Thanks.."
Here we point out the difference in usage of - teşekkür ederim - and the more sincere - sağ olun
What are the services being rendered to us..?
sağ olun - be healthy, be strong - is used as - thank you.. - for a service which:
(1) WAS NOT NECESSARILY NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED..
or
(2) FOR WHICH SOMEONE HAS GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP YOU...
While teşekkür ederim - thank you.. - (Lit: a thanking perform I - [from Arabic]) - is used in normal circumstances and recieving presents.
Some Examples of Use
Senario (1)
The waiter puts a nice meal in front of you. Your - thankyou - is - teşekkür ederim - it is his job...
The waiter puts a bottle of wine in front of you. Your - thankyou - is - teşekkür ederim - it is his job...
Then:
The waiter uncorks the bottle of wine and pours it in your glass. Your - thankyou - is - sağ olun - he need not have performed this service.
The recipient of your gratitude will often answer your - sağ olun - with the rejoinder - siz de sağ olun - health to you (too).. - (the Polite Version said to to stranger)
Ofther forms are - sen de sağ ol - or quite short - siz de - or - sen de - you too..
Senario (2)
You ask someone the time. He looks at his watch and says - Half past three. Your answer is - sağ olun - (You have caused him to perform a service to you)
Senario (3)
You drop your handkerchief - a stranger picks it up and hand it to you - Your answer is - sağ olun - (He need not have done it)
Note: that many tourists use - sağ olun - wrongly instead of using - teşekkür ederim - as they copy the boy waiter's way of thanking - as the waiters often use - sağ olun - for misguided effect.
The rule is - If in doubt then use - teşekkür ederim...
The answer to teşekkür ederim... is - bir şey değil - It is not a thing - or - rica ederim - I request..! - [same as "bitte schön" in German]
Also used is - ne demek? - what does it mean?. This expression - ne demek? - sounds quite comical in English. But it actually means something like: - It doesn't matter at all..
The answer - Rica ederim - is the politest one.
Other forms in daily use
The recipient of your gratitude will often answer your - sağ olun - with the rejoinder - sana sağ olun - health to you (too)..
Other Versions are:
sağ ol - familiar
sağ olunuz - public and plural
A simple - teşekkürler.. also means a very informal - thanks.. and is used in shops and for small duties performed.
A little "caveat" - or - "take care.."
Many people when first learning Turkish are tempted to use the Present Continuous Tense form - teşekkür ediyorum... - we would advise you that this form sounds quite comical to the Turkish ear and can also be construed as being sarcastic, so one should always use the Present Simple form - teşekkür ederim... - and you will not go wrong or be misunderstood.
