The Ritual of the Meal: Afiyet Olsun and Elinize Sağlık

Food is at the heart of Turkish social life, and meals come with their own small set of phrases. Two are essential: Afiyet olsun and Elinize sağlık. Once you know them, along with the right replies, you'll be a much more comfortable guest at any Turkish table.

Afiyet olsun

Afiyet means health or well-being, and olsun is “let it be” (ol- = to be, -sun = third-person optative). So Afiyet olsun is “may it be (to your) health”. It's often compared to bon appétit, but its timing is more flexible. People say it:

when food is served or someone starts eating;
to someone they see eating, even a stranger on a bench;
when someone says they've finished;
when serving tea, coffee or a snack.

Waiters say it as they bring your plate, and the person who cooked says it to everyone at the table.

How to respond: Teşekkürler / Teşekkür ederim, Sağ ol, or, if the other person is also eating, Size de / Sana da (“You too”), or in full, Size de afiyet olsun.

Elinize sağlık

Break it down: el (hand) + -iniz (your, plural or formal) + -e (to) + sağlık (health): “health to your hands”. It is said to the person who made the food, usually during or after the meal. It's how you compliment the cook.

Eline sağlık: to someone you call sen (a friend, a family member).
Elinize sağlık: to someone you call siz (an older host, someone you don't know well).
Ellerine sağlık / Ellerinize sağlık: “health to your hands” in the plural, an equally common variant.

It isn't only for big meals. People say it for a cup of tea someone brought them, a cake, a knitted scarf, a repaired tap, any small piece of work done by hand for you.

How to respond: the classic reply is Afiyet olsun. You can also add Beğenmenize sevindim (“I'm glad you liked it”) or simply say Sağ ol.

Ağzınıza sağlık

Ağzına sağlık / Ağzınıza sağlık means “health to your mouth”. Despite the mouth, it has nothing to do with eating: it praises someone's words or voice, after a beautiful song, a good speech, or someone saying exactly the right thing. Ağzına sağlık, çok güzel söyledin. (“Beautifully sung!” or “Well said!”). Reply: Sağ ol.

Other useful phrases at the table

Buyurun, sofraya! Please, come to the table. (Sofra is the table or spread of food.)
Kolay gelsin. To someone still cooking before the meal.
Çok lezzetli olmuş. It's turned out really delicious. The -mış ending here comments on the result you're experiencing.
Doydum, teşekkürler. I'm full, thanks (doy- = to be full). Hosts often insist with Biraz daha alın! (“Have a bit more!”), so you may need to say it twice.
Bismillah / Elhamdülillah. Some people say Bismillah (“in the name of God”) before eating and Elhamdülillah (“praise be to God”) afterwards. You don't need to say them, but it's good to recognize them.

A short exchange

Ev sahibi: Buyurun, afiyet olsun! (Host: Please, enjoy!)
Misafir: Teşekkür ederim. Çok lezzetli olmuş, elinize sağlık. (Guest: Thank you. It's delicious, compliments to the cook.)
Ev sahibi: Afiyet olsun! Biraz daha alın. (Host: Enjoy! Have some more.)
Misafir: Sağ olun, gerçekten doydum. (Guest: Thank you, I'm really full.)

Remember the pairs

“Afiyet olsun” → “Teşekkürler” or “Size de”. “Elinize sağlık” → “Afiyet olsun”.

Common learner mistakes

Saying nothing to the cook. In a Turkish home, elinize sağlık is expected and noticed.
Using “ağzınıza sağlık” for food. That phrase praises words or singing, not cooking.
Using “eline sağlık” with an older host you call “siz”. Switch to elinize sağlık.

What you'll notice in dizi

Turkish series are full of dinner tables and long breakfasts, and these phrases run through all of them. A son's Eline sağlık anne after dinner, a guest's careful Elinize sağlık to a future mother-in-law, an Afiyet olsun said through gritted teeth at a tense family meal: once you know the phrases, you'll notice how much the tone in which they're said reveals about the characters.