Başınız sağ olsun, sizi düşünüyoruz.

Our condolences; we are thinking of you.

Breakdown of Başınız sağ olsun, sizi düşünüyoruz.

• düşünmek: to think
• siz: you
• başın sağ olsun: my condolences

Questions & Answers about Başınız sağ olsun, sizi düşünüyoruz.

Why is it Başınız sağ olsun and not something simpler?

This is a fixed Turkish condolence expression. You use it when someone has lost a loved one.

Literally, the words are something like:

• başınız = your head
• sağ = healthy / alive / sound
• olsun = let it be / may it be

So the literal structure is not the same as natural English, but as a set phrase it means my condolences or may you remain well despite the loss.

You should learn Başınız sağ olsun as a whole expression, not word by word only.

Why does başınız have -ınız at the end?

The ending -ınız here shows your in the plural or polite singular form.

So:

• başın = your head (informal singular, to one person you address with sen)
• başınız = your head (plural or polite singular, with siz)

That means:

• Başın sağ olsun = informal, to one person
• Başınız sağ olsun = polite, respectful, or to more than one person

In condolence messages, Turkish usually prefers the more respectful form, so Başınız sağ olsun is very common.

What does olsun mean here?