Breakdown of Hoş geldiniz! Hoş bulduk.
hoş geldiniz
welcome
hoş bulduk
glad to be here (reply to hoş geldiniz)
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Questions & Answers about Hoş geldiniz! Hoş bulduk.
What does hoş literally mean in these phrases?
Hoş means 'pleasant' or 'nice'. So hoş geldiniz literally translates to something like 'you came pleasantly', and hoş bulduk means 'we found it pleasant'.
Why does the reply use bulduk (we found)? What if I am by myself?
Bulduk literally means 'we found' from the verb bulmak. In Turkish, it is completely normal to say hoş bulduk even if you are alone because it functions as a fixed, polite phrase. You can say hoş buldum (I found it pleasant) when alone, but the plural version is much more common.
Why is it geldiniz instead of geldin?
Geldiniz uses the formal or plural 'you' ending for the past tense of gelmek (to come). Turkish uses this plural form to show respect to a guest. If you are welcoming a single close friend or a family member, you would use the informal version: hoş geldin.
Do I always have to reply with hoş bulduk?
While you could just say thank you, hoş bulduk is the expected cultural response when someone welcomes you into their home, a shop, or even the country. Learning these paired greetings is a huge part of sounding natural in Turkish!