# Kolay gelsin



## Edguoglitigin

"Kolay gelsin" is the most frequently used phrase in Turkish that it's very functional and meaningful. It's used when we see anybody working on something especially on difficult jobs or matters. For a native speaker of Turkish, it's needed to say this in English at times but then you cannot find any ideal phrase (or I dont know that's why I am posting this thread). So what are you offers for this Turkish phrase?


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## Rallino

You might want to see this thread.


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## Guner

That thread Rallino pointed out was pretty good. Additionaly in Australia, we say "Have a good one!" for a number of things which can also include to wish someone a good day and a smooth way to finish whatever they are upto. In a formal way you can also say "Godspeed!" which means may God grant you success (speed: from old English _sped_). So for a very casual wish I'd use "Have a good one" but for anything more serious like say you are going on a 100km charity ride I'd use "Godspeed and Goodluck !"


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## shawnee

My interest in _kolay gelsin_ was prompted by the fact that it is used in Greek as κολάι (as a loan of course), where to do something with κολάι is to do something with ease. So I had thought that the Turkish usage might also be limited to the act of doing something, which might in turn limit its English interpretation to; 'more wind to your sails, more grease to your elbow and such like.


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## Guner

shawnee said:


> My interest in _kolay gelsin_ was prompted by the fact that it is used in Greek as κολάι (as a loan of course), where to do something with κολάι is to do something with ease. So I had thought that the Turkish usage might also be limited to the act of doing something, which might in turn limit its English interpretation to; 'more wind to your sails, more grease to your elbow and such like.



Ditto..but imagine yourself saying 'more wind to your sails !' to a public servant or a rubbish bin collector in Aus  He might even find it offensive !...that is if he can understand what you are saying in the first place...


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## shawnee

Ha! Good point _kardasim_ Guner. So I conclude that _kolay gelsin_ has a wider application than any one english equivalent, which depends much more on context.


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## shawnee

Thanks to online Turkish serials, of which I am a fan, I have heard this many times since this thread was started. But not how it is written. What I hear is more like, "kolay ya sın". Is there a reason for this?


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## Rallino

Probably because of the combination of _yg, _followed by a front vowel, which causes the g to be overpalatalized. The overall sound becomes, in careless speech, something like the gamma in the Greek word "geia", which you're familiar with as far as I know.

The "a" sound that you hear is probably æ. E often gives the sound of an open æ sound in closed syllables when followed by R, L, M and N.


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## shawnee

You nailed it for me Rallino, _harika_. I definitely hear "geia" as you describe.


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