Travel guideLanguage Guide

Language Guide — Azerbaijani Basics

Practical guide · Updated January 2026

Overview

The official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili), a Turkic language closely related to Turkish. In Baku, Russian is widely spoken, and English is increasingly common in tourist areas.

Key facts

Official languageAzerbaijani (Azeri). Latin script adopted in 1991.

Other languagesRussian widely spoken, especially by older generations. English spoken in hotels, restaurants, and by guides.

Useful phrasesSalam = Hello · Çox sağ ol = Thank you · Bağışlayın = Excuse me · Nə qədərdir? = How much? · Kömək edin = Help me

ScriptModern Azerbaijani uses a modified Latin alphabet. Russian Cyrillic script still used informally by some.

TranslationGoogle Translate works well for Azerbaijani. Download offline for mountain areas without internet.

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