# A döner glossary

Döner counters run on short words. Some are Turkish, some German, some both, and English menus translate them loosely. This glossary is for ordering and reading a board, not for settling authenticity arguments.

If a shop uses a different word for the same thing, use the shop's word. The [ordering chapter](/how-to-order/) puts these into a sequence.

<figure>
<img src="https://donerguide.com/static/menu-board.webp" alt="A black-and-gold menu board with sandwich, wrap, box, and loaded fries">
<figcaption>A board that separates sandwich, wrap, and box is already using three glossary entries as menu categories.</figcaption>
</figure>

## The meat and the machine

| Term | Language | What it means at the counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Döner / Döner Kebab | Turkish, via German | Rotating roast; in a shop, usually the sandwich unless another format is named |
| *dönmek* | Turkish | To turn — the verb behind the dish name |
| Spieß / Drehspieß | German | Spit / rotating spit. *Drehspieß* can also be a labeling name when the product does not meet German *Döner* composition guidance |
| Yaprak döner | Turkish | Leaf or slice döner — stacked cuts rather than a minced cone |
| Kıyma döner | Turkish | Minced döner |
| Kalb / Hähnchen / Lamm / Rind | German | Veal / chicken / lamb / beef |
| Gemischt | German | Mixed meats |
| Halal / *helal* | Arabic / Turkish | Permissible under Islamic law — a certification and premises question, not a flavor |

Germany's [official meat guidelines](https://www.bmleh.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/_Ernaehrung/Lebensmittel-Kennzeichnung/LeitsaetzeFleisch.html) are why *Döner* and *Drehspieß* can both appear on German boards. See [meat and halal](/meat-and-halal/).

## Bread and formats

| Term | Language | What it means at the counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Im Brot | German | In bread — the sandwich |
| Pide | Turkish | A family of flatbreads; on döner menus, often the cut loaf |
| Fladenbrot | German | Flatbread; often the same loaf customers call pide |
| Dürüm | Turkish | Rolled thin-bread döner |
| Yufka | Turkish | Thin sheet used as a wrap in many German shops |
| Rollo | German menu slang | Rolled döner, especially on some northern boards |
| Lavash | Armenian/Turkish usage | Thin flatbread; appears on some wrap menus |
| Box / Dönerbox | German/English | Portable container of meat and accompaniments |
| Teller / Dönerteller | German | Plate |
| Imbiss | German | Snack bar or takeaway counter — a service type, not a döner-only building |

Berlin's [city guide](https://www.berlin.de/en/tourism/insider-tips/7409762-5766508-berlins-best-doner-kebab.en.html) uses "pita" in English for the classic sandwich and *dürüm* for the wrap. English "pita" on a US board may mean a soft round pocket instead. Look at the bread. Longer notes: [bread](/bread/), [dürüm](/durum/), [the box](/the-doner-box/).

## Vegetables, sauce, heat

| Term | Language | What it means at the counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mit allem | German | With everything — that shop's standard salad set |
| Ohne… | German | Without… (*ohne Zwiebeln*, *ohne Tomaten*, *ohne Käse*) |
| Salat | German | Salad / lettuce, depending on context |
| Rotkohl / Rotkraut | German | Red cabbage |
| Weißkohl | German | White cabbage |
| Gurke, Zwiebel, Tomate | German | Cucumber, onion, tomato |
| Soße / Sauce | German | Sauce |
| Knoblauch | German | Garlic |
| Kräuter | German | Herbs |
| Scharf | German | Hot — chile heat on the sandwich |
| Ein bisschen scharf | German | A little hot |
| Nicht scharf | German | Not hot |
| Rotkraut and "red sauce" | mixed | Not the same thing: one is cabbage, one is a chile or tomato sauce |

*Mit allem* is the phrase visitors over-trust. It does not freeze a national recipe. Ask *Was ist alles?* if the vegetables matter. *Scharf?* is a yes/no about the hot finish, not about whether the meat was marinated.

## Drinks, sides, shop words

| Term | Language | What it means at the counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ayran | Turkish | Salted yogurt drink |
| Çay / türkischer Tee | Turkish / German | Tea, more often at a table than at a window |
| Pommes | German | Fries |
| Zum Mitnehmen | German | To take away |
| Zum Hieressen | German | To eat here |
| Einmal Döner | German | One döner — pointing-and-ordering German that shops understand |
| Gemüsekebap | German/Turkish mix | Vegetable kebab; may still include chicken unless marked vegetarian |
| Lahmacun | Turkish | Thin topped flatbread, often on the same board as döner |
| Falafel | Arabic, via Turkish/German menus | Fried chickpea (or similar) patties — a different protein sharing many counters |

Ayran contains milk. Pommes may share a fryer. Gemüsekebap is a famous Berlin word that still needs a vegetarian check. See [drinks](/drinks/), [sides](/sides-and-fries/), [vegetarian](/vegetarian/).

## Words that wander in English

**Kebab** in German often means döner unless the board says otherwise (shish, Adana, *İskender*). In English it can mean almost any grilled meat on a stick. [Is döner the same as kebab?](https://whatisdoner.com/is-doner-the-same-as-kebab/) is the short explainer.

**Gyro** and **shawarma** are related rotisserie foods, not synonyms. **Donair** is a Canadian relative. **Al pastor** is a Mexican vertical-spit pork tradition influenced by Lebanese migration. None of those words should appear on a Berlin board as translations of döner, and a US board that uses several of them is telling you it runs a mixed menu.

**Berliner** on a US shop name is positioning. It does not change the glossary: you still order meat, bread, salad, sauce, and heat.

## A compact order using the glossary

*Einen Döner mit Hähnchen, mit allem außer Zwiebeln, mit Knoblauchsoße, ein bisschen scharf, zum Mitnehmen, bitte.*

That is one chicken sandwich, standard salad without onion, garlic sauce, a little chile, to go. Swap *Dürüm* or *Box* for the first noun if that is what you want. If the board says *Drehspieß*, you can still order it; you are ordering that product name.

## Related chapters

- [How to order](/how-to-order/)
- [Dürüm](/durum/)
- [Sauces](/sauces/)
- [How Germans eat döner](/how-germans-eat-doner/)
- [What is an Imbiss?](https://whatisdoner.com/what-is-an-imbiss/)

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