If you’re looking to learn more about Turkish culture, you should check out these 22 proverbs, sayings and idioms! Each one is packed with wisdom and can help you better understand the Turkish way of thinking. We’ve provided a brief explanation for each one so that you can start using them yourself. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
1. Ayağını yorganına göre uzat.
Translation: Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach
Meaning: Don’t bite off more than you can chew
This proverb is a warning not to take on too much, lest you risk failure. It’s also a reminder that we should be mindful of our limitations and work within them.
Example: I’m only going to stay for an hour – I don’t want to overstay my welcome.
2. Ayağını yorganına göre uzat.
Translation: “Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.”
Meaning: This proverb encourages people to take advantage of the moment and act quickly, before the chance disappears. It’s good advice for those who want to seize every opportunity that comes their way.
Example: I know he’s busy, but I’m going to go talk to him anyway – you never know if the opportunity will present itself again.
Write more examples of Turkish proverbs (in Turkish), then their English translations and their meaning.
3. Düşenin dostu olmaz.
Translation: A fallen tree makes no friends
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe those who are ungrateful or opportunistic. It’s often used when someone takes advantage of someone else’s misfortune.
Example: After she lost her job, she was surprised when her old friends stopped talking to her – she realized that they were only her friends when she had something to offer them.
4. Esnaf lokantasında yenen yemek pahalıdır.
Translation: The meal eaten at a tradesman’s restaurant is expensive
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the high cost of doing business. It’s often used when someone is trying to get a better deal or when there is a conflict of interest.
Example: I can’t believe he’s asking for so much money – it’s like he’s eating at an esnaf lokantası!
5. Çiftlikte, öküz araba olur.
Translation: In the countryside, an ox can pull a carriage
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe those who are from the countryside and are uneducated or unsophisticated. It’s often used as an insult to someone who is acting arrogant or foolish.
Example: I can’t believe he didn’t know how to use a computer – he’s such an öküz!
6. Kedi kuyruğuyla avlanır.
Translation: A cat hunts with its tail
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe someone who is lazy or inactive. It’s often used when someone is trying to justify their lack of effort.
Example: He says he’s looking for a job, but I don’t believe it – he’s just sitting around like a lazy kedi!
7. Başarısızlık tektir.
Translation: Failure is unique
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that everyone fails at some point in their life. It’s a reminder that we should never give up, because everyone has faced failure at some point.
Example: I know I can do it – I’ve failed before, but that only made me stronger.
8. Düğün yapılırken gelinin ayaklarına kurban edilen hayvanlar…
Translation: The animals sacrificed feet of the bride during the wedding ceremony
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe something that is done as an afterthought or as an unnecessary addition. It’s often used when someone is trying to justify a bad decision.
Example: We didn’t need to buy so much food for the party – it’s like we were sacrificing animals at the bride’s feet!
9. Bir şeyden kaçınmaya çalışmak, o şeyi isteyebilir.
Translation: Trying to avoid something can make you want it even more
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that avoiding something can sometimes make you want it even more. It’s often used when someone is trying to resist temptation.
Example: I know I shouldn’t eat another piece of cake, but I can’t help it – trying to avoid it is only making me want it more!
10. İnsanın başına gelenler kaderi belirler.
Translation: What happens to a person is determined by their fate
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the belief that everything that happens to someone is predetermined by fate. It’s often used when someone has had a bad experience.
Example: I don’t know why he cheated on me – his life must be controlled by some dark force.
11. Ölüm herkes için ortaktır.
Translation: Death is common to everyone
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that death is a universal experience that we will all face at some point in our lives. It’s often used as a reminder to live each day to the fullest.
Example: We’re all going to die someday, so let’s enjoy life while we can!
12. Sabır taşların yüzü değil, kalbindir.
Translation: Patience is not found on someone’s face, but in their heart
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the importance of patience. It’s often used when someone has had a difficult experience.
Example: I know it’s been hard for you lately, but remember that patience is a virtue.
13. Dost acı söyler.
Translation: A friend tells the truth even when it hurts
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that friends are loyal and will always tell you the truth, no matter how painful it may be. It’s often used as a reminder to appreciate your friends.
Example: I know she doesn’t like me, but I’m grateful that she’s honest enough to tell me the truth – dost acı söyler after all!
14. En iyi dost, en iyi kumardır.
Translation: The best friend is the best bet
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that a good friend is the best thing you can have in your life. It’s often used when someone has lost a friend.
Example: I wish he would come back – we were such good friends and I don’t know what I’ll do without him.
15. İnsanlar birbirlerini yargılamaktan hoşlanırlar.
Translation: People enjoy judging others
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that humans are often drawn to judging others. It’s often used when someone is talking about someone they don’t like.
Example: I can’t stand her – she’s always trying to judge me and my decisions!
16. Dünya üzerinde en güzel şey, sevgiydir.
Translation: The most beautiful thing in the world is love
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the power of love. It’s often used when someone has had a good experience with love.
Example: After being lost for so many years, I finally found true love and it made everything worth it.
17. İnsanların en büyük düşmanı, kendi içlerindeki düşmandır.
Translation: The biggest enemy of a person is themselves
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that people are often their own worst enemies. It’s often used when someone has had a bad experience.
Example: He can’t seem to get his life together because he’s his own worst enemy – always sabotaging himself.
18. Bir yarası olan herkes doktor olmalıdır.
Translation: Everyone who has a wound should be a doctor
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that everyone has something to offer. It’s often used when someone is looking for help.
Example: I don’t know what I’m doing – can you help me? After all, bir yarası olan herkes doktor olmalıdır!
19. Dünya dağların ötesindedir.
Translation: The world is beyond the mountains
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that there’s a lot of world out there that we don’t know about. It’s often used when someone is talking about something they’re curious about.
Example: I’ve always wanted to travel – there’s so much of the world that I want to see.
20. Ne kadar bilirsen bil, o kadar azdır.
Translation: The more you know, the less you understand
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that knowledge can be a double edged sword. It’s often used when someone has learned something new that they didn’t expect.
Example: After learning about all of the different types of cheese, I realized how little I actually knew about them – ne kadar bilirsen bil, o kadar azdır!
21. Bir yılan bin yıl yaşayabilir.
Translation: A snake can live for a thousand years.
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that some things never change. It’s often used when someone is talking about something they don’t like.
Example: Politics seems to be the one thing that never changes – bir yılan bin yıl yaşayabilir!
22. Elma üzümden tatlıdır, fakat üzümdür elmaya verilen ad.
Translation: An apple is sweeter than grapes, but grape is called an apple
Meaning: This proverb is used to describe the fact that things are not always as they seem. It’s often used when someone has been fooled or when there’s a discrepancy.
Example: He said he was from America, but I don’t think so – elma üzümden tatlıdır, fakat üzümdür elmaya verilen ad!
