Turkish Proverbs

A - B - C - Ç - D - E - F - G - H - I - İ - J - K - L - M - N - O - Ö - P - R - S - Ş - T - U - Ü - V - Y - Z

• He who does evil to others, does it to himself.
• A white day sheds light, and a black day sheds darkness.

A

• Aç ayı oynamaz
  • Literal Translation: Hungry bear doesn't dance

• Armut dibine düşer
  • Literal Translation: A pear will fall closer to the root
  • Meaning: Person is most alike to his/her parents (or whom they're raised by)

• Ateş olmayan yerden duman çıkmaz
  • Literal Translation: Where there is no fire there will be no smoke

B

• Bana arkadaşını söyle, sana kim olduğunu söyleyeyim
  • Literal Translation: Tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are

• Bekara karı boşamak kolay
  • Literal Translation: It is easy for the single guy to get divorced
  • Meaning: If somebody is looking at the situation from outside, (s)he can't fully appreciate it

• Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var
  • Literal Translation: One hand makes nothing, two hands make a sound

• Bükemedin bileği öpeceksin
  • Literal Translation: You should kiss the hand that you can't beat

• Bülbülü altın kafese koymuşlar, ah vatanım demiş
  • They put the mockingbird into a golden cage, it moaned home

E

• El elin eşeğini türkü çağırarak arar
  • Literal Translation: One sings while searching other's donkey
  • Meaning: If somebody is doing something for another person's interest, (s)he won't do it in a serious manner

G

• Gözden uzak olan gönülden de uzak olur
  • Literal Translation: Something that is far from eye will also be far from heart

H

• Havlayan köpek ısırmaz
  • Literal Translation: A dog that barks doesn't bite

• Her gönülde bir aslan yatar
  • Literal Translation: There is a lion in every heart
  • Meaning: Everybody has a great desire

I

• Isıracak köpek dişini göstermez
  • Literal Translation: A dog that intends to bite does not bear its teeth
  • Meaning: obvious

İ

• İmam osurursa cemaat sıçar
  • Literal Translation: If imam farts, the community will shit
  • Meaning: The leader serves as a model for the people

• İyilik yap denize at, balık bilmezse halik bilir
  • Literal Translation: Do good (a favor), throw it into the sea; even if fish don't appreciate it, the god will appreciate

K

• Kılavuzu karga olanın burnu boktan kurtulmaz
  • Literal Translation: If your guide is crow, your nose will never get out of shit

• Kurda ensen neden kalın demişler, kendi işimi kendim görürüm de ondan demiş
  • Literal Translation: They ask the wolf "why is your neck thick?" and it replies "I do my job on my own, that's why"

N

• Ne ekersen onu biçersin
  • Literal Translation: You reap what you sow
• Nerede hareket orada bereket
  • Literal Translation: Where there is activity, there is fertility

O

• Olacakla öleceğe çare bulunmaz
  • Literal Translation: There is no remedy for what will be and who will die

P

• Parayla imanın kimde olduğu belli olmaz
  • It is hard to point the owner of money and faith

S

• Son gülen iyi güler
  • Literal Translation: One who laughs (gets happy) at the end laughs the best (is the happiest)

T

• Tavşan dağa küsmüş, dağın haberi olmamış
  • Literal Translation: The hare protests the mountain, but the mountain is unaware of it.

V

• Vakit Nakittir
  • Literal Translation: Time is cash
  • Literal Translation: Time is money

Y

• Yalancının mumu yatsıya kadar yanar
  • Literal Translation: Liar's candle lights only until midnight
  • Meaning : A lie will be eventually exposed