Turkish Proverbs page 1

In addition to reflecting Turkish culture proverbs are an important part of everyday language. An average native Turkish speaker has about 200 proverbs in his/her vocabulary and uses them quite often to express his/her thoughts. Here are some of them we selected for you.

Acele işe şeytan karışır.
Literal translation: The Devil would intrude upon hurried work.
Meaning: Don't be too hasty.

Aç tavuk kendini buğday ambarında görür.
Literal translation: A hungry hen sees herself in a wheat silo.
Meaning: In utter greed all adapted methods thought to be lawful which in reality is not.

Aç ayı oynamaz.
Literal translation: A hungry bear won't dance.
Meaning: One needs to be paid to do some work.

Ağacı kurt, insanı dert yer.
Literal translation: It is worms which destroy a tree, it is worry which destroys a human.

Anlayana sivrisinek saz, anlamayana davul zurna az.
Literal translation: To one who understands, a mosquito is a lute, to one who does not understand, a drum and zurna are little.
Meaning: A good listener needs only half a word.

Armut dibine düşer.
Literal translation: A pear will fall to its root.
Meaning: Children resemble their parents. (Children take after their parents)

Aslan yattığı yerden belli olur.
Literal translation: You can tell a lion from where he dwells.
Meaning: A person's character shows itself from his surroundings.

Aşağı tükürsen sakal, yukarı tükürsen bıyık.
Literal translation: If you spit downwards, it hits the beard, if you spit upwards, the mustache.
Meaning: Either way, the situation is bad.

Ateş düştüğü yeri yakar.
Literal translation: Fire burns where it falls.
Meaning: Pain is suffered most by the one who is inflicted. Go to next page!

These Turkish proverbs were selected from Wikiquote web page.
References:

Texas Tech University
Yurtbaşı, M. 1993. A Dictionary of Turkish Proverbs. Ankara.

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Selected Turkish Proverbs!