Turkish Proverbs II

C

* Cahile söz anlatmak, deveyi hendekten atlatmaktan zordur.
o Literal translation: Explaining something to an ignorant person is harder than making a camel jump over a ditch.

* Can çıkmayınca huy çıkmaz.
o Literal translation: Habits don't expire until the soul expires.

* Cömert der maldan ederler, yiğit der candan ederler.
o Literal translation: They call you "generous" and make you lose your property, they call you "brave" and make you lose your life.

Ç

* Çıkar ağzındaki baklayı.
o Literal translation: Remove that bean hiding under your tongue.
o Meaning: Tell what are you really are going to tell me, rather than prolonging the conversation.

* Çıkmayan candan umit kesilmez.
o Literal translation: Hope won't be cut from the soul that has not expired.
o Meaning: As long as there is life, there is hope.

* Çok yaşayan bilmez, çok gezen bilir.
o Literal translation: Not he who lived long knows, but he who traveled much knows.
o Meaning: Experience counts more than years.

D

* Dağ dağa kavuşmaz,insan insana kavuşur.
o Literal translation: Mountain won't meet mountain, but man will meet man.
o Meaning: Consider that whatever you do to a person, you may meet him again.

* Damlaya damlaya göl olur.
o Literal translation: Drop by drop the lake is formed.
o Meaning: From little acorns, mighty oak trees grow.

* Davulun sesi uzaktan hoş gelir.
o Literal translation: The sound of drums sounds nicely from far away.
o Meaning: The grass looks greener on the other side.

* Denize düşen yılana sarılır.
o Literal translation: Who falls into the sea will take hold even of a snake.
o Meaning: If you are in a bad situation, you will accept any help. Beggars can't be choosers.

* Dervişin fikri neyse zikri de odur.
o Literal translation: Whatever the thoughts of the dervish, so are his formulas.
o Meaning: Man's thoughts are revealed in his speech.

* Deveye sormuşlar neden boynun eğri. "Nerem doğru ki?" demiş.
o Literal translation: They asked the camel why its neck was curved. "What of me is straight?" it said.
o Meaning: Used for extremely unpleasant and pessimistic situations. Also used to insult people.

* Doğru söyleyeni dokuz köyden kovarlar.
o Literal translation: The one who speaks truth would be expelled from nine villages.
o Meaning: Who always speaks the truth is not popular.
o Note: "Dokuz" (nine) displays alliteration with "doğru" (truth).

* Dünyayı sel bassa ördeğe vız gelir.
o Literal translation: If the world is flooded, it wouldn't matter for the duck.


E

* El elin eşeğini türkü çığırarak arar.
o Literal translation: One searches for someone else's donkey while singing songs.
o Meaning: People are not disheartened by the trouble of others.

* Eleştiri hakkı çalışmaktan doğar
o Literal translation: The right to criticize comes from working.
o Meaning: Those who haven't done it shouldn't criticize it.

* Emek olmadan yemek olmaz.
o Literal translation: Without effort there is no food.
o Meaning: No pain, no gain.


F

* Fala inanma falsız kalma.
o Literal translation: Don't believe in foretellings but don't stay without them.
o Meaning: Foretellings are not to be believed but they might have benefits.


G

* Gençliğin kıymeti ihtiyarlıkta bilinir.
o Literal translation: The value of youth will be known in old age.

* Gençlık bir kuştur, ucar tutamam. Yaşlılık yüktür, bir kuruşa satamam.
o Literal translation: Youth is a bird, escapes my capture. Old age is a heavy burden, can't sell it for a penny.

* Gökyüzünde düğün var deseler, kadınlar merdiven kurmaya kalkar.
o Literal translation: If they say there is a wedding in the sky, women would try to put up a ladder.
o Meaning: Turkish women like weddings very much.

* Görünen köy kılavuz istemez.
o Literal translation: The village that one can see requires no guide.
o Meaning: No need to say something when it is obvious.

* Görünen köye klavuz istenmezmiş.
o Meaning: Every situation which is seen doesn't need a comment.

* Gözden uzak olan gönülden de uzak olur.
o Literal translation: Who is far from the eye will also be far from the heart.
o Meaning: One who is out of sight is also out of mind.

* Gülü seven dikenine katlanır.
o Literal translation: Who loves a rose will endure its thorns.
o Meaning: If you love something, you need to accept its undesirable attributes./ everything has its consequences

* Güneş balçıkla sıvanmaz.
o Literal translation: Sun cannot be daubed using wet clay.
o Meaning: One cannot conceal something very obvious whatever they try.

* Güneşte yanmayan gölgenin kıymetini bilmez.
o Literal translation: Who has never been burned in the sun won't know the value of shadow.
o Meaning: One will not appreciate something, if they haven't ever been in need of it.


H

* Hamama giren terler.
o Literal translation: Who enters the Turkish bath will sweat.
o Meaning: To bear the consequences of one's actions.

* Harman yel ile, düğün el ile olur.
o Literal translation: Winnowing is with the wind, wedding is with the people.
o Meaning: Every situation has its own requisits.
* Hatasiz Kul Olmaz.
o Literal translation: Flawless human is impossible
o Meaning: Nobody's Perfect.

* Havan dövücünün hık deyicisi.
o Literal translation: He who hiccups of him who beats the pestle.
o Meaning: To pretend to help but not do anything.

* Havlayan köpek ısırmaz.
o Literal Translation: A barking dog doesn't bite.
o Meaning: Someone who lets out his fury by shouting will not do any physical harm. Display of aggression is usually bluff.

* Hayy'dan gelen Hû'ya gider.
o Literal translation: What comes from The Ever Living One will go to him.
o Meaning: He who comes from the creator, will return to him at the end.
o Variant: Someone will end up the way he started.

* Hazıra dağlar dayanmaz.
o Literal translation: Mountains won't endure on what lies ready.
o Meaninng: One cannot live forever on one's savings.

* Her gönülde bir aslan yatar.
o Literal translation: There lies a lion in every heart.
o Meaning: Everybody has bravery somewhere in themselves.

* Her horoz kendi çöplüğünde öter.
o Literal translation: Every rooster crows in its own pen.
o Meaning: People take courage from being in familiar surroundings.

* Her koyun kendi bacağından asılır.
o Literal translation: Every sheep is hanged from its own leg.
o Meaning: Everyone is responsible for his own actions.

* Her kuşun eti yenmez.
o Literal translation: One cannot eat the meat of every bird.
o Meaning: Not every person will do as you say.

* Her şeyin yenisi, dostun, şarabın eskisi.
o Literal translation: Every thing is best when new, a friend and wine are best when old.

* Her taş, baş yarmaz.
o Literal translation: Not every stone will hurt your head.
o Meaning: You should not be scared of every little obstacle.

* Hocanın vurduğu yerde gül biter.
o Literal translation: A rose will sprout from the place where a teacher has hit.
o Meaning: No learning without beating.

* Horozu çok olan köyün sabahı geç olur.
o Literal translation: In a village with too many roosters morning will come late.
o Meaning: With too much deliberation a solution won't be reached.


I

* Isıracak köpek dişini göstermez.
o Literal translation: A dog that intends to bite does not bare its teeth.
o Meaning: Malicious action is done surreptitiously.


İ

* İki ucu boklu deynek.
o Literal translation: A stick with both sides covered in shit.
o Meaning: Either of the options is unsatisfactory.

* İmam gülerse, cemaat kahkaha atar.
o Literal translation: If the imam scoffs, the community will chortle.
o Meaning: The leader serves as a model for the people.

* İmam osurursa, cemaat sıçar.
o Literal translation: If the imam farts, the whole congregation will defecate.
o Meaning: The leader serves as an example to his followers.

* İsin yanına varan is, misin yanına varan mis kokar.
o Literal translation: Who goes near soot smells of soot, and who goes near musk smells of musk.
o Meaning: A person is influenced by the company he keeps.

* İşleyen demir pas tutmaz.
o Literal translation: Iron that works does not rust.
o Meaning: One has to practise to keep up one's performance.

* İt ürür, kervan yürür.
o Literal translation: Dogs bark but caravan still moves on.
o Meaning: Great achievements can't be prevented by insignificant people.

* İti an, çomağı hazırla.
o Literal translation: Name the dog, ready the stick.
o Meaning: Used for people who show up instantly when they have been talked about. Usually has an unpleasant meaning. Check "İyi insan lafının üzerine gelirmiş." for the other one.

* İtle dalaşmaktansa çalıyı dolaşmak yeğdir.
o Literal translation: It is better to walk around a bush than fight with a dog.

* İyi insan lafının üzerine gelirmiş.
o Literal translation: A good person always arrives on the uttering of his name.
o Meaning: Used for people who show up instantly when they have been talked about. Has a pleasant meaning, unlike "İti an, çomağı hazırla."

* İyilik yap denize at, balık bilmezse halik bilir.
o Literal Translation: Do good and throw it into the sea; if the fish don't know it, God will.


K

* "En iyi karar, verilmiş karardir"
o Literal meaning: The best decision is a made decision.

* Karga demiş: "Benim ak pak evladim".
o Literal translation: The crow said: "Oh, my snow-white child".
o Meaning: Eveyone thinks their child is beautiful.

* Karga kekliği taklit edeyim derken, kendi yürüyüşünü unutmuş.
o Literal translation: As the crow tried to imitate the partridge, it forgot its own walking style.
o Meaning: Be thyself.

* Kaz gelecek yerden tavuk esirgenmez.
o Literal translation: A chicken won't be grudged to a place a goose will come from.
o Meaning: You need to be ready to sacrifice smaller things to reach your bigger goals.

* "Koyun bulunmadigi yerde keciye Abdur Rahim Celebi derler"
o Literal Translation: In the land where there are no sheep, they call goats Abdur Rahim Chelebi
o Meaning: Akin to in the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king

* Kefenin cebi yok.
o Literal translation: The shroud has no pockets.
o Meaning: You cannot take your earthly belongings with you when you die. Make better things with your wealth.

* Kel ölür sırma saçlı olur, kör ölür badem gözlü olur.
o Literal translation: The bald becomes golden haired when he dies, the blind becomes almond eyed when he dies.
o Meaning: People will attribute unrealistically good qualities to a person once he dies.

* Körle yatan şaşı kalkar.
o Literal translation: Who lies with the blind gets up cross-eyed.
o Meaning: If you are with the wrong person, you will adopt the mistakes.


* Kurda ensen neden kalın demişler, kendi işimi kendim görürüm de ondan demiş.
o Literal translation: They asked the wolf: "Why is your neck thick?", and it said: "I do my job myself, that's why."

* Kurunun yanında yaş da yanar.
o Literal translation: Near the dry, the damp will burn.
o Meaning: If you are with wrongdoers, nobody cares if you are innocent.