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Turkish Proverbs
I thought it would be interesting to have Turkish sayings-proverbs here. There are many inspirational quotes in Turkish language..they are short but they teach well
-A-
* Acıkan doymam (sanır), susayan kanmam sanır.
>> Literal translation: A hungry man thinks he won't be satiated, a thirsty man thinks he won't be quenched.
* 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: If you are in need, anything seems useful.
* Aç ayı oynamaz.
>> Literal translation: A hungry bear won't dance.
>> Meaning: One needs food to do some work.
* Açın halini tok bilmez, hastanın halini sağ bilmez.
>> Literal translation: A satiated man doesn't know what's hunger, a healthy man doesn't know what's disease.
* Açma sırrını dostuna, o da söyler dostuna.
>> Literal translation: Don't tell your secret to your friend, he will tell it to his friend.
* Ağacı kurt, insanı dert yer.
>> Literal translation: It is worms which destroy a tree, it is worry which destroys a human.
* "Aĝaç yaş iken eĝilir"
>> Literal translation: Trees bend when they are young.
>> Meaning: You can only learn at a young age, when you get older you will not be able to learn.
* Ak gün ağartır, kara gün karartır.
>> Literal translation: A white day sheds light, a black day sheds darkness.
* Akılları pazara çıkarmışlar, herkes kendi aklını beğenmiş.
>> Variant: Herkes aklını pazara çıkarmış, yine kendi aklını beğenmiş.
>> Literal translation: They put up minds for sale on the market, everyone liked his own mind. (Variant: Everyone put up his mind for sale on the market, and liked his own mind.)
>> Meaning: To stick to one's own opinion.
* Alçak yerde yatma sel alır, yüksek yerde yatma yel alır.
>> Literal translation: Don't lie down in low places, flood will take you, don't lie down in high places, wind will take you.
>> Meaning: Do not do extreme things, stay casual.
* Al elmaya taş atan çok olur.
>> Literal translation: There are many who throw stones at a red apple.
>> Meaning: Good will be envied.
* Ana gibi yar, vatan gibi diyar olmaz.
>> Literal translation: There is no lover like mothers nor place like homeland.
>> Meaning: No lovers' love can be compared to mothers' love and no place is "better" than the homeland.
* 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.
* Araba devrilince yol gösteren çok olur.
>> Variant from the city of Kırşehir: Kağnı devrilince yol gösteren çok olur.
>> Literal translation: Many will show the way after the carriage (variant: ox cart) has overturned.
>> Meaning: Everyone is wise after the event.
* Armut dibine düşer.
>> Literal translation: A pear will fall to its root.
>> Meaning: Children resemble 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 has experienced it.
* Ateş olmayan yerden duman çıkmaz.
>> Literal translation: No smoke will come out from a place where there is no fire.
* Ayıpsız dost arayan dostsuz kalır.
>> Literal translation: A man who seeks a perfect friend, will turn out having none.
-B-
* Babası oğluna bir bağ bağışlamış, oğul babaya bir salkım üzüm vermemiş.
o Literal translation: The father donated a vineyard to his son, the son didn't give a bunch of grapes to the father.
o Meaning: Used when a person does something ungrateful and selfish to another person who made good deeds for him.
* Balık ağa girdikten sonra aklı başına gelir.
o Literal translation: A fish only comes to its senses after it is caught in the net.
o Meaning: You will only learn when something happens to you.
* Bana arkadaşını söyle, sana kim olduğunu söyleyeyim.
o Literal translation: Tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are.
* Baş başa vermeyince taş yerinden kalkmaz.
o Literal translation: The stone will not move from its place, unless you cooperate.
o Meaning: Hard tasks can be accomplished by collaboration.
* Başkasına fenalık eden kendine etmiş olur.
o Literal translation: He who does evil to another, has done it to himself.
o Meaning: Sow the wind, reap the storm.
* Bekara karı boşamak kolay.
o Literal translation: Divorcing a wife is easy for a single guy.
o Meaning: If somebody is looking at the situation from outside, he can't fully comprehend it.
* Bekara karı boşamak kolay gelir.
o Literal translation: It's easy for a single to divorce a woman.
o Meaning: Things seem easier to the one who isn't involved.
* Bin bilsen de bir bilene danış.
o Literal translation: Even if you know a thousand things, still ask someone who knows.
o Meaning: It is advisable to check with an expert.
* Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var.
o Literal translation: What does one hand have? Two hands make a sound.
o Meaning: People produce more or better work if they cooperate.
* Bir kanatla kuş uçmaz.
o Literal translation: A bird will not fly with one wing.
* Bitli baklanın kör alıcısı olur.
o Literal translation: Wormy beans will have blind buyers.
o Meanning: Even worthless things find a buyer.
* Boşboğazı cehenneme atmışlar, "Odun yaş" diye bağırmış.
o Literal translation: They put the blabbermouth in hell, and he shouted "The wood is damp!"
o Meaning: Used for extremely idiot people.
* Bükemediğin bileği öpeceksin.
o Literal translation: You should kiss the hand that you can't bend.
o Meaning: You should respect someone who bests you, rather than grudging towards him.
* Bülbülü altın kafese koymuşlar, ah vatanım demiş.
o Literal translation: They put the nightingale in a golden cage, it still craved for its country.
-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.
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Originally Posted by HelenEda
