Turkish Proverbs With English Translation and Meaning: 12 Everyday Sayings
Twelve Turkish proverbs about friends, neighbors, growing up and kind words, each with the Turkish, a word-for-word English translation and its meaning, plus a short guide to saying them.
A proverb is a short sentence that carries advice. In Turkish it is called an atasözü, which means roughly "a word of the ancestors". Families use proverbs at the table, on the phone and in the car, often with a smile. This guide shares twelve Turkish proverbs. Each one comes with the Turkish, a word-for-word English translation and a short note on the meaning. They are grouped by theme: friends, neighbors and guests, growing up, and kind words. Most are easy to remember, so you can try one with your family today.
Proverbs about friends
Dost acı söyler
"A friend speaks bitterly."
A true friend tells you the truth even when it is hard to hear. You might think of it after a friend has given you honest advice.
Dost kara günde belli olur
"A friend shows on a dark day."
You find out who your real friends are in hard times.
Gülü seven dikenine katlanır
"Whoever loves the rose puts up with its thorn."
If you love something, you accept its difficult parts, too. It fits friends, family and anything dear to you.
Proverbs about neighbors, tea and guests
Komşu komşunun külüne muhtaçtır
"A neighbor needs the neighbor's ash."
Neighbors need each other, even for small things. Ash is a small, ordinary thing, and that is the point.
Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var
"What can one hand do? Two hands make a sound."
Together we can do more than alone. Picture clapping: one hand makes no sound at all.
Çay bahane, muhabbet şahane
"Tea is the excuse, the chat is the delight."
People meet over tea, but the real joy is the company and the talk. This saying gave one of our designs its name. See the Çay Bahane, Muhabbet Şahane collection, or read Turkish Tea Culture, Explained in Nine Glasses.
Misafir umduğunu değil bulduğunu yer
"A guest eats what they find, not what they hope for."
Guests should be happy with what is offered. It is a reminder to be gracious as a guest.
Proverbs about growing up and patience
Ağaç yaşken eğilir
"A tree bends while it is young."
Habits, manners and new skills are easiest to learn when someone is young. For parents it can be a reminder that small, regular habits start early. For a word-a-day idea, see 15 Turkish Words Every Kid Should Hear Before Age 8.
Damlaya damlaya göl olur
"Drop by drop, a lake forms."
Small things add up: a little saving or a little learning every day becomes a lot.
Sabır acıdır, meyvesi tatlıdır
"Patience is bitter, its fruit is sweet."
Waiting is hard, but what comes at the end is worth it. It is a kind thing to say to a child who is working on a new skill, or to yourself.
Proverbs about kind words and giving
Tatlı dil yılanı deliğinden çıkarır
"A sweet tongue brings the snake out of its hole."
Kind words can win over even difficult people.
Veren el alan elden üstündür
"The giving hand is above the taking hand."
Giving is nobler than taking. It is a nice thought to keep in mind when you choose a gift. For ideas, read What Is a Traditional Turkish Gift? 12 Ideas for Turkish Families.
Words worth knowing
A few small words appear again and again in these sayings. Dost means friend, komşu means neighbor, el means hand, çay means tea and sabır means patience. Dil is a special word: it means both "tongue" and "language". That is why tatlı dil is a "sweet tongue" and iki dil is "two languages".
How to say them
Turkish is mostly written the way it sounds, so a few letters are enough to start. The letter ç sounds like "ch" in "chair", and ş sounds like "sh" in "shoe". The dotless ı sounds roughly like the "a" in "about". The soft g, ğ, is not said like an English g. It softens, and it makes the vowel before it a little longer. Say each word slowly first, then say the whole saying at the speed of a normal conversation.
Proverb or idiom?
A proverb (atasözü) is a full sentence with advice or a lesson, like the twelve above. An idiom (deyim) is a fixed phrase whose meaning goes beyond its words. A good example is tuz ekmek hakkı, which means "the right of salt and bread". It describes the loyalty you owe to someone who has shared a meal and their hospitality with you. Idioms often fit inside a sentence, while proverbs usually stand on their own.
Try them with your family
- Choose a proverb of the week. Write the Turkish on the fridge and say the English together. Hearing the same sentence often is the easiest way to remember it.
- Ask a grandparent. Which proverb did they hear most as a child? Do they know a different version?
- Play a daily puzzle. The Turkish Emoji Proverbs game is a daily emoji puzzle that is free to play. Every answer comes with a word-for-word translation and a meaning in English, and you do not need to know Turkish to start.
- Put one in a card. A proverb written inside a card is a warm way to say thank you.
For more sayings and the designs that carry them, read What These Turkish Sayings Mean and Sana Da Meaning. If you are visiting a new home soon, our Turkish housewarming gift ideas include wishes you can say at the door. You can see every design in the Turkish Culture Designs collection.