Turkish proverbs are atasözleri (ah-tah-sur-zeh-leh-ree, literally "ancestors' words") and idioms are deyimler (deh-yeem-ler). The best known is probably Damlaya damlaya göl olur (dahm-lah-yah dahm-lah-yah gurl oh-loor): drop by drop, a lake forms.

Turks use these sayings all the time, from grandparents giving advice to newspaper headlines. Below are 24 common ones, each with a literal translation and the real meaning. The meanings follow the TDK's dictionary, whose Atasözleri ve Deyimler Sözlüğü (Dictionary of Proverbs and Idioms) is the standard reference. Our guide to the Turkish alphabet and pronunciation helps with letters like ö and ğ.

Atasözü or deyim: what's the difference?

An atasözü is a complete sentence that gives advice or a general truth. Its form is fixed: you quote it as it is. Dost acı söyler is always dost acı söyler.

A deyim is a set phrase with a figurative meaning, usually built on a verb. You conjugate it like any verb: kılı kırk yarmak (to split a hair forty ways) becomes kılı kırk yarıyorsun (you're nitpicking). Most deyimler don't teach a lesson. They just describe something vividly.

	Atasözü (proverb)	Deyim (idiom)
Form	full sentence, fixed	phrase, changes with tense and person
Purpose	advice, shared wisdom	vivid description
Example	Acele işe şeytan karışır.	Ağzı kulaklarına varmak

14 common Turkish proverbs

Proverb	Literal translation	Real meaning
Damlaya damlaya göl olur.	Dripping, it becomes a lake.	Small amounts add up, so don't dismiss them.
Ayağını yorganına göre uzat.	Stretch your feet to fit your quilt.	Spend according to what you earn.
Sakla samanı, gelir zamanı.	Keep the straw; its time will come.	What looks useless may be needed one day.
Üzüm üzüme baka baka kararır.	Grapes darken by looking at each other.	People who spend time together pick up each other's habits.
Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var.	One hand has nothing; two hands make a sound.	You succeed by working together.
Tatlı dil yılanı deliğinden çıkarır.	A sweet tongue draws a snake out of its hole.	Kind words win over even stubborn people.
Dost acı söyler.	A friend speaks bitterly.	Real friends tell you your faults.
Ağaç yaşken eğilir.	A tree bends while it's young.	People are easiest to teach when young.
Sabreden derviş muradına ermiş.	The patient dervish reached his wish.	Those who can wait get what they want.
Acele işe şeytan karışır.	The devil gets into hasty work.	Rushed work goes wrong.
Ak akçe kara gün içindir.	White coins are for dark days.	Save the money you earn for hard times.
Gülü seven dikenine katlanır.	Who loves the rose puts up with its thorns.	Loving someone or something means accepting the trouble that comes with it.
Dağ dağa kavuşmaz, insan insana kavuşur.	Mountains never meet, but people do.	However far apart, people meet again one day.
Ne ekersen onu biçersin.	You reap what you sow.	You get back what you give.

Ayağını yorganına göre uzat is the one you'll hear about money. Parents say it to children, and columnists use it about household budgets. Ak akçe kara gün içindir is its partner, about putting money aside for hard times.

People say Dağ dağa kavuşmaz, insan insana kavuşur when they bump into someone unexpectedly, or when saying goodbye to someone you hope to see again.

10 common Turkish idioms

Idiom	Literal translation	Real meaning
ağzı kulaklarına varmak	mouth reaching the ears	to be overjoyed, grin from ear to ear
burnu havada (olmak)	nose in the air	arrogant, full of oneself
kılı kırk yarmak	to split a hair forty ways	to examine every detail, nitpick
ağzında bakla ıslanmamak	broad beans don't get wet in one's mouth	can't keep a secret
ateş pahası	the price of fire	extremely expensive
pabucu dama atılmak	one's slipper thrown on the roof	to be pushed aside by someone better
kafa dengi	head-equal	a kindred spirit, someone who thinks like you
göz atmak	to throw an eye	to take a quick look
kulak asmamak	not to hang an ear	to ignore advice, pay no attention
dört gözle beklemek	to wait with four eyes	to look forward to something eagerly

You'll hear ateş pahası at the market. Domatesler ateş pahası! means "Tomatoes cost a fortune!" To follow the price that comes next, see our guide to Turkish numbers, time and prices.

Göz atmak is common enough that you'll use it at work: Rapora bir göz atar mısınız? (Could you take a quick look at the report?) It's neutral and polite.

When to use proverbs and idioms

Idioms fit almost any register. Göz atmak and dört gözle beklemek appear in emails and news. Ağzında bakla ıslanmamak and burnu havada are a little more conversational and a bit judgmental, so use them about people, not to them.

Proverbs sound like advice from someone older. Quoting one to an older person can sound charming or, if you're giving them advice, a little cheeky. With friends and in essays they work well. Writers often open or close an argument with one.

A proverb is often introduced with a short phrase:

Atalarımız boşuna dememiş: ... Our ancestors didn't say it for nothing: ...
Ne demişler? ... What do they say? ...
Dedikleri gibi, ... As they say, ...

Tarçın the cat puzzled by a tiny rain cloud over a flower and a fish in a teacup

How to reply when someone uses a proverb

Usually you just agree. Aynen öyle (exactly) and Çok doğru (very true) are safe. If someone quotes Sabreden derviş muradına ermiş at you, a smile and İnşallah (hopefully) is the classic answer. İnşallah is a fixed expression that's also used by non-religious speakers.

You can also answer with another proverb that fits. It's a friendly way to keep the conversation going, and people notice when a learner can do it.

Pronunciation tips for English speakers

ö sounds like the vowel in "bird" said with rounded lips: göl, söyler, sözleri.
ğ is silent and lengthens the vowel: dağ sounds like "daa", ağaç like "aa-ach".
ı is short and unrounded, as in kılı and ağzı. It isn't "ee".
Keep the rhythm. Many proverbs rhyme or repeat (sakla samanı, gelir zamanı), so say them evenly, with a slight pause at the comma.

Common mistakes

Changing a proverb's words. Damlaya damlaya deniz olur sounds wrong to a Turk. Keep the fixed form.
Translating English proverbs word for word. "The early bird catches the worm" makes no sense in Turkish.
Forgetting to conjugate idioms. It's Ağzı kulaklarına vardı (he was overjoyed), not ağzı kulaklarına varmak in the middle of a sentence.
Using judging idioms about yourself. Burnum havada is an odd thing to say about yourself.

Two short dialogues

At home:

Mother: Bu ay çok harcadık. Ayağını yorganına göre uzat, oğlum.
Son: Haklısın anne. Damlaya damlaya göl olur, biraz biriktireyim.

At work:

Selin: Sunuma bir göz atar mısın? Yarın patrona göstereceğim.
You: Tabii. Ama kılı kırk yarmayacağım, merak etme.
Selin: Sağ ol! Toplantıyı dört gözle bekliyorum.

For the casual words people use between friends, see our guide to Turkish slang words. The basic everyday phrases are in Turkish greetings and everyday phrases.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous Turkish proverb?

There's no official ranking, but Damlaya damlaya göl olur and Ayağını yorganına göre uzat are among the ones every Turk knows from childhood.

Where can I check the meaning of a Turkish proverb?

Use the TDK's online dictionary at sozluk.gov.tr. Its Atasözleri ve Deyimler Sözlüğü section gives the meaning of each proverb and idiom in Turkish.

Are Turkish idioms used in exams?

Idioms matter more as your level rises. The Council of Europe's CEFR Companion Volume expects a C1 learner to recognise a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, so they turn up in advanced reading and listening. Our TÖMER and TYS guide explains what those exams test.

Should beginners learn proverbs?

Learn to recognise a few early. Using them comes naturally around B1, once you can conjugate verbs without thinking.

A list like this gets you recognising proverbs. Using one at the right moment, without it sounding rehearsed, comes from trying them in conversation and getting told when one doesn't fit. If you'd like to practise that with a native speaker, book a free trial lesson with Ceylan. The free level test is a good first step if you're not sure whether you're near B1 yet.

Turkish Proverbs and Idioms: 24 Sayings With Meanings