A: Ackan doymam (sanr), susayan kanmam sanr.

. Literal translation: A hungry man thinks he wont be satiated, a thirsty man thinks he wont be quenched. Acele ie eytan karr. Literal translation: The Devil would intrude upon hurried work. Meaning: Dont be too hasty. A tavuk kendini buday ambarnda grr. Literal translation: A hungry hen sees herself in a wheat silo. Meaning: If you are in need, anything seems useful. A ay oynamaz. Literal translation: A hungry bear wont dance. Meaning: One needs food to do some work. An halini tok bilmez, hastann halini sa bilmez. Literal translation: A satiated man doesnt know whats hunger, a healthy man doesnt know whats disease. Ama srrn dostuna, o da syler dostuna. Literal translation: Dont tell your secret to your friend, he will tell it to his friend. Aac kurt, insan dert yer. Literal translation: It is worms which destroy a tree, it is worry which destroys a human. "Aa ya iken eilir" 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 gn aartr, kara gn karartr. Literal translation: A white day sheds light, a black day sheds darkness. Akllar pazara karmlar, herkes kendi akln beenmi. Variant: Herkes akln pazara karm, yine kendi akln beenmi. 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 ones own opinion. Alak yerde yatma sel alr, yksek yerde yatma yel alr. Literal translation: Dont lie down in low places, flood will take you, dont lie down in high places, wind will take you. Al elmaya ta atan ok 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 gsteren ok olur. Variant from the city of Krehir: Kan devrilince yol gsteren ok olur. Literal translation: Many will show the way after the carriage (variant: ox cart) has overturned. Meaning: Everone is wise after the event. Armut dibine der. Literal translation: A pear will fall to its root. Meaning: Children resemble their parents. Aslan yatt yerden belli olur. Literal translation: You can tell a lion from where he dwells. Meaning: A persons character shows itself from his surroundings. Ate dt yeri yakar. Literal translation: Fire burns where it falls. Meaning: Pain is suffered most by the one who has experienced it. Ate olmayan yerden duman kmaz. Literal translation: No smoke will come out from a place where there is no fire. Aypsz dost arayan dostsuz kalr. Literal translation: A man who seeks a perfect friend, will remain friendless. B: Babas oluna bir ba balam, oul babaya bir salkm zm vermemi. Literal translation: The father donated a vineyard to his son, the son didnt give a bunch of grapes to the father. Balk aa girdikten sonra akl bana gelir. Literal translation: A fish only comes to its senses after it is caught in the net. Bana arkadan syle, sana kim olduunu syleyeyim. Literal translation: Tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are. Ba baa vermeyince ta yerinden kalkmaz. Literal translation: The stone will not move from its place unless head is put to head. Meaning: Hard tasks can be accomplished by collaboration. Bakasna fenalk eden kendine etmi olur. Literal translation: He who does evil to another, has done it to himself. Bekara kar boamak kolay. Literal translation: Divorcing a wife is easy for a single guy. Meaning: If somebody is looking at the situation from outside, he cant fully comprehend it. Bekara kar boamak kolay gelir. Literal translation: Its easy for a single to divorce a woman. Meaning: Things seem easier to the one who isnt involved. Bin bilsen de bir bilene dan.

 Literal translation: Even if you know a thousand things, still ask someone who knows. Meaning: It is advisable to check with an expert. Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var. Literal translation: What does one hand have? Two hands make a sound. Meaning: People produce more or better work if they cooperate. Bir kanatla ku umaz. Literal translation: A bird will not fly with one wing. Bitli baklann kr alcs olur. Literal translation: Wormy beans will have blind buyers. Meanning: Even worthless things find a buyer. Boboaz cehenneme atmlar, "Odun ya" diye barm. Literal translation: They put the blabbermouth in hell, and he shouted "The wood is damp!" Bkemediin bilei peceksin. Literal translation: You should kiss the hand that you cant bend. Meaning: You should respect someone who is superior to you, and not become enemies with him. Blbl altn kafese koymular, ah vatanm demi. Literal translation: They put the nightingale in a golden cage, it still craved for its country. C: Cahile sz anlatmak, deveyi hendekten atlatmaktan zordur. Literal translation: Explaining something to an ignorant person is harder than making a camel jump over a ditch. Can kmaynca huy kmaz. Literal translation: Habits dont expire until the soul expires. Cmert der maldan ederler, yiit der candan ederler. Literal translation: They call you "generous" and make you lose your property, they call you "brave" and make you lose your life. : kmayan candan umit kesilmez. Literal translation: Hope wont be cut from the soul that has not expired. Meaning: As long as there is life, there is hope. ok yaayan bilmez, ok gezen bilir. Literal translation: Not he who lived long knows, but he who traveled much knows. Meaning: Experience counts more than years. D: Da daa kavumaz,insan insana kavuur. Literal translation: Mountain wont meet mountain, but man will meet man. Meaning: Consider that whatever you do to a person, you may meet him again. Damlaya damlaya gl olur. Literal translation: Drop by drop the lake is formed.

 Meaning: From little acorns, mighty oak trees grow. Davulun sesi uzaktan ho gelir. Literal translation: The sound of drums sounds nicely from far away. Meaning: The grass looks greener on the other side. Denize den ylana sarlr. Literal translation: Who falls into the sea will take hold even of a snake. Meaning: If you are in a bad situation, you will accept any help. Beggars cant be choosers. Derviin fikri neyse zikri de odur. Literal translation: Whatever the thoughts of the dervish, so are his formulas. Meaning: Mans thoughts are revealed in his speech. Deveye sormular neden boynun eri. "Nerem doru ki?" demi. Literal translation: They asked the camel why its neck was curved. "What of me is straight?" it said. Meaning: Criticizing a detail when the whole thing is done badly. Dilinin altn bakla var. Literal meaning: There is a long bean under your tongue. Meaning: You have a secret you wont share. Doru syleyeni dokuz kyden kovarlar. Literal translation: The one who speaks truth would be expelled from nine villages. Meaning: Who always speaks the truth is not popular. Note: "Dokuz" (nine) displays alliteration with "doru" (truth). Dnyay sel bassa rdee vz gelir. Literal translation: If the world is flooded, it wouldnt matter for the duck. E: * El elin eeini trk rarak arar. o Literal translation: One searches for someone elses donkey while singing songs. o Meaning: People are not disheartened by the trouble of others. * Elitiri hakk calimaktan doar o Literal translation: The right to criticize comes from work. o Meaning: Those who havent done it shouldnt criticize it. * Emek olmadan yemek olmaz. o Literal translation: Without effort there is no food. o Meaning: No pain, no gain. F: * Fala inanma falsz kalma. o Literal translation: Dont believe in foretellings but dont stay without them. o Meaning: Foretellings are not to be believed but they might have benefits. G: * enliin kymeti ihtiyarlkta bilinir. o Literal translation: The value of youth will be known in old age. * Genlk bir kutur, ucar tutamam. Yallk yktr, bir kurua satamam. o Literal translation: Youth is a bird, escapes my capture. Old age is a heavy burden, cant sell it for a

penny. * Gkyznde dn var deseler, kadnlar 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. * Grnen ky klavuz istemez. o Literal translation: The village that one can see requires no guide. o Meaning: No need to say something when it is obvious. * Gzden uzak olan gnlden 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. * Gl seven dikenine katlanr. 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 * Gne balkla svanmaz. o Literal translation: Sun cannot be daubed using wet clay. o Meaning: One cannot conceal something very obvious whatever they try. * Gnete yanmayan glgenin kymetini bilmez. o Literal translation: Who has never been burned in the sun wont know the value of shadow. o Meaning: One will not appreciate something, if they havent 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 ones actions. * Harman yel ile, dn 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: Nobodys Perfect. * Havan dvcnn hk deyicisi. o Literal translation: He who hiccups of him who beats the pestle. o Meaning: To pretend to help but not do anything. * Havlayan kpek srmaz. o Literal Translation: A barking dog doesnt bite. o Meaning: Someone who lets out his fury by shouting will not do any physical harm. Display of aggression is usually bluff. * Hayydan gelen Hya 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.

* Hazra dalar dayanmaz. o Literal translation: Mountains wont endure on what lies ready. o Meaninng: One cannot live forever on ones savings. * Her gnlde bir aslan yatar. o Literal translation: There lies a lion in every heart. o Meaning: Everybody has bravery somewhere in themselves. * Her horoz kendi plnde ter. o Literal translation: Every rooster crows in its own pen. o Meaning: People take courage from being in familiar surroundings. * Her koyun kendi bacandan aslr. o Literal translation: Every sheep is hanged from its own leg. o Meaning: Everyone is responsible for his own actions. * Her kuun eti yenmez. o Literal translation: One cannot eat the meat of every bird. o Meaning: Not every person will do as you say. * Her eyin yenisi, dostun, arabn eskisi. o Literal translation: Every thing is best when new, a friend and wine are best when old. * Her ta, ba yarmaz. o Literal translation: Not every stone will hurt your head. o Meaning: You should not be scared of every little obstacle. * Hocann vurduu yerde gl biter. o Literal translation: A rose will sprout from the place where a teacher has hit. o Meaning: No learning without beating. * Horozu ok olan kyn sabah ge olur. o Literal translation: In a village with too many roosters morning will come late. o Meaning: With too much deliberation a solution wont be reached. I: * Isracak kpek diini gstermez. o Literal translation: A dog that intends to bite does not bare its teeth. o Meaning: Malicious action is done surreptitiously. : * mam glerse, 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. * sin yanna varan is, misin yanna 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. * leyen demir pas tutmaz. o Literal translation: Iron that works does not rust. o Meaning: One has to practise to keep up ones performance.

* tle dalamaktansa aly dolamak yedir. o Literal translation: It is better to walk around a bush than fight with a dog. * yilik yap denize at, balk bilmezse halik bilir. o Literal Translation: Do good and throw it into the sea; if the fish dont know it, God will. K: * "En iyi karar, verilmi karardir" o Literal meaning: The best desicion is a made one * Karga demi: "Benim ak pak evladim". o Literal translation: The crow said: "Oh, my snow-white child". o Meaning: Eveyone thinks their child is beautiful. * Karga keklii taklit edeyim derken, kendi yryn unutmu. 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 wont 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 lr srma sal olur, kr lr badem gzl 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. * Klavuzu karga olann burnu boktan kmaz. o Literal translation: The nose of him whose guide is a crow will never get out of the shit. o Meaning: Follow the right advise. * Krle yatan a 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. * Keye skan san kedi taa yalar. o Literal translation: The cornered rat will lick the balls of the cat. o Meaning: A stranded person will act subserviently in order to survive. * Kurda ensen neden kaln demiler, kendi iimi kendim grrm de ondan demi. o Literal translation: They asked the wolf: "Why is your neck thick?", and it said: "I do my job myself, thats why."

* Kurunun yannda ya 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. L: * Lafla peynir gemisi yrmez. o Literal translation: With talking the cheese ship wont move. o Meaning: Its action that will yield tangible results, not the talking. M: * Mal can kazanmaz, can mal kazanr. o Literal translation: Property will not earn life, but life will earn property. o Meaning: Health is more important than wealth. * Mart kapdan baktrr, kazma krek yaktrr. o Literal translation: March makes one look through the door, and makes one burn hoes and shovels. o Meaning: Do not act carelessly under influence of enthusiasm, or you might find yourself in a darer situation. * Meyveli aa talarlar. o Literal translation: They throw stones at a tree with fruit. o Meaning: Talented people are the object of jealousy. * Minareyi alan klfn hazrlar. o Literal translation: Who steals the minaret will have a cover ready. o Meaning: He that steals can hide. * Minareyi yaptrmayan yerden bitmi sanr. o Literal translation: He who did not help building the minaret, thinks that it just grew out from the ground. * Misafir umduunu yemez, bulduunu yer. o Literal translation: A guest will not eat what he hopes for but what he finds. * Mhr kimde ise Sleyman odur. o Literal translation: Whoever has the Seal, he is Solomon [the prophet]. o Meaning: Who is the boss calls the shots. N: * Namazda gz olmayann ezanda kula olmaz. o Literal translation: Who has no intention to pray has no ears for the call to prayer. o Meaning: Ones perceptions depend on her/his intentions. * Ne ekersen onu biersin. o Literal translation: You will reap whatever you sow. * Nerede hareket orada bereket. o Literal translation: Where there is activity, there is fertility. * Nereye gitsen okka drt yz dirhemdir. o Literal translation: Wherever you go, an okka is four hundred dirhem. o Meaning: It makes no difference, fact is fact. (An okka is a weight of 1282 gr, or 400 dirhem).

O: * Olan babadan renir sofra amay, kz anadan renir biki bimeyi. o Literal translation: A son will learn from his father to make a living, a daughter will learn from her mother to cut clothes. * Olacakla lecee are bulunmaz. o Literal translation: There is no remedy for what will be and who will die. * Olan drt balar, olmayan dert balar. o Literal translation: He who has wraps four, he who has not wraps trouble. o Meaning: The rich have valuables, the poor have troubles. * Olsa ile bulsay ekmiler, yel ile yuf bitmi. o Literal translation: They sowed "if only" and "if found", and wind and waste sprang up. P: * Papaz her gn pilav yemez. o Literal translation: The priest does not eat rice every day. o Meaning: To grab an opportunity. * Parayla imann kimde olduu belli olmaz. o Literal translation: It is unclear who has money and who faith. * Paray veren dd alar. o Literal translation: Who gives the money will play the flute. o Meaning: There is no free lunch. R: * Rvet kapdan girince iman bacadan kar. o Literal translation: When bribery enters through the door, faith goes out through the chimney S: * Sabr acdr, meyvesi tatldr. o Literal translation: Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. * Sakinilan gze cp batar. o Literal translation: An over-protected eye gets the speck. o Meaning: Being overly careful invites misfortunes. * Sakla saman, gelir zaman. o Literal translation: Keep straw, its time will come. o Meaning: Dont throw away even an insignificant thing, there might be a time, when it will be needed. * Sarmsa gelin etmiler, krk gn kokusu kmam. o Literal translation: They made the garlic a bride, its smell did not come out for forty days. o Meaning: Only after some time are a spouses faults noticed. * Sen aa, ben aa, bu inei kim saa? o Literal translation: You a master, I a master, who is to milk this cow? o Meaning: Said when a job is not done because everybody considers it beneath him. * Sereden korkan dar ekmez.

o Literal translation: Who fears the sparrows must not sow millet. o Meaning: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. * Soann acsn yiyen bilmez, dorayan bilir. o Literal translation: Who eats it wont know the bitterness of the onion, but who chops it does. * Son glen iyi gler. o Literal translation: Who laughs last, laughs the best. * Su akarken testiyi doldurmal. o Literal translation: One must fill the pitcher while the water is flowing. * Stten az yanan yourdu fleyerek yer. o Literal translation: One who has once burnt his tongue while drinking milk will blow to yoghurt before eating it. o Meaning: One who has experienced pain will be cautious even in the least dangerous situation. : * eyh umaz, mridi uurur. o Literal translation: The sheik cannot fly, but his disciple lets him fly. o Meaning: Followers tend to attribute characteristics to a leader that he has not got. * eytanla ortak buday eken samann alr. o Literal translation: Who sows wheat with the devil will get its chaff. T: * Tabancann dolusu bir kiiyi korkutur, bou krk kiiyi. o Literal translation: A charged pistol scares one person, an empty one scares forty people. o Meaning: Control your power. If it is controlled, only the target will be concerned. Otherwise, you create panic. * Tarlada izi olmayann harmanda yz olmaz. o Literal translation: Who leaves no traces in the field, will be put to shame at harvest. o Meaning: Who does not attend to his tasks wont have results. * Tama su ile deirmen dnmez. o Literal translation: The mill wont turn with carried water. o Meaning: A job cant be done with inadequate means. * Tatsz aa tuz neylesin, aklsz baa sz neylesin. o Literal translation: What is salt to tasteless food, what is a word to a foolish head? * Tavan daa ksm, dan haberi olmam. o Literal translation: The hare (rabbit) was offended with the mountain, but the mountain did not notice. o Meaning: It is senseless to show resentment towards an unresponsive and unrelated person or entity. * Tembele i buyur, sana akl retsin. o Literal translation: Order the lazybones a task; he will give you advice. * "Tencere dibin kara." "Seninki benden kara." o Literal translation: "Pot, your bottom is black." "Yours is blacker than me."

o Meaning: The sorrows are not visible but overwhelming (darker than the bottom of a pot). U: * Ucuz etin yahnisi yavan (tatsz, pek) olur. o Literal translation: The stew of cheap meat will be tasteless (hard). o Meaning: Cheap possessions disappoint. * Umut fakirin ekmeidir. o Literal translation: Hope is the bread of the poor. * Uyuyan ylann kuyruuna basma. o Literal translation: Dont tread on the tail of a sleeping snake. : * enenin olu kz olmaz. o Literal translation: A reserved will not have sons and daughters. o A person who shys away from engaging social interactions will stay single. * zm zme baka baka kararr. o Literal translation: Grapes will darken by looking at each other. o Meaning: People mature by learning from their peers. People become bad through bad company. V: * Vakit nakittir. o Literal translation: Time is cash. o Meaning: Time is money. * Vakitsiz ten horozun ba kesilir. o Literal translation: The head of the rooster that crows out of time will be cut off. * Vardn yer krse, sen de gzn kapa. o Literal translation: If the place you have arrived at is blind, blink your eye. Y: * Yalancnn evi yanm, kimse inanmam. o Literal translation: The liars house burned, but nobody believed it. * Yalancnn mumu yatsya kadar yanar. o Literal translation: A liars candle will burn until bed-time. o Meaning : A lie will be eventually exposed. * Yavuz hrsz ev sahibini bastrr. o Literal translation: smart thief overcomes the landlord o meaning: even when he is wrong, he makes others believe with his aggressive behavior that he is right * Yaz gn glgede yatann, k gn ekmei esmer olur. o Literal translation: the one who lays in shade in summer, whose bread becomes dark in winter o meaning: if you dont work in summer, you dont get comfort in winter o A proverb from the district of Krfez. * Yenilen pehlivan gree doymaz. o Literal translation: The beaten wrestler is never satisfied with wrestling"

o meaning: He who fails will always want to try again and again until success. * Yiit lakabyla anlr. o Literal translation: The brave is known by his fame. * Yolsuz tccar bozuk para sayarm. o Literal translation: A broke merchant counted his small change. o Meaning: Said when an underachiever recounts his petty achievements. * Yz gzel olann huyu da gzel olur. o Who has a beautiful face has a beautiful character too. Z: * Zemheride yourt isteyen, cebinde bir inek tar. o Literal translation: Who wants yoghurt in winter must carry a cow in his pocket. o Meaning: If you want something difficult, you must be willing to take the trouble to obtain it. * Zengin arabasn dadan arr, zrt dz ovada yolunu arr. o Literal translation: A rich man will get his carriage over the mountains, a poor man will lose his way on a level plain. * Zenginin horozu bile yumurtlar. o Literal translation: Even the rooster of a rich man lays eggs. * Zenginin mal fakirin enesini yorar. o Literal translation: A rich mans belongings will tire a poor mans jaw.