Modern-day Turkey is the country that lies on the site of what was formerly known as the Ottoman Empire in Asia Minor.
The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest that humanity has known and one of the few that has managed to endure over time for centuries. Like any advanced civilization, the Ottomans needed to transmit among their population a minimum of education and a minimum of vital information that every person within their empire should know.
Thus, proverbs became a source of wisdom that allowed this famous empire providing its entire population with basic knowledge that was the basis of its civilization.
Do you want to know the most interesting Turkish proverbs? Below you can find out the 80 best-known Turkish proverbs of today which contain ancestral wisdom of this ancient nation in the form of proverbs and popular sayings.
1. Wish well, be good.
We must always wish good for our loved ones.
2. Good words will open iron doors.
Being careful with our words will open many doors for us in the future.
3. If skill could be gained by watching, dogs would be butchers.
In order to gain experience, we must get to work.
4. If a dog’s prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.
Working for our dreams will be the only thing that will allow us to achieve them.
5. God finds a low branch for the bird that cannot fly
We must have hope, God can help us tomorrow.
6. Every bad guy has his worst.
There will always be someone worse than us.
7. Eat and drink with your friends, but do not negotiate with them.
We should not mix friendship with business.
8. Do what your teacher says but not what he does.
We must know how to advise, but also have our own personality.
9. It is better to die with a full stomach than to live empty.
It is better to die than to live a life of lack.
10. Work breeds prosperity.
Our daily efforts will allow us to be more prosperous in the future.
11. A thousand friends are too few; an enemy is too much.
A single enemy can cause us a lot of damage. We must guard against our enemies.
31. The owner of the house is the guest’s servant.
If we have a guest at home we must be generous with them.
32. Don’t talk about ropes in a hanged man’s house.
Knowing how to measure our words can save us a lot of trouble.
33. The bird that sings at the wrong time will die.
Talking too much will be counterproductive for us.
34. He who does not appreciate one, cannot get a thousand.
In order to achieve something very valuable, we must know how to value everything that brings us closer to being able to achieve it.
35. The fly is small, but it is big enough to make us sick.
A small discomfort can cause great discomfort over time.
36. What ignites quickly is soon extinguished.
If we do not measure our strength, we can end up breaking down. We must know how to act calmly but without pause.
37. Kill two birds with a stone.
Achieve two objectives with a single act. In Europe they often say: “kill two birds with one stone.”
38. A cup of coffee brings forty years of friendship.
We must be generous and invite our guests to coffee.
39. A hungry stomach has no ears.
If we are too hungry, we will not be able to pay attention.
40. A man is judged regarding his work.
Our work determines who we are within our society.
41. A small key opens big doors.
Something that may seem insignificant can allow us to achieve our goal.
42. A wise man always remembers his friends; a fool, only when he needs to.
Our friends can be great allies in the most difficult times, we must always give thanks for their friendship not only when we need them.
43. Beauty passes, wisdom remains.
In life, wisdom is much more important than beauty.
44. Hunter and hunted trust in God.
Both parties in an argument usually trust that luck will favor them.
45. Dogs bark, but the caravan passes.
Even if they disrespect us, we should not pay attention to them.
46. Empty words do not fill an empty stomach.
Words are not enough, actions are what define us.
47. For every wise man, there is a wiser one.
Many people try to sell a false image about themselves. We must not be carried away by false appearances.
48. God has created us brothers but has given us separate purses.
Each person looks after their own economy, we should not trust that others will solve our economic problems.
49. If God closes one door, he opens a thousand others.
Even if one path is closed to us, there will always be others we can take. We can always look for a different path to success.
50. It is easier to make a camel jump over a ditch than to make a fool discover the truth.
We should not waste time trying to get others to understand our point of view.
51. Listen hundreds of times; ponder thousands of times; speak once
Knowing how to listen and think carefully will allow us to speak with reason.
52. Don’t look for a calf under a bull.
We should not ask for pears from the elm, certain people will never be as we wish. We must let each person express themselves freely.
53. A fighter is never defeated if he does not get tired of fighting again.
We are not defeated if we never give up, we must persevere in our desire to achieve success.
54. Bitter vinegar only damages its container.
We should not pay for our personal problems with our immediate environment.
55. The heart endures when the eye does not see.
If we are not aware of a fault, we will not be able to react to it.
56. You reap what you sow.
What we share with others will be what they share with us.
57. If one is far away, one also moves away from the heart.
Distance can cool any love relationship.
58. He who sows wind will reap storms.
If we do evil to others, they will eventually turn against us.
59. A bachelor feels like a sultan.
Being single can allow us to live much more freely.
60. A fig seed will not fill you.
A small change won’t make a big difference.
61. Storm in a nutshell.
Saying that refers to when we face big problems with very few resources.
62. Love is daring.
When we truly love someone, we are able to do anything for that person.
63. To the crow’s eye, their chickens look like hawks.
Our children will always be the most beautiful for us.
64. An ember burns where it falls.
Whoever does evil continuously, does evil wherever he is.
65. The tree branch must bend when it is young.
When we are young, it is the time when we must work the most.
66. What a man has at seven years old is also what he is at seventy.
Many of us live with the same shortcomings throughout our lives.
67. Honor is like a long road with no return, like a perfume with an inaccessible smell.
Being honorable throughout life is something that very few people manage to do.
68. Man is harder than iron, stronger than a bull and more agile than a rose.
We are capable of doing anything we set our minds to, many of us never exploit our full potential.
69. Gambling tests gold, and gold tests judgment.
We should not fall into addiction to gambling, these will always be an inconvenience to being able to accumulate wealth.
70. The water runs, the sand remains; The money goes, the bag stays; The man dies, the name remains.
There will always be something we leave on earth after we die. We must try to leave a better world after our time in it.
71. If a rich man falls, it is an accident; but when a poor person falls, it is said that he is drunk.
The poor are always seen in a worse light, wealth makes us seem more noble people.
72. When the car has broken down, many will tell you where it should not go.
When something has already happened, people will always say that they already warned us.
73. Be master of those who do not love you and slaves of those who love you.
Those who show their love towards us should be the ones we value the most.
74. For the love of a rose, the gardener is the servant of a thousand thorns.
If we desire a very beautiful person, we must know how to confront all those things that separate us from them.
75. The man who wishes to be calm must be deaf, blind and mute.
Everything that happens around us day after day undoubtedly makes us much more uneasy. Knowing how to meditate can help us find greater peace of mind.
76. He who falls has no friends.
When we are defeated or lose everything we had before, false friends will always turn their backs on us.
77. Whoever hesitates between two mosques to go to pray will end up not praying.
If we look for excuses not to do something, in the end we will never do it.
78. An ounce of false vanity deteriorates a whole quintal of authentic merit.
We must know how to guard against false people, because a little falsehood can contaminate a large group of people.
79. Coffee is: Black as night. Strong as sin. Sweet like love. Hot as hell.
Coffee was highly valued in ancient Persia and also in current Turkey, without a doubt this is one of the most valued drinks in our entire civilization.
80. The true orphan is the one who has not received education.
Education is totally essential within any society, with it we will be able to develop in a much more efficient way.
