I believe proverbs are an important part of any culture. Though we don’t know under what circumstances or by whom they were put forward, they have been passed down from one generation of people to another. They serve to teach us life lessons while showing us different points of view. 

As a learner of the Turkish language, you’ll greatly benefit from studying Turkish proverbs and sayings. Doing so will expand your vocabulary, help you better understand the inner workings of the language, and provide you with insight into the core values and traditions of Turkish culture. 

In this article, you’ll learn thirty inspirational and motivational Turkish proverbs with their English translations. We’ve categorized them by topic, so feel free to skim through and find a topic or theme that interests you!

→ By the way, to spice up your Turkish conversations even more, you may want to brush up on these Essential Idioms That Will Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker!

Table of Contents

1. Turkish Proverbs About Time
2. Turkish Proverbs About Hope
3. Turkish Proverbs About Friendship
4. Turkish Proverbs About Happiness
5. Turkish Proverbs About Trust
6. Turkish Proverbs About Money
7. Turkish Proverbs About Wisdom
8. Miscellaneous Proverbs
9. Learn More with TurkishClass101!



1. Turkish Proverbs About Time

Time is many things to us. It’s full of opportunity, it’s always running out, there’s never quite enough of it, and we’re always looking for the best ways to spend the time we do have. With this in mind, here are some Turkish proverbs about time: 

1	Turkish	Zaman her şeyin ilacıdır.
	Literally	Time is the medicine of everything.
	Equivalent in English	Time is the best medicine.
	As time passes, all the troubles we experience are forgotten or the sorrow we feel decreases. Example: Üzülme, bugünler de geçecek; zaman her şeyin ilacıdır. “Don’t worry, these days will be over, too; time is the best medicine.”




2	Turkish	Sakla samanı, gelir zamanı.
	Literally	Save the hay, its time will come.
	Equivalent in English	Keep a thing seven years and you’ll find a use for it.
	If you hold onto something you have for long enough, it will eventually become useful. Example: İyi ki kızımın bebek arabasını saklamışım, şimdi senin çok işine yarayacak. Eee, sakla samanı gelir zamanı. “Fortunately, I saved my daughter’s stroller. It will be very useful for you now. See, keep a thing for seven years and you’ll find a use for it.”




3	Turkish	Vakit nakittir.
	Literally	Time is cash.
	Equivalent in English	Time is money.
	This proverb emphasizes that time is a valuable resource. Example: Bir an önce işe gitmeliyim. Eee, ne de olsa vakit nakittir. “I have to go to work as soon as possible. Well, after all, time is money.”




4	Turkish	Bugünün işini yarına bırakma.
	Literally	Don’t leave today’s work for tomorrow.
	Equivalent in English	Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
	This one emphasizes that one should not delay doing something that can be done today.  Example: Ödevimi yarın yaparım deyince babam bugünün işini yarına bırakma dedi. “When I said I would do my homework tomorrow, my father said ‘Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.’ “




5	Turkish	Sona kalan dona kalır.
	Literally	The one who stays the last, is left for the frost.
	Equivalent in English	The devil takes the hindmost.
	The people who lag behind will either lose or not have any benefits. Example: Ali amca çocuklara şeker veriyor, koşun; sona kalan dona kalır. “Uncle Ali is giving candy to the children, run; the devil takes the hindmost.”




6	Turkish	Erken kalkan yol alır.
	Literally	The one who gets up early proceeds.
	Equivalent in English	The early bird catches the worm.
	This proverb advises that if someone does something immediately (or before anyone else), he/she will have an advantage. Example: Daha 5 saatlik yolumuz var, artık yola çıksak iyi olur. Ne de olsa, erken kalkan yol alır. “We have five more hours to go, we’d better get going. After all, the early bird catches the worm.”









2. Turkish Proverbs About Hope

We could all use some uplifting words now and then, especially when we’re at our lowest point. Whether you or a loved one needs some encouragement, these two Turkish proverbs about hope will deliver! 

7	Turkish	Çıkmadık candan umut kesilmez.
	Literally	If the person didn’t die, there is still hope.
	Equivalent in English	While there’s life, there’s hope.
	If something didn’t fail completely, there is still a chance to save it. Example: Üzülme, son aday henüz açıklanmadı. Çıkmadın candan umut kesilmez. “Don’t worry, the last candidate has not been announced yet. While there’s life, there’s hope.”




8	Turkish	Gün doğmadan neler doğar.
	Literally	Before the sun rises, a lot of things rise.
	Equivalent in English	Tomorrow is another day.
	A person should never lose hope, because nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. Example: Öyle hemen umudunu kaybetme. Gün doğmadan neler doğar. “Don’t lose your hope. Tomorrow is another day.”




3. Turkish Proverbs About Friendship

A true friendship is one of the most precious things a person can experience—and a fake or weak friendship can be one of the worst things! The following Turkish proverbs about friendship offer advice on how to choose friends wisely and how to be a good friend yourself. 

9	Turkish	Bana arkadaşını söyle sana kim olduğunu söyleyeyim.
	Literally	Tell me who your friend is, I will tell you who you are.
	Equivalent in English	Tell me who you go with, and I’ll tell you who you are.
	This proverb means that a person’s friends are a reflection of who he/she is. Example: John o gruba girdiğinden beri her gün kavga ediyor. Eee, ne demişler ‘Bana arkadaşını söyle sana kim olduğunu söyleyeyim.’ “Since John got into that group, he’s been fighting every day. Well, they say, ‘Tell me who you go with, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ ”




10	Turkish	Dost kara günde belli olur.
	Literally	A real friend is understood on a bad day.
	Equivalent in English	A friend in need is a friend indeed.
	A person who stays by your side during difficult times is someone you can really rely on. Example: İflas ettiğinden beri Mary dışında hiçbir arkadaşı yanında değil.  Eee, dost kara günde belli olur. “Since she went bankrupt, none of her friends are with her except for Mary. Well, a friend in need is a friend indeed.”









11	Turkish	Dost acı söyler.
	Literally	Real friend talks bitter.
	A real friend always tells the truth—including when their friend is wrong—even if it hurts. Example: Kusura bakma bu olayda sen hatalısın; dost acı söyler. “Sorry, in this case you are wrong; real friend talks bitter.”




4. Turkish Proverbs About Happiness

We all desire happiness, but there are days when it seems impossible to find. Below are a couple of Turkish proverbs about happiness that provide insight on the topic. 

12	Turkish	Kutlu gün doğuşundan bellidir.
	Literally	A happy day is known from the way of the sunrise.
	The affairs that will lead to happy and good results manifest themselves from the beginning. Example: Başından beri her şey o kadar iyi gitti ki, işi senin alacağını biliyordum. Büyüklerin dediği gibi: ‘Kutlu gün doğuşundan bellidir.’ “Everything went so well from the start that I knew you would get the job. As the elderly say: ‘A happy day is known from the way of the sunrise.’ “




13	Turkish	Ulu ağacın gürültüsü dal ile, mutlu evin yakışığı döl ile.
	Literally	The noise of the great tree with the twig, the light of the happy house with the offspring.
	Just as a tree grows by branching, the happiness of a family is reinforced by the children it raises. Example: Onlar çok kalabalık bir aile. Eee, ne de olsa Ulu ağacın gürültüsü dal ile, mutlu evin yakışığı döl ile. “They are a very crowded family. Well, after all, the noise of the great tree with the twig, the light of the happy house with the offspring.”









5. Turkish Proverbs About Trust

Knowing who (or what) to trust is an important skill to have, but it can also be one of the most difficult things to determine. To give you a bit of advice on the matter, here are a couple of Turkish proverbs about trust. 

14	Turkish	Güvenme varlığa, düşersin darlığa.
	Literally	Don’t trust wealth, you would fall into poverty.
	People should not be extravagant with their spending if they have a lot of money. If they don’t manage their money properly, they can find themselves in poverty.  Example: Paranı çarçur etme; ne derler ‘Güvenme varlığa, düşersin darlığa.’ “Don’t waste your money; they say, ‘Don’t trust wealth, you would fall into poverty.’ “




15	Turkish	Güvenme dostuna, saman doldurur postuna.
	Literally	Do not trust your friend, he/she will fill your skin with hay.
	This proverb implies that before you trust someone, you should test him/her. If you trust someone blindly, he/she might deceive you. Example: Sen herkese çok güveniyorsun. Şu atasözünü hiç duymadın mı? ‘Güvenme dostuna, saman doldurur postuna.’ “You trust everyone very much. Have you ever heard of this proverb? ‘Do not trust your friend, he/she will fill your skin with hay.’ “




6. Turkish Proverbs About Money

As we all know, every language has plenty of quotes and proverbs about money and how to use it wisely. Below are some famous Turkish proverbs about money.

16	Turkish	Parayı veren düdüğü çalar.
	Literally	The one who gives the money blows the whistle.
	Equivalent in English	He who pays the piper calls the tune.
	The one who pays for something is the one who has a say in related matters. Example: Sen de ona para verseydin, sana da dondurma getirirdi; parayı veren düdüğü çalar. “If you had given him money, he would have brought you ice cream, too; who pays the piper calls the tune.”




17	Turkish	Para parayı çeker.
	Literally	Money draws money.
	Equivalent in English	Them as has, gits.
	If someone has money, he/she can make more money with it since money brings more advantages and opportunities. Example: Jane lotoyu tutturmuş. Eee para parayı çeker. “Jane has won the lottery. Well, them as has, gits.”




18	Turkish	Ekmek aslanın ağzında.
	Literally	Bread is in the mouth of the lion.
	Equivalent in English	Money doesn’t grow on trees.
	This proverb means that it’s not easy to earn money; it requires a lot of effort. Example: Paranı çarçur etmemelisin. Malum, ekmek aslanın ağzında. “You shouldn’t waste your money. As you know, bread is in the mouth of the lion.”




19	Turkish	Para ile imanın kimde olduğu bilinmez.
	Literally	It’s not known who has money or faith.
	Faith is something within the heart of a person, so we don’t know who really has faith in God. Likewise, we really don’t know how much money a person has. Example: Joe amcanın 10 milyon dolar miras bırakmasına çok şaşırdım. Para ile imanın kimde olduğu bilinmez. “I was surprised that Uncle Joe left a legacy of ten million dollars. It’s not known who has money or faith.”




20	Turkish	Para insana dil, elbise insana yol öğretir.
	Literally	Money teaches man a language, clothes teach the way.
	Your wealth and position determine your place in society, and can give you more or less prestige than others. Example: O adamı lotoyu kazanana dek hiç kimse sevmezdi. Şimdi etrafında bir sürü insan var. Eee, para insana dil, elbise insana yol öğretir. “Nobody liked that man until he won the lottery. Now there are a lot of people around him. Well, money teaches man a language, clothes teach the way.”









7. Turkish Proverbs About Wisdom

Wisdom is another concept that people in every culture talk a lot about. Below are a few great Turkish proverbs that offer general words of wisdom for many of life’s circumstances. 

21	Turkish	Akıl akıldan üstündür.
	Literally	One mind is better than another one.
	Equivalent in English	Two heads are better than one.
	We can’t know it all. It’s good to ask for other people’s opinions, because they may have better ideas than we do.  Example: Sana da sorayım. Ne de olsa akıl akıldan üstündür. Sence ona nasıl davranmalıyım?  “Let me ask you as well. After all, two heads are better than one. How do you think I should treat him/her?”




22	Turkish	Akıl yaşta değil baştadır.
	Literally	Wisdom isn’t at age, it’s on the head.
	Equivalent in English	Wisdom doesn’t come with age.
	A person doesn’t need to be old in order to think wisely, or to realize what’s going on. Using one’s brain and learning from experience leads to wisdom. Therefore, a person is not wise just because they’re old; a person who is young may also be wise. Example: Çok genç ve tecrübesiz olmasına rağmen durumu iyi idare etti. Ne de olsa, akıl yaşta değil baştadır.  “Although he is very young and inexperienced, he managed the situation well. After all, wisdom doesn’t come with age.”




23	Turkish	Akla gelmeyen başa gelir.
	Literally	The one that doesn’t come to mind, happens.
	Equivalent in English	The unexpected always happens.
	We shouldn’t forget that things can happen, even if we don’t expect or foresee them. Example: Kapının önünde zili tamir ediyordum. Kapı açık diye anahtarımı almadım. Bir rüzgar esti, kapı kapandı. Akla gelmeyen başa geliyor.  “I was fixing the bell in front of the door. I didn’t get my key because the door was open. The wind blew, the door got closed. The unexpected always happens.”









24	Turkish	Akıllı düşmandan değil; salak dosttan kork.
	Literally	Be afraid of a stupid friend, not of a smart enemy.
	People who act thoughtlessly, do not see the truth, and cannot see the consequences of the words they say, may unknowingly harm their friends—even if they have good intentions. On the other hand, we can anticipate and predict what a smart enemy can do and take precautions.  Example: En iyi arkadaşım patavatsızca konuşup, beni zor durumda bıraktı. Akıllı düşmandan değil; salak dosttan kork. “My friend talked thoughtlessly and put me in a difficult situation. Be afraid of a stupid friend, not of a smart enemy.”




25	Turkish	Cahile söz anlatmak, deveye hendek atlatmaktan güçtür.
	Literally	It is more difficult to speak to an ignorant person than to get a camel over a ditch.
	Equivalent in English	Like getting blood from a turnip.
	This proverb means that it’s impossible to explain something to an ignorant person. Example: Hepimiz en az üç kez anlattık ama anlamadı. Cahile söz anlatmak, deveye hendek atlatmaktan güç. “All of us told him at least three times, but he didn’t understand. It’s like getting blood from a turnip.”




8. Miscellaneous Proverbs

To wrap up, let’s look at some of the best Turkish proverbs on a variety of other concepts! 

26	Turkish	Olacakla öleceğe çare yoktur.
	Literally	There is no cure for the things that will happen or the person that will die.
	Equivalent in English	Whatever will be, will be.
	We can’t control everything. Whatever is meant or predetermined to take place will take place. Example: O kadar uğraştım ama yine de olmadı. Anladım ki olacakla öleceğe çare yok. “I tried so hard, but it still didn’t happen. I realized that whatever will be, will be.”




27	Turkish	Lafla peynir gemisi yürümez.
	Literally	The cheese ship doesn’t move with words.
	Equivalent in English	Actions speak louder than words.
	This one means that nothing happens when we only talk about it; action is needed. In other words, what you do is more important than what you say. Example: O hep konuşuyor, hiçbir şey yaptığı yok ama lafla da peynir gemisi yürümez.  “He/she always talks, he/she does nothing, but actions speak louder than words.”




28	Turkish	Komşunun tavuğu komşuya kaz görünür.
	Literally	The neighbor’s chicken seems like a goose to the neighbor.
	Equivalent in English	The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
	This proverb means that what other people have always seems better than what we have. Example: Sally Jen’in elbisesini çok beğendi. Halbuki aynısı onda da var. Komşunun tavuğu komşuya kaz görünür. “Sally liked Jen’s dress very much. However, she has the same dress. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”




29	Turkish	Sütten ağzı yanan yoğurdu üfleyerek yer.
	Literally	The one who is burnt by the milk, eats yogurt by blowing on it.
	Equivalent in English	Once burnt, twice shy.
	If someone has had an unpleasant experience in the past, they become more cautious. Example: O hemen David’in evlenme teklifini kabul etmek istemiyor. Eee, sütten ağzı yanan yoğurdu üfleyerek yer. “He doesn’t want to accept David’s marriage proposal right away. Well, once burnt, twice shy.”




30	Turkish	Altın pas tutmaz.
	Literally	Gold doesn’t get rusted.
	Nobody can dishonor someone who is honorable and dignified. Example: O ne derse desin, herkes beni biliyor. Altın pas tutmaz. “No matter what he/she says, everyone knows me. Gold does not get rusted.”




9. Learn More with TurkishClass101!

In this article, we went over a bunch of Turkish proverbs with their English translations. Now you can impress your Turkish friends, colleagues, or even your boss by using these popular Turkish proverbs at the right moment. 

Would you like to continue your Turkish studies in the fastest, easiest, and most fun way possible? Then bookmark TurkishClass101.com! We provide numerous video and audio lessons, tons of vocabulary lists, and a number of free resources (such as this Turkish dictionary), all designed to help you get a better grasp of the language. We also provide the MyTeacher service for Premium PLUS members; this service allows you to work and practice one-on-one with your own personal language tutor. 

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Happy learning!