44 ancient Turkish proverbs to understand the world today

Turkey is a fascinating country, full of culture, mysteries and popular wisdom. A country of incredible landscapes, magnificent archaeological sites, charming towns and historic cities, and delicious gastronomy, what was one of the most important empires of antiquity, the Ottoman Empire, has managed to preserve its proverbs and popular sayings, small sketches of wisdom. That can still help us understand the world today. We have collected the cutest, smartest and most worth knowing proverbs from the Turkish region. Meet them.

The best Turkish proverbs and their meaning

The death of another does not save us

The evil that can affect another will not make us do better, even if that other is the one that is affecting us. This Turkish proverb calls for compassion and respect.

A lover is one who, running on the snow, does not leave traces of his steps.

Sometimes, love is carried in silence and it is precisely that slow and calm love that in the end is the one that survives.

work breeds prosperity

This Turkish proverb makes it very clear, the only way to achieve prosperity INS with a lot of effort and tenacity. The more you work, the more prosperity you will have.

wish well be good

A popular Turkish saying that teaches the importance of keeping good feelings towards others. Wishing the other well makes us good people. What do you think of this Turkish proverb?

Do what your teacher says but not what he does

The people who teach us in life are also human and make mistakes, more than we imagine. For this reason, it is best to take an example of their teachings tempered in the heat of wisdom, but not to look so much at how they carry out their teachings in their own lives.

If a dog’s prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky

Fighting for our dreams can sometimes be difficult but never impossible. With tenacity and will, everything is achieved.

Love is like a nest of sparrows that, once destroyed, can no longer be rebuilt.

A realistic Turkish proverb that shows the truth of relationships. When a relationship is destroyed it is practically impossible to rebuild it, so it is better to take care of it every day and not let it deteriorate.

There are two things that cannot be stared at: the sun and death

Everything else, we can face it and there are no excuses for not moving forward, regardless of the situation we are in.

Good words will open iron doors

The power of the word is infinite. If what you want is to achieve something, the best way to do it is with good words full of affection and respect.

A man is as wise as his head, not as his years

Although wisdom is often associated with age, this Turkish proverb makes it clear, what is important is the intellect and the ability to use it wisely. There are those who achieve it when they are young, there are those who are a few years older.

Take a needle and poke yourself (to see how it hurts) before you poke others

Before hurting others, it is important to consider whether what you are going to say or do you would like them to do to yourself. This Turkish proverb is a great life lesson.

The wind that the sailor wishes does not always blow

so when opportunities arise you have to make the most of them.

Two captains sink a ship

Although group work and cooperation is increasingly valued and can bear many fruits, this Turkish proverb is not so clear, since its teaching alludes to times when it is better that there is only one leader. What do you think of? Do you agree?

Who you don’t keep seeing, you’ll lose

stop being friendships precisely because little by little they move away and stop seeing each other. Never stop visiting and worrying about the people you love if you want them to stay in your life.

you have to be the owner of who does not love you and the slave of who loves you

Although this proverb is a bit drastic, the truth is that when transferred to today’s modern life, what it means is that it is important to leave behind and not fall into on people who do not love you or do not know how to love you.

Love is a spring flower between two people that develops in summer and does not wither in winter.

True love does not wither; it endures the disagreements of life and blooms. Lovely Turkish proverb, right?

Every misfortune is a lesson

When something bad happens to you in life, it is better to take it as a lesson so that you can learn from it and move forward. Never forget it.

Fools, if they are silent, seem less

Silence can indicate wisdom but also stupidity. At least that’s what this popular Turkish saying says. How about?

One hand does not clap. Two hands yeah

If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask for it, because when you work in a group, things always get done.

guests arrive with ten blessings, eat one, and leave nine.

Being hospitable will always bring you good things in your life, it is one of the ways to get good energy into your life.

person who is too protectionist always has misfortunes

What do you think of this Turkish proverb? Do you think he’s right? The truth is that sometimes you have to throw yourself into the void so that life flows and everything gets better.

A loving and beautiful heart is never old

No matter how old you are, if in all its forms, you will always remain young. It’s a very beautiful Turkish folk saying, don’t you think?

A thousand friends are too little; an enemy is too much

Surrounding yourself with good friends is the best blessing in life since truly a single enemy can make your life an ordeal.

Man is harder than iron, stronger than a bull and more fragile than a rose.

Human complexity is portrayed in this wise Turkish proverb. Behind our strength lies a beautiful fragility that can emerge at any moment.

He who seeks a friend without defects is left without friends

Accepting the defects of those we love is part of our power to love, accepting our friends as they are really makes them feel good and continue to be part of our life.

There is no mountain without fog, in the same way that there is no man of merit without slander

Sometimes success inevitably happens by having to and slander, but that is nothing more than a consequence that will finally pass.

An inexperienced duck dives tail first

Experience helps us know how to face life. When we don’t know, we are wrong, but the important thing is to learn from it and do things differently next time.

A donkey does not appreciate fruit compote

The ignorant are not able to appreciate the little things in life, so they don’t really enjoy it. A Turkish proverb full of reason, what do you think?

The fly is small, but it is big enough to make us sick.

As this Turkish proverb says, prevention is better than cure, so always remember to take care of yourself no matter how small the pain you have may seem to you, be it physical or emotional.

Patience is the key to paradise

Being a patient in life opens many doors so our goals can be achieved. This Turkish proverb is absolutely right, right?

If the ability could be gained by looking, dogs would be butchers.

A popular Turkish saying that talks about the importance of gaining experience by practicing hard and persevering. We must get down to work if we want to achieve our dreams.

God finds a low bouquet for the bird that cannot fly

As this Turkish proverb says, hope, even in the most difficult situations in life you have to have faith and hope that everything will be better.

Better to die on a full stomach than to live on an empty stomach.

In Turkish culture, having a long life of lack is worse than a short life full of prosperity. Although life is short, you have to make the most of it.

He who rises up in anger, sits on a loss

Getting carried away banger only brings misfortune to oneself, much more than to others. Despite the fact that they can be harmed, the greatest damage will always be to oneself.

It’s not shameful to ask, it’s shameful not to know

Right! How right this Turkish proverb is. So now you know, the next time you are embarrassed to ask something, remember this saying.

A Lake is formed drop by drop

When we want to achieve something great, we must remember this proverb. It can be done little by little, with tenacity and patience, until you finally achieve it.

many ants kill a camel

Unity is strength would be the equivalent of this curious Turkish proverb in which animals.

God has created us brothers but has given us separate purses

As far as the economy is concerned, it is better to let everyone take care of their affairs, regardless of the affection we have for each other. At least that’s what this proverb says, what do you think?

Listen hundreds of times; ponder thousands of times; talk eleven

This proverb is the Turkish equivalent of the. It is even more complete because it also encourages us to listen carefully to what is happening around us, to think about it and, when we feel ready, to speak.

Bitter vinegar only harms your container

If someone around you is bitter, make sure they tell you what they tell you who is really hurting themselves.

The heart endures when the eye does not see

When we don’t want to see reality, we may put that we think have to do with love. For this reason, one must love with the heart, but also with the head.

Beauty passes, wisdom remains

And wisdom is something beautiful by itself, no matter how much time passes, so what do you prefer, to be beautiful or wise?

The bird that sings at the wrong time will die

The song of the birds must be exact to communicate with each other or what is the same: you have to know when to speak so as not to screw up.

A fighter is never defeated if he doesn’t get tired of fighting again

No matter the defeats you suffer in life, if you keep fighting you will always be a fighting person and capable.

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