Turkish idioms (deyimler, deh-yeem-ler) and proverbs (atasözleri, ah-tah-söz-leh-ree, literally “ancestors’ words”) are everywhere: in conversation, TV series, news headlines and family arguments. Many make no sense if you translate them word for word. Who would guess that “eating the quince” means being in serious trouble?
This guide gives you 46 common idioms and 28 well-known proverbs, each with a literal translation and its real meaning. It also explains how to fit an idiom into a sentence, because idioms, unlike proverbs, change their endings.
Deyim or atasözü?
- A deyim is a fixed phrase with a figurative meaning. You conjugate it like any verb phrase: ayvayı yemek (to be in big trouble) → Ayvayı yedik! (We’re in big trouble!).
- An atasözü is a complete sentence that gives advice or states a general truth. It doesn’t change: Damlaya damlaya göl olur. (Drop by drop, a lake forms.)
How to use idioms in a sentence
Dictionaries list idioms in the infinitive, often with a third-person possessive suffix as a placeholder. To use one, swap the possessive to match the person and put the verb in the tense you need, usually the definite past:
| Dictionary form | In use | English |
|---|---|---|
| tepesi atmak | Tepem attı. | I lost my temper. |
| tepesi atmak | Patronun tepesi attı. | The boss lost his temper. |
| ağzı kulaklarına varmak | Ağzı kulaklarına vardı. | He grinned from ear to ear. |
| göz atmak | Rapora göz atar mısın? | Could you have a look at the report? |
| ayvayı yemek | Ayvayı yedik! | We’re in big trouble! |
Note that some idioms need a particular case on the object: göz atmak takes the dative (rapora), and kulak asmamak also takes the dative (Uyarılara kulak asmadı – He ignored the warnings).
10 idioms to learn first
These come up so often that they’re worth learning before the others.
| Turkish | Pronunciation hint | Literal meaning | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| göz atmak | göz aht-mahk | to throw an eye | to have a quick look |
| boş vermek | bohsh ver-mek | to give empty | to let it go, not bother |
| kafayı yemek | kah-fah-yuh yeh-mek | to eat the head | to go crazy |
| ayvayı yemek | ahy-vah-yuh yeh-mek | to eat the quince | to be in big trouble |
| tepesi atmak | teh-peh-see aht-mahk | one’s top flies off | to lose one’s temper |
| göz kulak olmak | göz koo-lahk ohl-mahk | to be eye and ear | to keep an eye on, look after |
| kulak asmamak | koo-lahk ahs-mah-mahk | not to hang an ear | to ignore, pay no attention |
| pireyi deve yapmak | pee-reh-yee deh-veh yahp-mahk | to make a flea into a camel | to make a mountain out of a molehill |
| eli kulağında | eh-lee koo-lah-uhn-dah | its hand is at its ear | about to happen any moment |
| kırk yılda bir | kuhrk yuhl-dah beer | once in forty years | once in a blue moon |
Examples:
- Boş ver, önemli değil. – Forget it, it’s not important.
- Komşumuz tatildeyken kedisine göz kulak oluyoruz. – We’re looking after our neighbour’s cat while she’s on holiday.
- Bayram eli kulağında. – The holiday is just around the corner.
- Kırk yılda bir sinemaya gidiyoruz. – We go to the cinema once in a blue moon.
Body-part idioms
| Turkish | Literal meaning | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ağzı kulaklarına varmak | one’s mouth reaches one’s ears | to grin from ear to ear |
| ağzı sıkı olmak | to have a tight mouth | to be good at keeping secrets |
| ağzında bakla ıslanmamak | a broad bean doesn’t get wet in one’s mouth | to be unable to keep a secret |
| ağzından kaçırmak | to let it escape from one’s mouth | to blurt out, let slip |
| ağzı süt kokmak | one’s mouth smells of milk | to be young and inexperienced |
| kulak misafiri olmak | to be an ear guest | to overhear |
| kulağına küpe olmak | to become an earring in one’s ear | to be a lesson never forgotten |
| göz yummak | to close one’s eyes | to turn a blind eye |
| gözden düşmek | to fall from the eye | to fall out of favour |
| gözünü dört açmak | to open one’s eyes four | to be extremely alert |
| burnu havada olmak | one’s nose is in the air | to be arrogant |
| eli açık olmak | to be open-handed | to be generous |
| yüzü kızarmak | one’s face goes red | to blush, be embarrassed |
| ayak uydurmak | to match one’s feet | to keep pace with, adapt to |
For the vocabulary behind these, see body parts in Turkish.
Food idioms
| Turkish | Literal meaning | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| armut piş ağzıma düş | pear, ripen and fall into my mouth | expecting results without effort |
| kabak tadı vermek | to give the taste of courgette | to become tiresome through repetition |
| dut yemiş bülbül gibi | like a nightingale that ate mulberries | unusually silent |
| tereyağından kıl çeker gibi | like pulling a hair out of butter | effortlessly |
| hapı yutmak | to swallow the pill | to be done for |
People, effort and behaviour
| Turkish | Literal meaning | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kılı kırk yarmak | to split a hair forty ways | to be extremely meticulous, to nitpick |
| eli ayağına dolaşmak | one’s hands get tangled with one’s feet | to get flustered |
| iğneyle kuyu kazmak | to dig a well with a needle | to do slow, painstaking work |
| taşı gediğine koymak | to put the stone in its gap | to say exactly the right thing |
| baltayı taşa vurmak | to hit the axe against a stone | to put one’s foot in it |
| çam devirmek | to knock down a pine tree | to make a social blunder |
| dört gözle beklemek | to wait with four eyes | to look forward to something eagerly |
| sudan çıkmış balığa dönmek | to become like a fish out of water | to feel completely out of place |
| abayı yakmak | to burn one’s cloak | to fall head over heels in love |
| etekleri zil çalmak | one’s skirts ring bells | to be overjoyed |
| yerin dibine girmek | to sink to the bottom of the ground | to be mortified |
| iki dirhem bir çekirdek | two dirhams and a seed | dressed up to the nines |
| pabucu dama atılmak | one’s shoe is thrown onto the roof | to be dropped in favour of someone new |
| dereden tepeden konuşmak | to talk of streams and hills | to chat about this and that |
| ateş pahası | the price of fire | extremely expensive |
| atı alan Üsküdar’ı geçti | the one who took the horse has passed Üsküdar | it’s too late |
| bardağı taşıran son damla | the last drop that overflowed the glass | the last straw |
Examples:
- Toplantıda baltayı taşa vurdum, müdürün yaşını sordum. – I put my foot in it at the meeting: I asked the manager’s age.
- Yaz tatilini dört gözle bekliyorum. – I’m really looking forward to the summer holiday.
- Bu kış domates ateş pahası. – Tomatoes are ridiculously expensive this winter.
- İlk gün ofiste sudan çıkmış balığa döndüm. – I felt completely out of place at the office on my first day.
28 Turkish proverbs (atasözleri)
Proverbs often use the aorist tense for general truths (göl olur, “becomes a lake”) and the imperative for advice (uzat, “stretch”).
| Turkish | Literal meaning | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Damlaya damlaya göl olur. | Drop by drop, it becomes a lake. | Small amounts add up. |
| Ağaç yaşken eğilir. | A tree bends while it’s green. | Teach people while they’re young. |
| Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var. | What does one hand have? Two hands make a sound. | Cooperation achieves more. |
| Ayağını yorganına göre uzat. | Stretch your legs according to your quilt. | Live within your means. |
| Acele işe şeytan karışır. | The devil interferes in hasty work. | Haste makes waste. |
| Sabrın sonu selamettir. | The end of patience is salvation. | Patience pays off. |
| Dost acı söyler. | A friend speaks bitterly. | A true friend tells you hard truths. |
| Az olsun, öz olsun. | Let it be little, but let it be the essence. | Quality matters more than quantity. |
| Üzüm üzüme baka baka kararır. | Grapes darken by looking at each other. | People pick up each other’s habits. |
| İşleyen demir ışıldar. | Iron that is worked shines. | Practice keeps you sharp. |
| Ak akçe kara gün içindir. | White coins are for the black day. | Save for a rainy day. |
| Komşu komşunun külüne muhtaçtır. | A neighbour needs even a neighbour’s ashes. | Neighbours depend on each other. |
| Söz gümüşse sükût altındır. | If speech is silver, silence is gold. | Silence is golden. |
| Dereyi görmeden paçaları sıvama. | Don’t roll up your trousers before you see the stream. | Don’t act before it’s time. |
| Mum dibine ışık vermez. | A candle doesn’t light its own base. | People often neglect those closest to them. |
| Gülü seven dikenine katlanır. | Whoever loves the rose puts up with its thorns. | To enjoy something, accept its downsides. |
| Tatlı dil yılanı deliğinden çıkarır. | A sweet tongue draws a snake out of its hole. | Kind words achieve more than harsh ones. |
| Keskin sirke küpüne zarar. | Sharp vinegar damages its own jar. | Anger hurts the angry person most. |
| Görünen köy kılavuz istemez. | A village in sight needs no guide. | The obvious needs no explanation. |
| Ne ekersen onu biçersin. | You reap what you sow. | Your actions have consequences. |
| Yalancının mumu yatsıya kadar yanar. | The liar’s candle burns only until night prayer. | Lies are soon found out. |
| Bir fincan kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır. | A cup of coffee is remembered for forty years. | Small kindnesses are long remembered. |
| Bilmemek ayıp değil, öğrenmemek ayıp. | Not knowing is no shame; not learning is. | It’s fine not to know, as long as you learn. |
| Balık baştan kokar. | A fish rots from the head. | Problems start at the top. |
| Sütten ağzı yanan yoğurdu üfleyerek yer. | Whoever burned their mouth on milk blows on yogurt. | Once bitten, twice shy. |
| Kervan yolda düzülür. | The caravan sorts itself out on the road. | Things fall into place as you go. |
| Sakla samanı, gelir zamanı. | Keep the straw, its time will come. | Don’t throw things away; you’ll need them. |
| Bugünün işini yarına bırakma. | Don’t leave today’s work for tomorrow. | Don’t put things off. |
Söz gümüşse uses the conditional “if”, and Ayağını yorganına göre uzat uses the accusative for the definite object ayağını.
Dialogue: trouble at work
Burak: Rapor ne durumda? Teslim tarihi eli kulağında. Burak: How’s the report going? The deadline is any minute now.
Elif: Bilmiyorum. Kerem bütün verileri sildi. Ayvayı yedik! Elif: I don’t know. Kerem deleted all the data. We’re in big trouble!
Burak: Pireyi deve yapma. Yedek dosyalar var, değil mi? Burak: Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. There are backup files, aren’t there?
Elif: Var ama eski. Kerem de dut yemiş bülbül gibi, hiçbir şey söylemiyor. Elif: There are, but they’re old. And Kerem is keeping really quiet, saying nothing.
Burak: Boş ver. Birlikte çalışırsak yetiştiririz. Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var! Burak: Never mind. If we work together, we’ll finish in time. Many hands make light work!
Common mistakes
- Translating word for word. “I ate the quince” will only confuse English speakers, and English idioms translated into Turkish confuse Turks. Learn equivalents, not translations.
- Forgetting possessive agreement. “Ben tepesi attı” is wrong; say Tepem attı.
- Changing proverb wording. Damlaya damlaya göl olur, not “damla damla göl olur”.
- Using the wrong case. Göz atmak needs the dative: habere göz attım (I glanced at the news), not “haberi göz attım”.
- Overusing proverbs. One well-placed proverb sounds wise; three in a row sounds like a lecture.
Mini-quiz
- What does ayvayı yemek really mean?
- Conjugate tepesi atmak for “I lost my temper”.
- Which proverb means “Save for a rainy day”?
- Your colleague says Kırk yılda bir dışarı çıkıyorum. What does she mean?
- Is Ne ekersen onu biçersin a deyim or an atasözü?
- Translate: Bu çanta ateş pahası!
Answers
- To be in big trouble.
- Tepem attı.
- Ak akçe kara gün içindir.
- She goes out once in a blue moon.
- An atasözü: it’s a complete sentence that gives a lesson.
- This bag is ridiculously expensive!
Next steps
Idioms are the best way to practice possessive endings and tenses in a memorable context. Review the possessive suffixes, then explore everyday courtesy formulas in essential Turkish expressions.
