Turkey Proverbs (10)

Damlaya damlaya göl olur.

“Drop by drop, a lake forms.”

Small amounts saved or small efforts made consistently add up to something large over time.

Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var.

“One hand has nothing, two hands make a sound.”

People accomplish far more by cooperating than by working alone.

Sakla samanı, gelir zamanı.

“Save the straw, its time will come.”

Keep even seemingly useless things, because one day they may prove valuable.

Ağaç yaş iken eğilir.

“A tree is bent while it is young.”

Character and habits should be shaped in childhood, because they are hard to change later.

Gülü seven dikenine katlanır.

“He who loves the rose endures its thorns.”

To enjoy something you love, you must accept the difficulties that come with it.

Aç tavuk kendini buğday ambarında sanır.

“A hungry hen imagines itself in a wheat silo.”

People who lack something tend to daydream excessively about having it in abundance.

Ne ekersen onu biçersin.

“You reap what you sow.”

The outcomes you experience are the result of your own earlier actions.

İşleyen demir ışıldar.

“Working iron shines.”

A person who stays active and keeps practicing remains sharp, while idleness leads to decline.

Bugünün işini yarına bırakma.

“Do not leave today's work to tomorrow.”

Complete your tasks promptly instead of postponing them.

Komşu komşunun külüne muhtaçtır.

“A neighbor is in need of a neighbor's ashes.”

Neighbors inevitably depend on one another, so good relations matter.