TurkishTencere dibin kara, seninki benden kara
Meaning: Said in reply to criticism: you're worse than I am in the very thing you're blaming me for.
Literally: "Pot, your bottom is black!" "Yours is blacker than mine."
Example: “Bana savurgan diyorsun ama her ay maaşını ilk haftada bitiren sensin. Tencere dibin kara, seninki benden kara.” — You call me wasteful, but you're the one who blows your salary in the first week. That's the pot calling the kettle black.
English equivalent: The pot calling the kettle black
Equivalents in other languages
Hungarian: Bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű Literally: The owl tells the sparrow it's big-headed
Arabic: الجمل ما يشوف عوجة رقبته (Al-jamal mā yshūf 'awjat raqabatuh) Literally: The camel can't see the bend in its own neck
French: C'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité Literally: It's the hospital making fun of the charity ward
Spanish: cachicamo diciéndole a morrocoy conchudo Literally: Armadillo telling tortoise shell-backed
German: ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr Literally: One donkey scolds the other long-ear
Portuguese: sujo falando do mal lavado Literally: Dirty speaking of the badly washed- French: La paille et la poutre Literally: The straw and the beam
English: the pot calling the kettle black- Spanish: Dijo la sartén al cazo Literally: Said the frying pan to the saucepan
Italian: Il bue che dice cornuto all'asino Literally: The ox calling the donkey "horned"
Japanese: 目くそ鼻くそを笑う (Mekuso hanakuso o warau) Literally: Eye gunk laughs at nose gunk
Korean: 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다 (Ttong mudeun gaega gyeo mudeun gae namuranda) Literally: The dog with dung on it scolds the dog with chaff on it
Dutch: De pot verwijt de ketel dat hij zwart is Literally: The pot reproaches the kettle for being black
Polish: Przyganiał kocioł garnkowi Literally: The cauldron scolded the pot- Portuguese: Diz o roto ao nu: porque não te vestes tu? Literally: Says the ragged man to the naked one: why don't you get dressed?
Russian: Чья бы корова мычала, а твоя бы молчала (Ch'ya by korova mychala, a tvoya by molchala) Literally: Anyone's cow might moo, but yours should keep quiet
Chinese: 五十步笑百步 (Wǔshí bù xiào bǎi bù) Literally: Fifty paces laughing at a hundred paces
Origin: A kitchen exchange: someone tells the pot its bottom is black, and the pot answers that theirs is blacker. The Turkish Language Association lists it as an atasözü (proverb), meaning "in faults, you are worse than me." It is the same picture as the English pot and kettle. No first use is documented.
More Turkish idioms
- Ayıkla pirincin taşını Deal with it yourself; it's your mess.
- Nazar değmesin Knock on wood; hope nothing ruins this good thing.
- Armut piş, ağzıma düş Wanting everything handed to you without effort.
- Bir fincan kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır Sharing coffee creates lasting bonds and social connections that endure for decades.
- Etekleri zil çalıyor To be visibly bursting with joy.
- Pabucu dama atılmak To fall out of favor and be cast aside.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Dilenciye hıyar vermişler de eğri diye beğenmemiş People in need shouldn't be fussy about what they're offered.
- Huylu huyundan vazgeçmez People don't give up their nature or habits.
- Tok açın hâlinden bilmez Those who are comfortable can't understand the hardship of others.
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