Bedeutung
Usually used to describe someone poor
Kultureller Hintergrund
In big cities like Istanbul, this phrase is often used to critique the 'fake' lifestyle of people who try to look rich on social media while actually struggling financially. Classic 'Village Literature' (Köy Edebiyatı) often uses this phrase to depict the harsh reality of the Anatolian peasantry in the mid-20th century. The phrase has a historical weight, reflecting periods of war and famine where 'hunger breath' was a common sight in the streets of the capital. Young people use it ironically to describe the 'student life' (öğrencilik), where they run out of money a week after their allowance arrives.
Be Careful with 'Açlıktan'
Adding 'açlıktan' (from hunger) makes the phrase much more intense and potentially more insulting.
Self-Deprecation
It's safer to use this for yourself ('Ağzım kokuyor') than for others to avoid being rude.
Bedeutung
Usually used to describe someone poor
Be Careful with 'Açlıktan'
Adding 'açlıktan' (from hunger) makes the phrase much more intense and potentially more insulting.
Self-Deprecation
It's safer to use this for yourself ('Ağzım kokuyor') than for others to avoid being rude.
Irony is Key
Modern Turks often use this ironically when they just can't afford a specific luxury, even if they aren't truly starving.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'ağzı kokmak'.
O kadar çok borcu var ki, resmen açlıktan ______.
The subject is 'O' (He/She), so we use the 3rd person singular possessive 'ağzı'.
Which sentence uses the phrase in its figurative (slang) meaning?
Hangisi deyim anlamında kullanılmıştır?
This sentence links the 'smell' to being unemployed (işsiz), which indicates poverty.
Match the response to the situation.
Situation: Your friend wants to buy a 2000$ phone but they haven't paid their rent.
This uses the idiom to point out the friend's financial irresponsibility.
Complete the dialogue.
Ayşe: Tatile gidelim mi? Fatma: Ne tatili Ayşe? ________.
'Ağzımız kokuyor' is a common way to say 'We are too broke for that.'
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenO kadar çok borcu var ki, resmen açlıktan ______.
The subject is 'O' (He/She), so we use the 3rd person singular possessive 'ağzı'.
Hangisi deyim anlamında kullanılmıştır?
This sentence links the 'smell' to being unemployed (işsiz), which indicates poverty.
Situation: Your friend wants to buy a 2000$ phone but they haven't paid their rent.
This uses the idiom to point out the friend's financial irresponsibility.
Ayşe: Tatile gidelim mi? Fatma: Ne tatili Ayşe? ________.
'Ağzımız kokuyor' is a common way to say 'We are too broke for that.'
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
5 FragenYes, but be careful. If you say 'Ağzın kokuyor' to someone, they might think you are calling them poor or just being very blunt about their hygiene. Use 'Nefesin biraz ağır' for a more polite literal warning.
Yes, it has been used for centuries and is found in many classic Turkish novels.
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but 'bir eli yağda bir eli balda' (one hand in oil, one hand in honey) means living in great luxury.
Yes, it's very common in texting between friends to complain about being broke.
Usually, yes. You wouldn't say a company's 'mouth smells,' you'd say it's 'batık' (sunken/bankrupt).
Verwandte Redewendungen
beş parasız
synonymWithout five cents
meteliğe kurşun atmak
similarTo shoot a bullet at a penny
cebi delik
similarHis pocket is torn
varlık içinde yokluk çekmek
contrastTo suffer poverty within wealth
eli sıkı
contrastTight-fisted
