Signification
To fail to maintain a steady job or relationship.
Contexte culturel
In traditional Turkish business culture, loyalty to one's 'usta' (master) or company was paramount. 'Dikiş tutturamamak' was seen as a serious character flaw, suggesting the person was 'geçimsiz' (hard to get along with). Parents often use this phrase to pressure their adult children into marriage or stable government jobs (memurluk), which are seen as the ultimate 'dikiş tutturma' (settling down). The idiom reflects the high standards of the Guild system (Lonca Teşkilatı), where a craftsman's failure to produce durable work led to social exclusion. Today, the phrase is increasingly used to describe the difficulty of the 'White Collar' (Beyaz Yakalı) workforce to find satisfaction in stressful corporate environments.
Use with 'Bir türlü'
Adding 'bir türlü' (by no means/somehow) before the idiom makes you sound much more like a native speaker.
Don't use for physical objects
If your phone is broken, don't say it 'can't hold a stitch'. Use 'bozuldu' or 'çalışmıyor'.
Signification
To fail to maintain a steady job or relationship.
Use with 'Bir türlü'
Adding 'bir türlü' (by no means/somehow) before the idiom makes you sound much more like a native speaker.
Don't use for physical objects
If your phone is broken, don't say it 'can't hold a stitch'. Use 'bozuldu' or 'çalışmıyor'.
Self-Deprecation
You can use this for yourself to sound humble or to explain a messy CV in a lighthearted way.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
Kardeşim çok maymun iştahlı; hiçbir işte bir türlü ______.
The idiom requires the causative-potential form 'tutturamıyor' to show he is unable to settle.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'dikiş tutturamamak'?
Hangi durum için bu deyimi kullanabiliriz?
The idiom describes a pattern of instability and failure to settle.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: Selin yine erkek arkadaşından ayrılmış. B: Şaşırmadım, ______.
This is the standard way to comment on someone's recurring relationship failures.
Match the person to the description.
Match 'Dikiş tutturamayan biri' with their likely behavior.
Constant job changing is the hallmark of someone who 'cannot hold a stitch'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesKardeşim çok maymun iştahlı; hiçbir işte bir türlü ______.
The idiom requires the causative-potential form 'tutturamıyor' to show he is unable to settle.
Hangi durum için bu deyimi kullanabiliriz?
The idiom describes a pattern of instability and failure to settle.
A: Selin yine erkek arkadaşından ayrılmış. B: Şaşırmadım, ______.
This is the standard way to comment on someone's recurring relationship failures.
Match 'Dikiş tutturamayan biri' with their likely behavior.
Constant job changing is the hallmark of someone who 'cannot hold a stitch'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes, if a student keeps changing majors or schools, you can say 'Okulda bir türlü dikiş tutturamadı.'
It can be. It implies the person is unstable or unsuccessful. Use it carefully with people you don't know well.
The positive is 'dikiş tutturmak', meaning to finally settle down or succeed in a place.
No, it's very common for relationships and living in different cities as well.
No, it's informal/neutral. In a formal report, use 'istikrar sağlayamamak'.
Yes! If a team keeps changing coaches or losing players, you can say 'Takım bir türlü dikiş tutturamadı.'
It means to fasten, to hit a target, or to insist on something. In this idiom, it means 'to make the stitch hold'.
Yes. 'Dikiş tutturamamak' is about social/professional stability. 'Tutunamamak' is more about existential belonging.
Yes, 'dikiş tutturamıyor' is very common for ongoing situations.
Yes, it is a universal Turkish idiom understood everywhere.
Yes, 'Bu dükkan bir türlü dikiş tutturamadı' is a common phrase for a shop that keeps changing owners.
Because a stitch is what holds things together. Without it, there is no structure or permanence.
Expressions liées
tutunamamak
similarTo be unable to hold on/belong to society
barınamamak
similarTo be unable to stay/shelter in a place
maymun iştahlı
builds onFickle/losing interest quickly
istikrar sağlamak
contrastTo ensure stability
yerinde saymak
contrastTo mark time/not progress
