Meaning
To struggle to achieve something.
Cultural Background
The use of 'Ak' and 'Kara' instead of 'Beyaz' and 'Siyah' is a linguistic marker of the idiom's age. 'Ak' and 'Kara' are pure Turkic words, while 'Beyaz' (Arabic) and 'Siyah' (Persian) are loanwords that entered the language later. In rural Anatolia, distinguishing colors at dawn was a practical skill for shepherds and farmers to start their day. This daily struggle for clarity became a metaphor for life's challenges. The 'white thread vs black thread' distinction is mentioned in the Quran regarding the start of the Ramadan fast. This gives the idiom a subtle but deep resonance with Turkish religious culture. Today, the idiom is most frequently used to describe the 'struggle' of living in a mega-city like Istanbul, particularly regarding traffic and crowded public spaces.
Use it for 'Phew' moments
The best time to use this is right after you finish a task and take a deep breath. It perfectly captures that feeling of relief mixed with exhaustion.
Don't use 'Beyaz'
Never say 'Beyazla siyahı seçmek'. It will immediately mark you as a non-native speaker. Idioms are frozen in time!
Meaning
To struggle to achieve something.
Use it for 'Phew' moments
The best time to use this is right after you finish a task and take a deep breath. It perfectly captures that feeling of relief mixed with exhaustion.
Don't use 'Beyaz'
Never say 'Beyazla siyahı seçmek'. It will immediately mark you as a non-native speaker. Idioms are frozen in time!
The 'Valla' connection
In informal speech, Turks often add 'valla' (I swear) after this idiom to emphasize how truly hard the task was: 'Akla karayı seçtim valla!'
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.
Bu projeyi bitirene kadar akla ______ seçtim.
The idiom specifically uses 'kara' (an older word for black) instead of 'siyah'.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'akla karayı seçmek'?
Hangi durumda bu deyimi kullanırız?
This situation involves great physical effort and struggle, which is the core meaning of the idiom.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the idiom.
Ayşe: 'Evi toplayabildin mi?' Mehmet: 'Evet ama her şeyi yerleştirene kadar ______.'
Mehmet is talking about his own past struggle, so 'seçtim' (1st person singular past tense) is correct.
Which of the following is the causative form of the idiom?
Deyimin ettirgen (causative) hali hangisidir?
The suffix '-tir' makes the verb causative, meaning 'to make someone struggle'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesBu projeyi bitirene kadar akla ______ seçtim.
The idiom specifically uses 'kara' (an older word for black) instead of 'siyah'.
Hangi durumda bu deyimi kullanırız?
This situation involves great physical effort and struggle, which is the core meaning of the idiom.
Ayşe: 'Evi toplayabildin mi?' Mehmet: 'Evet ama her şeyi yerleştirene kadar ______.'
Mehmet is talking about his own past struggle, so 'seçtim' (1st person singular past tense) is correct.
Deyimin ettirgen (causative) hali hangisidir?
The suffix '-tir' makes the verb causative, meaning 'to make someone struggle'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, as long as the effort was great. For example, 'I struggled immensely to plan this surprise party' is a perfect use.
It's a bit informal. Better to use 'Büyük zorluklarla karşılaştık' (We faced great difficulties) in a formal email.
'Akla karayı seçmek' is about the difficulty of the task, while 'canı çıkmak' is about the physical exhaustion of the person.
Idioms use older, native Turkic words. 'Ak' and 'Kara' are the original Turkish words for these colors.
No. Despite the word 'seçmek' (to choose), it only means 'to struggle'.
Yes, it is a universal idiom used by all Turkish speakers regardless of region.
Use the causative: 'Bana akla karayı seçtirdi.'
Yes: 'Bu işi bitirene kadar akla karayı seçeceğiz' (We will struggle immensely to finish this).
No, it usually implies that you succeeded, but it was very, very hard.
Not really, the whole phrase is needed to convey the meaning.
Related Phrases
canı çıkmak
similarTo be exhausted to the point of collapse.
göbeği çatlamak
synonymTo burst one's navel (to work extremely hard).
iğneyle kuyu kazmak
specialized formTo dig a well with a needle.
ter dökmek
similarTo sweat (to work hard).
