Significado
To talk a lot without saying anything meaningful.
Contexto cultural
In traditional Turkish markets, bargaining is an art. Sellers often use 'ağız kalabalığı' to justify high prices or distract from flaws in their goods. Experienced buyers know how to cut through this with a sharp 'Bırak bu ağız kalabalığını' (Drop this mouth crowd). The term is frequently used in political talk shows. Moderators often have to remind guests not to 'make a mouth crowd' and to answer the specific question asked, reflecting a public desire for transparency. Turkish parents often use this with children who are making excuses for bad grades or broken items. It's a way of saying 'I wasn't born yesterday.' While Turkish culture is generally indirect and polite, 'ağız kalabalığı' is a point where that indirectness becomes seen as a negative trait. It marks the boundary between being 'polite' and being 'deceptive'.
Don't use with elders
Telling an older person 'ağız kalabalığı yapma' is considered very disrespectful in Turkish culture.
Use 'Sadede gel'
If you want to stop someone's mouth crowd politely, pair it with 'Sadede gelebilir miyiz?' (Can we get to the point?).
Significado
To talk a lot without saying anything meaningful.
Don't use with elders
Telling an older person 'ağız kalabalığı yapma' is considered very disrespectful in Turkish culture.
Use 'Sadede gel'
If you want to stop someone's mouth crowd politely, pair it with 'Sadede gelebilir miyiz?' (Can we get to the point?).
The 'Pazar' Test
The best place to hear this idiom in the wild is a local Turkish street market (Pazar). Listen to the arguments between sellers and savvy shoppers.
Teste-se
Which situation best describes 'ağız kalabalığı yapmak'?
Bir arkadaşınız size borcunu neden ödeyemediğini anlatırken konuyu sürekli değiştiriyor ve alakasız hikayeler anlatıyor. Arkadaşınız ne yapıyor?
The friend is using irrelevant stories to avoid the main issue (the debt), which is the definition of the idiom.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
Bana boşuna ________ ________ ________, her şeyi biliyorum!
The context 'I know everything' implies you want the person to stop lying/distracting, so the negative imperative is needed.
Match the response to the behavior.
Behavior: A politician talks for 20 minutes about 'national unity' to avoid a question about a corruption scandal.
Calling out the evasion is the most appropriate response to a politician's distraction tactics.
🎉 Pontuação: /3
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
3 exerciciosBir arkadaşınız size borcunu neden ödeyemediğini anlatırken konuyu sürekli değiştiriyor ve alakasız hikayeler anlatıyor. Arkadaşınız ne yapıyor?
The friend is using irrelevant stories to avoid the main issue (the debt), which is the definition of the idiom.
Bana boşuna ________ ________ ________, her şeyi biliyorum!
The context 'I know everything' implies you want the person to stop lying/distracting, so the negative imperative is needed.
Behavior: A politician talks for 20 minutes about 'national unity' to avoid a question about a corruption scandal.
Calling out the evasion is the most appropriate response to a politician's distraction tactics.
🎉 Pontuação: /3
Perguntas frequentes
5 perguntasYes, it almost always implies that the speaker is being annoying, deceptive, or evasive. It is never a compliment.
No, it is too informal and accusatory. Use 'Konuyu daha net ifade edebilir misiniz?' (Could you express the subject more clearly?) instead.
'Yalan söylemek' is to tell a direct lie. 'Ağız kalabalığı yapmak' is to use so many words that the truth is hidden or the listener gets confused.
You conjugate the verb 'yapmak': 'Ağız kalabalığı yapıyoruz' (We are making a mouth crowd).
In slang, people just say 'Boş yapma' (Don't do empty), which carries a similar meaning of 'stop talking nonsense.'
Frases relacionadas
laf kalabalığı yapmak
synonymTo make a crowd of words.
boş konuşmak
similarTo talk empty.
lafı dolandırmak
similarTo wrap the word around.
gevezelik etmek
contrastTo chatter.
sadede gelmek
contrastTo get to the point.
