• Listen

  What it means

  Literally “to bite oneself in the tongue,” this idiom means to bite one’s tongue — to hold back something you want to say, usually because saying it would be inappropriate, hurtful, or unwise. It describes the deliberate act of self-censorship in the heat of a moment. Poles use it when they managed to stop themselves from blurting something out, or as advice to someone who should think before speaking.

  Vocabulary

  • gryźć — to bite (imperfective)
  • się — reflexive particle (oneself)
  • język — tongue; also language
  • ugryźć się w język — perfective variant: to (successfully) bite one's tongue once

  Grammar note

  The reflexive particle 'się' makes this a reflexive construction: the subject bites their own tongue. The verb 'gryźć' is imperfective, capturing the habitual or ongoing effort to hold back. The perfective 'ugryźć się w język' describes a single completed act of successfully restraining oneself: 'Ugryzłem się w język' (I managed to bite my tongue).

  Cultural context

  This idiom maps directly onto the English 'to bite one's tongue.' It is neutral in register and used freely across spoken and written Polish. It often appears in advice contexts — 'Powinieneś się ugryźć w język' (You should have bitten your tongue) — or as a self-congratulatory comment on restraint.

  Beginner

Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!