• Listen

  What it means

  Literally, “It is a virtue above all virtues to hold one’s tongue.” The proverb elevates silence to the highest moral status, arguing that knowing when not to speak is the supreme exercise of self-control and wisdom. “Trzymać język za zębami” — to keep one’s tongue behind one’s teeth — is itself a common idiom meaning to stay quiet or hold one’s tongue. Together, the full proverb creates a hyperbolic statement that restraint in speech surpasses all other virtues. It is often quoted by elders to children or after someone has spoken rashly.

  English equivalent

  Silence is golden.

  Vocabulary

  • cnota — virtue (feminine noun; plural: cnoty)
  • nad cnotami — above virtues (preposition nad + instrumental plural of cnota)
  • trzymać — to hold, to keep (imperfective verb)
  • język — tongue, language (masculine noun, accusative: język)
  • za zębami — behind the teeth (preposition za + instrumental plural of ząb)
  • ząb — tooth (masculine noun; instrumental plural: zębami)

  Grammar note

  'Nad' governs the instrumental case, so 'cnotami' is the instrumental plural of 'cnota.' Similarly, 'za' with a locational meaning governs the instrumental: 'zębami' is the instrumental plural of 'ząb.' The infinitive 'trzymać język za zębami' functions as the subject of the sentence (a nominalised infinitive clause), a common construction in Polish proverbs and literary language. 'Jest to' uses the linking particle 'to,' not the demonstrative pronoun.

  Cultural context

  This proverb belongs to a formal, literary register and is more often found in writing, speeches, or moral instruction than in casual speech. The underlying idiom 'trzymać język za zębami' is, however, very common in everyday Polish at all registers. The proverb reflects the cultural ideal of prudence (roztropność) in Polish Catholic and folk morality. A simpler related proverb is 'Mowa jest srebrem, a milczenie złotem' (Speech is silver, silence is golden).

  Intermediate

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!