Trzymaj język za zębami
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What it means
“Keep your tongue behind your teeth.” A direct instruction to stay silent, hold back what you know, and not say things that could cause trouble. Equivalent to “bite your tongue.”
English equivalent
Hold your tongue. / Bite your tongue.
Vocabulary
- trzymać — to hold, to keep
- język — tongue; language
- ząb — tooth
- za zębami — behind the teeth
Grammar note
Imperative mood: 'trzymaj' (you, keep). 'Za zębami' uses the instrumental plural of 'ząb' after the preposition 'za'.
Beginner
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