ProverbWisdomInternational origin

He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask remains a fool forever

Meaning: Admitting ignorance and seeking knowledge is always wiser than pretending to understand.

Origin: Circulated in English as a Chinese proverb or a saying of Confucius, but no Chinese source for it has been found. A close match is the Japanese proverb kiku wa ittoki no haji, kikanu wa isshō no haji — to ask is a moment's shame, not to ask is a lifetime's shame.

Equivalents in German

  • German: Wer nicht fragt, bleibt dumm (literally: He who does not ask stays stupid)

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Bord Actually means 'table'. Ett bord för två = a table for two.
  • Rar Actually means 'sweet' or 'kind'. En rar person is a lovely person. (In Norwegian, rar me…
  • Grind Actually means 'gate' — the garden or field kind. To grind is mala.

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all proverbs →