He who talks much errs much
Meaning: The more you speak, the more likely you are to make mistakes or say the wrong thing.
Origin: The best-documented form is Spanish, quien mucho habla, mucho yerra, already collected in the medieval Libro de buen amor. It echoes Proverbs 10:19, which warns that in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin. It is sometimes labeled an African proverb, but the Spanish and biblical sources are the ones on record.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: Qui parle beaucoup se trompe beaucoup (literally: Who speaks much errs much)
- Spanish: Quien mucho habla, mucho yerra (literally: He who talks much errs much)
- Japanese: 口数の多い者は過ちも多い (Kuchikazu no ōi mono wa ayamachi mo ōi) (literally: Those who speak much also make many mistakes)
More proverbs about Communication
- The tongue is the enemy of the neck — Careless speech can bring serious consequences upon the speaker.
- A gentle answer turns away wrath — Responding calmly to anger defuses conflict; harsh replies only escalate it.
- Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt — Staying quiet is often wiser than speaking and confirming your ignorance.
- Speak little, do much — Let your actions speak louder than your words; promise less and deliver more.
- The louder the thunder, the less the rain — The most dramatic announcements often yield the least substance.
- Do what I say, not what I do — Hypocrisy acknowledged: the speaker recognizes their own failures but knows the correct p…
From our compliments & insults
- 空気が読めない (kūki ga yomenai) — Completely oblivious to the unspoken social mood — the person who kills the atmosphere wi…
- 눈치가 없다 (nunchi ga eopda) — Hopelessly socially oblivious — can't pick up on emotional cues, awkward silences, or uns…
- حمار (ḥimār) — A stubborn fool — the donkey being the universal symbol of obstinacy in Arabic culture.