Home › Proverbs

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: Ethiopian proverb, widely used across African oral traditions.

Translations

  • 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…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…