Walls have ears
Meaning: Be careful what you say — you may be overheard in unexpected places.
Origin: Recorded in English in its present form in 1620, and known earlier in 16th-century French as les murs ont des oreilles. English had an older version, "fields have eyes and woods have ears," recorded around 1225. Nowhere is truly private.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Les murs ont des oreilles (literally: Walls have ears)
- Spanish: Las paredes tienen oídos (literally: Walls have ears)
- Japanese: 壁に耳あり (Kabe ni mimi ari) (literally: Walls have ears)
- German: Die Wände haben Ohren (literally: The walls have ears)
More proverbs about Communication
- The one who tells the stories rules the world — Whoever controls the narratives shapes beliefs, cultures, and civilizations.
- Well done is better than well said — Actions and results are far more valuable than promises and fine words.
- A word once spoken can never be recalled — Choose your words carefully, for once said they cannot be unsaid.
- Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see — Acts of kindness transcend words and communicate beyond all physical limitations.
- He who talks much errs much — The more you speak, the more likely you are to make mistakes or say the wrong thing.
- The tongue is the enemy of the neck — Careless speech can bring serious consequences upon the speaker.
From our untranslatable words
- Hygge — The warm contentment of simple, cozy pleasures shared with people you love — candles, bla…
- Komorebi — The dappled light that filters through leaves and scatters across the ground.
- Schadenfreude — The guilty little pleasure of taking satisfaction in someone else's misfortune.