Proverb / Kotowaza
沈黙は金
Remaining silent is sometimes more valuable than speaking eloquently.
Silence is gold
Quick Answer
Remaining silent is sometimes more valuable than speaking eloquently.
- Literal Image
- Silence is gold
- Closest Equivalent
- Speech is silver, silence is golden
- How to Use It
- Used to advise that staying quiet is the better choice, especially when further words might cause trouble or when silence demonstrates more character and sincerity.
Meaning
While speaking well is a valuable skill, staying quiet can be even more precious and effective. It suggests that remaining silent is wiser than saying unnecessary things and can carry more weight or persuasiveness in specific situations.
Literal Image
Silence is gold
Equivalent Proverbs
Speech is silver, silence is golden
The original form comparing speech to silver and silence to gold.
Silence is golden
A shortened form that is used in daily conversation.
A closed mouth catches no flies
Emphasizes that staying quiet prevents trouble.
How to Use It
Used to advise that staying quiet is the better choice, especially when further words might cause trouble or when silence demonstrates more character and sincerity.
Tone
Instructive and cautionary, can be used to recommend restraint.
Examples
下手な言い訳を重ねるより、何も言わずに反省の態度を示すほうが相手の心に響く。「沈黙は金」だ。
Rather than piling up poor excuses, showing an attitude of reflection without saying anything reaches the other person's heart better. 'Silence is gold'.
激しい議論の中で、彼があえて一言も発さなかったことが、逆にその場の空気を鎮めた。まさに沈黙は金である。
During the heated discussion, his choice not to say a single word actually calmed the atmosphere. It was truly a case of 'silence is gold'.
雄弁は銀、沈黙は金」と言うように、ペラペラと喋るだけが能ではない。聞き役に回る大切さを痛感した。
As they say, 'speech is silver, silence is golden'; talking a lot isn't everything. I realized the importance of taking the role of a listener.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
While the grammar is simple, it uses formal kanji like 沈黙 (silence) and is an idiomatic loan-translation.
沈黙
ちんもく / chinmoku
silence
金
かね / kane
gold
雄弁
ゆうべん / yuuben
eloquence
銀
ぎん / gin
silver
Usage Profile
Usage note: While it praises silence, it does not mean one should never speak; it emphasizes the value of silence in comparison to excessive talk.
Misread Risk
Do not use it to suggest that keeping secrets or hiding the truth is always good; it focuses on the wisdom of restraint in speech.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This expression originates from the 19th-century British thinker Thomas Carlyle's book 'Sartor Resartus' (衣服哲学). In this work, Carlyle introduced the German proverb 'Sprechen ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold' (Speaking is silver, silence is gold) as a Swiss inscription. It explains that while speech has the value of silver, silence has the even greater value of gold. It was translated into Japanese and became established as 'Yuuben wa gin, chinmoku wa kane' (Speech is silver, silence is gold) or simply 'Chinmoku wa kane'.
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.