Proverb / Kotowaza
人の口に戸は立てられぬ
It is impossible to stop people from gossiping or spreading rumors.
You cannot put a door on people's mouths
Quick Answer
It is impossible to stop people from gossiping or spreading rumors.
- Literal Image
- You cannot put a door on people's mouths
- How to Use It
- Used when acknowledging that a secret or a piece of news will inevitably spread regardless of attempts to hide it or keep people quiet.
Meaning
This proverb expresses that you cannot control what others say or prevent rumors from spreading through society. Just as you can close a door to a house to keep things inside, you cannot physically seal the mouths of the public once a story begins to circulate.
Literal Image
You cannot put a door on people's mouths
How to Use It
Used when acknowledging that a secret or a piece of news will inevitably spread regardless of attempts to hide it or keep people quiet.
Tone
An observational tone that carries a hint of warning about the difficulty of maintaining secrecy.
Examples
いくら隠しても、人の口に戸は立てられぬで、いずれ知れ渡るだろう。
No matter how much you try to hide it, you can't put a door on people's mouths, so it will eventually become known.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses the classical negative verb ending 'nu' and the specific kanji '戸' (to) for door, which makes it more challenging than modern standard Japanese.
人の口
ひとのくち / hito no kuchi
people's mouths; public talk; gossip
戸
と / to
door; sliding door
立てられぬ
たてられぬ / taterarenu
cannot set up; cannot close (classical negative)
Usage Profile
Usage note: This can be used to describe the reality of social gossip rather than to actively encourage it.
Misread Risk
Do not confuse this with a literal instruction about doors; it is a metaphor for the impossibility of enforcing silence on others.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
The expression stems from a metaphor comparing a person's mouth to the entrance of a house. While the entrance of a home can be closed and secured with a door (to), there is no such mechanism to physically seal the mouths of people in society and prevent them from talking.
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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.