Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold
Speech is silver, silence is golden
Intermediate Phrase
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Pronunciation
/ˈʁeːdn̩ ɪst ˈzɪlbɐ ˈʃvaɪ̯ɡn̩ ɪst ɡɔlt/
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Cultural Note
This is one of the most well-known German proverbs. While it advises that silence can be wiser than speaking, modern German communication culture often debates its validity — especially in relationships, where open communication is increasingly valued over stoic silence.
📝 Example Sentences
Manchmal ist Reden Silber und Schweigen Gold.
Sometimes speech is silver and silence is golden.
Meine Oma sagte immer: Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold.
My grandma always said: speech is silver, silence is golden.
In dieser Situation gilt: Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold.
In this situation, the rule is: speech is silver, silence is golden.