proverb · Words worth keeping
Even a fish would not get into trouble if it would keep its mouth shut. – Korean
Even a fish would not get into trouble if it would keep its mouth shut. – Korean
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A fish avoiding trouble by keeping its mouth shut gives silence an image of protection. The supplied sentence includes a Korean label.
What the words are saying
The source label is preserved without independently verified origin; the image is not a fish-behaviour or safety finding. A critical human reading does not make silence always safer, require concealment of harm or blame someone for speaking. Relevant expression, support and reporting can remain necessary.
Everyday example
Someone considers an audience carefully while still raising a substantiated concern through appropriate support.
When to use it
Use it critically as a qualified communication image with expression retained.
What it does not mean
No safety guaranteed by silence or blame justified by speaking is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 1007; PDF page 86; collection label: Miscellaneous Proverbs
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Miscellaneous Proverbs