proverb · Words worth keeping
Turn your tongue seven times before speaking.
Turn your tongue seven times before speaking.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Pause before speaking so that the words fit the facts and the situation. The seven turns emphasise deliberate care rather than a literal counting rule.
What the words are saying
The tongue is made to wait before releasing its words. This vivid instruction creates a moment for checking accuracy, tone and purpose. Ask whether a statement is known, whether it needs to be said now and whether its wording will help the listener understand. A brief pause can prevent an impulsive accusation or an unnecessary injury. The image does not require silence until a perfect sentence exists. Urgent warnings and straightforward answers may need to be spoken quickly; care should support communication rather than make it impossible.
Everyday example
Before sending an angry message, a person checks the disputed date and asks a clear question instead of repeating an unverified accusation.
When to use it
Use it to encourage a short, purposeful pause before a consequential statement.
What it does not mean
Excessive hesitation can delay necessary communication. The number seven is part of the image, not a prescribed procedure.
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 (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 23; French section, paragraph 451; source wording: Il faut tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche avant de parler.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.