Bedeutung
To stop yourself from saying something, often something rude.
Kultureller Hintergrund
British culture often emphasizes 'stiff upper lip' and politeness. Biting your tongue is considered a virtue in social gatherings to avoid 'making a scene.' In US offices, 'biting your tongue' is often linked to 'professionalism.' However, modern trends like 'Radical Candor' are encouraging people to speak up more. While the English idiom is used, the concept of 'Honne' (true feelings) vs 'Tatemae' (public face) is very similar. Biting one's tongue is a way to maintain 'Tatemae.' There is a strong emphasis on respecting elders. Younger people are often expected to 'bite their tongue' even if they disagree with an older family member.
The Pronoun Rule
Always check your subject. If 'She' is the subject, use 'her tongue.'
Don't be rude
Avoid saying 'Bite your tongue!' to others. It's very aggressive.
Bedeutung
To stop yourself from saying something, often something rude.
The Pronoun Rule
Always check your subject. If 'She' is the subject, use 'her tongue.'
Don't be rude
Avoid saying 'Bite your tongue!' to others. It's very aggressive.
Use with 'had to'
Using 'I had to bite my tongue' makes you sound like a victim of a difficult situation, which is very natural.
Silence is Golden
In English, this idiom is almost always seen as a positive sign of self-control.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct possessive pronoun.
I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I bit ____ tongue.
The pronoun must match the subject 'I'.
Which situation best fits the idiom?
When would you 'bite your tongue'?
Biting your tongue is about stopping an inappropriate reaction.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Did you tell Sarah her dress was ugly? B: No, I ________.
This is the standard past tense form of the idiom.
Match the reason to the action.
Why did John bite his tongue?
Avoiding arguments is a primary use of this idiom.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
When to Bite Your Tongue
Work
- • Boss is wrong
- • Annoying client
- • Bad ideas
Family
- • Unwanted advice
- • Politics
- • Bad cooking
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenI wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I bit ____ tongue.
The pronoun must match the subject 'I'.
When would you 'bite your tongue'?
Biting your tongue is about stopping an inappropriate reaction.
A: Did you tell Sarah her dress was ugly? B: No, I ________.
This is the standard past tense form of the idiom.
Why did John bite his tongue?
Avoiding arguments is a primary use of this idiom.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenUsually no. It is seen as a sign of self-control and politeness.
Yes, but it's slightly informal. In a very formal email, say 'I chose not to comment.'
The past tense is 'bit my tongue.'
The meaning is similar, but 'bite your tongue' is about your own choice, while 'shut up' is a rude command to someone else.
No, that sounds unnatural. Use 'my', 'your', 'his', etc.
Yes, it is very common in all English-speaking countries.
Yes, if you are trying hard not to tell a secret, you can say you are biting your tongue.
That is the literal meaning! You can say 'Ouch, I bit my tongue.'
Yes, 'zip it' or 'button it' are more slangy.
Yes, it means you are struggling to stay silent right now.
It's okay to use when telling a story about a past conflict, but don't use it too much.
The tongue is the organ of speech. Biting it is a more powerful image of stopping words.
Usually not. It's almost always about stopping something negative or rude.
Yes, it's over 400 years old!
Verwandte Redewendungen
Hold your tongue
synonymTo stop talking or stay silent.
Keep your chin up
contrastTo stay positive.
Put your foot in your mouth
contrastTo say something embarrassing.
Cat got your tongue?
similarWhy are you not speaking?
Zip it
synonymBe quiet.
