Bedeutung
To be suddenly silent.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Russian culture, silence is often viewed with suspicion in social settings. If you are quiet, people will immediately ask if something is wrong, often using this idiom. Similar to Russia, Ukrainian culture uses this idiom (проковтнути язика) with the same dual meaning, reflecting shared culinary and social values. In Soviet cinema, this phrase was often used to depict the 'little man' being intimidated by bureaucracy, making it a staple of 20th-century cultural identity. On social media, the idiom is often shortened to just the emoji 🤐 or 👅 in comments on food blogs or in response to 'ghosting'.
The 'Что' Trick
Always add 'что' when asking the question: 'Ты ЧТО, язык проглотил?' It makes you sound like a native speaker.
Tense Matters
Never use the past tense 'проглотил' to compliment food unless you want people to think you're choking.
Bedeutung
To be suddenly silent.
The 'Что' Trick
Always add 'что' when asking the question: 'Ты ЧТО, язык проглотил?' It makes you sound like a native speaker.
Tense Matters
Never use the past tense 'проглотил' to compliment food unless you want people to think you're choking.
Plural Usage
If a whole group is silent, use the plural: 'Вы что, языки проглотили?'
Complimenting the Chef
This is one of the best ways to make a Russian grandmother happy. Use it after your second helping of food.
Teste dich selbst
Choose the correct form of the idiom for the following sentence about a delicious meal.
Этот торт такой вкусный, что можно ...
After 'можно', we use the infinitive form 'проглотить'.
Fill in the missing verb in the correct tense.
Почему ты молчишь? Ты что, язык ________?
When asking why someone is currently silent, we use the past tense 'проглотил' to imply the action has already happened.
Match the sentence to the situation.
1. 'Язык проглотишь!' 2. 'Будто язык проглотил.'
The future/infinitive is for food, the past tense is for silence.
Complete the dialogue.
Мама: Тебе нравится мой ужин? Сын: Да, мама! Просто ...
The son is complimenting the food, so he uses the 'delicious' form.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Tense Usage
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenЭтот торт такой вкусный, что можно ...
After 'можно', we use the infinitive form 'проглотить'.
Почему ты молчишь? Ты что, язык ________?
When asking why someone is currently silent, we use the past tense 'проглотил' to imply the action has already happened.
1. 'Язык проглотишь!' 2. 'Будто язык проглотил.'
The future/infinitive is for food, the past tense is for silence.
Мама: Тебе нравится мой ужин? Сын: Да, мама! Просто ...
The son is complimenting the food, so he uses the 'delicious' form.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenIt can be slightly aggressive or impatient. Use it with friends, but avoid it with strangers or superiors.
Yes, if a drink is exceptionally delicious, you can say 'Язык проглотишь!', though it's more common for food.
They are very similar for food. 'Язык проглотишь' is slightly more emphatic and common in speech.
Usually, we use 'можно язык проглотить' or 'язык проглотишь' (referring to the listener). Saying 'I will swallow my tongue' is less common.
No, it is strictly colloquial and literary.
Yes, the 'silence' meaning is almost identical to the English 'cat got your tongue'.
The verb 'проглотить' implies a sudden, complete disappearance, which fits the 'sudden silence' meaning perfectly.
No, it is specifically for speech/silence or the taste of food.
Instead of the idiom, just say 'Почему вы молчите?' (Why are you silent?)
Say 'Я словно язык проглотил'.
Yes, it is universally understood across the former Soviet Union.
No! If you are choking, use the word 'подавился'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Пальчики оближешь
synonymFinger-licking good
Держать язык за зубами
similarTo keep a secret
Онеметь
similarTo go numb/speechless
Прикусить язык
builds onTo bite one's tongue
Развязать язык
contrastTo loosen the tongue
