Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«Por la boca muere el pez.»
¿Cómo se dice «Por la boca muere el pez» en inglés? Loose lips sink ships.
Word for word
By the mouth dies the fish.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Loose lips sink ships.
Used to warn that talking too much or revealing secrets can get you into trouble. It's often said when someone exposes information they should have kept to themselves.
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Also said as
- El pez por la boca muere.
Hear it in a sentence
Por la boca muere el pez; no le cuentes tus planes a todo el mundo.
Loose lips sink ships; don't tell your plans to everyone.
More Spanish sayings
- La verdad sale a flote. — The truth comes to the surface.
- Amigo en la adversidad es amigo de verdad. — A friend in need is a friend indeed.
- Oveja que bala, bocado que pierde. — The squeaky wheel gets replaced, not greased.
- Lo prometido es deuda. — A promise is a promise.
- El que mucho habla, mucho yerra. — Talk too much, and you'll slip up.
More: Spanish sayings about animals
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Why learn dichos?
Proverbs like this one are everywhere in spoken Spanish — dropped mid-conversation, usually just the first half, with the rest left for you to complete. Recognizing them is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a textbook and follow real speech. Every Lingocito edition signs off with the dicho del día, so you meet one a day next to news written at your level.