Silence is gold―沈黙(ちんもく)は金(きん)

Gold ingot 金塊 (きんかい)

What this proverb 諺(ことわざ) means to say is to praise silence rather than speech or eloquence.

I wonder if Europeans and Americans agree on this proverb. An English version says:

Speech is silver, silence is golden; or speaking is silver, silence is gold.

The Japanese translation is:

Chim-moku-wa kin, yuuben-wa guin

沈黙(ちんもく)は金(きん)、雄弁(ゆうべん)は銀(ぎん)

Some dictionaries write that this proverb is originally from Nederland オランダ; others Deutschland ドイツ―back to the middle of the 19th. Century.

Silver products 銀製品 (ぎんせいひん) get rusted instantly in Japan owing to its humidity 湿気 (しっけ).

日本(にほん)の学者(がくしゃ) Japanese scholars seem to have long been wondering why this proverb was created by European people, because their received wisdom told them that, in European culture, they praised eloquence rather than silence.

The Japanese scholars’ suspicions were right.

The story goes like this. Until the 19th. Century 19(じゅうきゅう)世紀(せいき), the European countries except the UK 英国(えいこく) had ‘the silver standard’ 銀本(ぎんほん)位制(いせい). Silver was more important than gold.

The proverb actually meant that eloquence 雄弁(ゆうべん) was more important than silence!

Then the European countries 欧州(おうしゅう)諸国(しょこく) transferred their economic system from the silver standard to the gold standard 金本位制(きんほんいせい).

Lotus 蓮 (はす): The flower language 花言葉 (はなことば) of the lotus is 'eloquence.' Lotus was given to an Egyptian King, Osiris, who was known as eloquent.

However, the proverb didn’t change and prevailed from Germany to other countries.

When the proverb was imported to Japan, the original meaning was changed!

The proverb was easily accepted in Japan because silence had really been praised since long time ago.

There was no question of the Japanese believing SILENCE IS GOLD.

Please note that if you say 金(きん), it’s gold or money. If you say金(かね), it’s money.

We have similar proverbs.

i-wa-nu-ga hana

言わぬ(いわぬ)が花(はな)

This proverb means that it is more graceful not to express in words; or it is more convenient not to explain clearly.

Japanese apricot 梅 (うめ) reminds you of happiness or joy in Japan. It's in bloom in early spring 早春 (そうしゅん)―just before cherry blossoms 桜 (さくら). We make pickles of the fruits 梅干し (うめぼし).

In this proverb, 花(はな) means a thing which is graceful, refined, and profound.

It can be said,

Silence is more eloquent than words.

i-shin-den-shin

以心伝心(いしんでんしん)

1. To communicate or pass on from person to person truth, essence, quintessence, or spirit which words can’t express.

2. To communicate more naturally without words

You can also be read

Kokoro-o mot-te kokoro-ni tsuta-u

心(こころ)を以て(もって)心(こころ)に伝う(つたう)

This proverb was imported from China and has been popular until now since 鎌倉(かまくら)時代(じだい) Kamakura Period (1185-1333).

書道 (しょどう) is an art of producing beautiful handwriting―caligraphy.

Now it’s stretched the meaning and is used when you teach some knacks or skills to someone without words.

i-wa-nu-wa i-u-ni masa-ru

言わぬ(いわぬ)は言う(いう)に勝る(まさる)

1. Thoughts are more profound or deeper when you’re silent than when you utter words and explain it.

2. You can pass on your feelings to others more effectively when you’re silent than speak.

This proverb has been quoted in many books since the 10th. Century.

The proverb not only explains the method of communication but also implies philosophy 哲学 (てつがく) or thoughts 思想 (しそう) deeply rooted in the Japanese nationals.