How do you say «Слово — не горобець: вилетить — не спіймаєш.» in English?

Naturally: “Once you've said it, you can't take it back.”. There is no direct English equivalent — English has the old proverb 'a word spoken is past recalling', but almost nobody says it today. In real speech an English speaker just says 'you can't take it back' — a plain sentence, not an idiom. There is no living English equivalent with a bird in it.

🧠 WISDOM · intermediate

🤖 Literally, in English

“A word is not a sparrow: it flies out and you will not catch it.”

Слово — не горобець: вилетить — не спіймаєш. Slovo — ne horobets: vyletyt — ne spiymayesh

🤨 What does it ACTUALLY mean? →

🇬🇧 What you'd actually say

“Once you've said it, you can't take it back.”

also: “Think before you speak.” · “You can't unsay something.”

📖 Meaning: Words cannot be unsaid, so think before you speak.
💡 Why it's funny: It first denies that a word is a sparrow — which nobody suggested — and then explains the escape plan of the sparrow it just ruled out.
🧭 Closest English idiom: No direct English equivalent. English has the old proverb 'a word spoken is past recalling', but almost nobody says it today. In real speech an English speaker just says 'you can't take it back' — a plain sentence, not an idiom. There is no living English equivalent with a bird in it.
📝 Explanation: Said as a warning before an argument, or as a reproach after one. One of the most frequently quoted Ukrainian proverbs.

🧠 Learn

take something back (phrase) — to say you did not mean what you said — забрати слова назад “I'm sorry — I take it back.”
think before you speak (phrase) — consider your words before saying them — думай, перш ніж говорити “Think before you speak in that meeting.”

🗣 In context

Подумай, перш ніж писати відповідь. Слово — не горобець.

Think before you send that reply. Once you've said it, you can't take it back.

🎧 Hear the contrast

🎲 Give me another one Test me on this Meme mode

dontpushthehorses.xyz