🤖 Literally, in English
“Quiet water tears down dams.”
Тиха вода греблі рве. Tykha voda hrebli rve
🤨 What does it ACTUALLY mean? →
🇬🇧 What you'd actually say
“It's the quiet ones you have to watch.”
also: “Quiet people can surprise you.” · “Don't underestimate the silent type.”
- 📖 Meaning
- Quiet people can be much more powerful or determined than they look.
- 💡 Why it's funny
- The English version is contemplative ('run deep'); the Ukrainian version has the water destroying infrastructure.
- 🧭 Closest English idiom
- “Still waters run deep.”
- 📝 Explanation
- Often said with respect, sometimes with a warning — a quiet colleague who suddenly changes everything.
🧠 Learn
- underestimate (verb) — to think someone is less capable than they are — недооцінювати “Don't underestimate her.”
- still waters run deep (idiom) — quiet people often have strong feelings or deep thoughts — у тихому болоті чорти водяться “He rarely speaks, but still waters run deep.”
🗣 In context
Вона мовчала весь рік, а тоді очолила відділ. Тиха вода греблі рве.
She said nothing all year and then took over the department. It's the quiet ones you have to watch.
🎧 Hear the contrast
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