🗣️ France: “Whoever says nothing consents”

French proverb · Europe

Qui ne dit mot consent

ki nə di mo kɔ̃sɛ̃t

“Whoever says nothing consents”

Silence is agreement — if you do not object, it counts as yes.

About this proverb

This saying belongs to the oral tradition of France, a country in Europe. Read the full collection of France proverbs, or explore the Proverbs of the World index.

Reculer pour mieux sauter

ʁəkyle puʁ mjø sote

“Step back to jump further”

A temporary retreat lets you gather force for a bigger advance — strategy over stubbornness.

Proverbs are traditional folk heritage (public domain); the translation and explanation are our own plain-English rendering. Stored statically.

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