stille Wasser sind tief
still waters run deep (quiet people often have hidden depths)
Origin
The exact origin is uncertain; similar images appear already in Greek and Latin antiquity (cf. 'altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi' - the deepest rivers flow most quietly) and in 17th-century Dutch. The modern German form is often associated with F. L. Schröder's comedy 'Stille Wasser sind tief' (1786).
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- Regular comparative (-er + als 'than')Komparativ regelmäßig (-er + als)
- Superlative (am …-sten)Superlativ (am …-sten)
- Comparison of equality with 'so … wie' (as … as)Vergleich mit so … wie
- Verb 'schmecken' (to taste good, + dative)Verb 'schmecken' (+ Dativ)
- Temporal clause with 'bevor' (before)Temporalsatz mit 'bevor'
- Relative clause in the nominative (der/die/das as subject)Relativsatz im Nominativ
Examples
Sie sagt , aber stille sind .
She says little, but still waters run deep.