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Speak Quotes

The languages, and limits, people speak within.

A couple of these speak quotes are about language and identity specifically, children translating for family members, and a cultural background where the expected native language was never actually spoken at home. The Language collection covers this in more depth.

As soon as people heard me speak, they would compare me to my father. My siblings had the same kind of pressure.

Quotes by Yolanda King

There are Jews who came from 102 countries and speak 81 languages - how do you consolidate them into one nation? This is where I saw my role.

Quotes by Yitzhak Navon

Many of the Central Asians know Russian, and Ted Levin speaks it fluently. I speak Chinese, but Mongolian is completely different, so we had to have translators.

Quotes by Yo-Yo Ma

When one sings, one does not speak about the problems of the every day. One speaks about the things which inspire us, which helped us.

Quotes by Yannick Noah

I never lose an opportunity to speak about my obsession: humankind and the environment.

Quotes by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Back home, almost everything I did, I did in Hebrew. I went to drama school in Hebrew, my whole career was in Hebrew, and to switch languages was something that was fascinating and more complicated than I expected it to...

Quotes by Yael Grobglas

I live the Swiss mentality but the Kosovo mentality too, because when I go home, I speak Albanian.

Quotes by Xherdan Shaqiri

I think my stats speak for themselves.

Quotes by Xherdan Shaqiri

I can't speak for others, but I miss my father.

Quotes by Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy

It's funny how the smallest things I've done speak the loudest about me, but I like that.

Quotes by Xavier Niel

Europe should speak more effectively and clearly with one voice in the world.

Quotes by Wolfgang Schauble

I want the pictures to be working in both directions. I accept that they speak about me, and yet at the same time, I want and expect them to function in terms of the viewer and their experience.

Quotes by Wolfgang Tillmans

I speak at a lot of banquets in small towns, because small towns have so many great people.

Quotes by Woody Hayes

I cannot speak for more than an hour exclusively about poetry. At that point, life itself takes over again.

Quotes by Wislawa Szymborska

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Winston Churchill

When I first came to this country, I didn't know how to speak English.

Quotes by Wilmer Valderrama

This show has been a major revitalization of my family life and personal life. It gave my family an avenue to speak to me honestly.

Quotes by Willie Aames

It's like there are all these languages available, especially in terms of image. Why confine yourself to only English? There's all these languages and possibilities and concepts to speak or communicate with.

Quotes by William T. Wiley

If you want people to listen, you have to have a platform to speak from, and that is excellence in what you do.

Quotes by William Pollard

Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us?

Quotes by William O. Douglas

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a quote about children speaking another language?
Yes — a proud one: "My children speak very good Chinese, and they translate for our American friends." It highlights language skill as something to be proud of within a family. For more quotes about language and communication, see Language quotes.
Is there a quote about identity and language not matching expectations?
Yes — a direct one: "I'm a Persian Jew, and we don't speak Hebrew." It's a clear, honest statement correcting an assumption people might make. For more quotes about knowing and understanding people better, browse Know quotes.
Is there a quote using "speak" as a figure of speech?
Yes — one uses the phrase casually: "I just sort of follow my bliss, so to speak, and then I see where that takes me." Here "speak" isn't literal — it's part of a common expression about following your instincts. For more relaxed, conversational quotes like this, check out Like quotes.
Is there a quote about not wanting to hear certain people speak?
Yes — a strong one: "There are evil people, and I don't even want to hear those guys speak." It's a forceful statement about refusing to give a platform to certain voices. For more strongly held opinions like this, see Always quotes.
What's the range of ways "speak" is used across these quotes?
From literal fluency in a language, to correcting assumptions, to a common expression, to refusing to listen — these quotes show how flexible the word "speak" really is.

Others use the word more loosely, one following an instinct rather than a plan, another admitting discomfort even listening to certain harmful views. Continue with Know quotes or Always quotes.