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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.

An artist cannot speak about his art any more than a plant can discuss horticulture.

Quotes by Jean Cocteau

A vain man finds it wise to speak good or ill of himself; a modest man does not talk of himself.

Quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

To be among people one loves, that's sufficient; to dream, to speak to them, to be silent among them, to think of indifferent things; but among them, everything is equal.

Quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

I felt like, I need to do English music; I speak better English than I do Korean. I think the fans enjoy it as well, so let's start making music in English.

Quotes by Jay Park

One of my problems, so to speak, is that, in America, we tend to think in relatively short-term. In the Middle East and Asia and other parts of the world, they think in terms of centuries or 500 years or...

Quotes by Jay Rockefeller

Human language is lit with animal life: we play cats-cradle or have hare-brained ideas; we speak of badgering, or outfoxing someone; to squirrel something away and to ferret it out.

Quotes by Jay Griffiths

With traditional school visits, I also get to speak with people who haven't read my books and talk about my writing process as well as the serious aspects I write about.

Quotes by Jay Asher

Speak to any editor and ask them what they turned down, and they'll have long lists of books.

Quotes by Jasper Fforde

Listen closely as those around you speak; great truths are revealed in jest.

Quotes by Javan

I convinced my parents to let me see an agent, but because I had been taught never to speak to strangers, I was so quiet during the interview, they said to bring me back when I was older.

Quotes by Jason Fuchs

No matter how many times the court shuts them down or how many Americans speak out to defend their rights, Republican politicians who stand to gain from suppressing voters won't back down. They'll only change their tactics.

Quotes by Jason Kander

I think my pocket presence and my ability to extend plays speak for themselves.

Quotes by Jared Goff

I speak with my father about everything in my life.

Quotes by Jared Kushner

It is only with burning anger that we can speak of this attack by counter-revolutionary reactionary elements against the capital of our country, against our people's democratic order and the power of the working class.

Quotes by Janos Kadar

New Jersey is very big. There are different areas of New Jersey. There is North New Jersey. There is like the center. There are a lot of actors from New Jersey that don't speak with a New Jersey accent.

Quotes by Janet Montgomery

I would love to speak with First Lady Michelle Obama about the addictive component of obesity.

Quotes by Jane Velez-Mitchell

Dreams can be like charades in which we act out words rather than see or speak them.

Quotes by Jane Roberts

We need spies that look like their targets, CIA officers who speak the dialects terrorists use, and FBI agents who can speak to Muslim women who might be intimidated by men.

Quotes by Jane Harman

There is no free speech in football. Information is parsed by monosyllabic head coaches, who dictate who gets to speak to whom and when.

Quotes by Jane Leavy

I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.

Jane Austen

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.