You are going to women? Do not forget the whip!

An old woman, in Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883)

Genuine

Yes. In Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883), Part 1, chapter 18 (“Old and Young Women”, Von alten und jungen Weiblein), said by an old woman. These are the character’s words, not a statement in Nietzsche’s own voice.

Found word for word by program in the German original and in Thomas Common’s English translation (1909).

The wording people share comes from a later translation; Common’s words are underlined below.

Work
Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Also sprach Zarathustra), 1883
Where
Part 1, chapter 18 (“Old and Young Women”, Von alten und jungen Weiblein)
Found at
Paragraph 727 of the German text, 762 of the English
Translation
Thomas Common, 1909

Researched by AI; checked by program against the full text on 31 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check

On the page

¶761 en¶726 de

“Give me, woman, thy little truth!” said I. And thus spake the old woman:

„Gieb mir, Weib, deine kleine Wahrheit!“ sagte ich. Und also sprach das alte Weiblein:

¶762 en¶727 de
English, Thomas Common, 1909

“Thou goest to women? Do not forget thy whip!12”—

German, the original

„Du gehst zu Frauen? Vergiss die Peitsche nicht!“—

¶763 en¶728 de

Thus spake Zarathustra.

Also sprach Zarathustra.

¶729 de

Vom Biss der Natter

The scene

Zarathustra has spoken about woman and man; an old woman answers that he has said fine things for those young enough for them, and offers him a little truth in thanks, to be swaddled up so it does not scream. Zarathustra asks for it, and she says this. It is the last speech of the chapter, followed only by the narrator’s “Thus spake Zarathustra.”

What it means

The old woman’s parting words to Zarathustra after his speech about women; their intent (mockery of his view, or her own advice) is disputed.

Often misread

Almost always quoted as Nietzsche’s own advice to men, or as his proof of contempt for women. The words are an old woman’s, said to Zarathustra, and who the joke is on is disputed: the speech before it is Zarathustra’s own harsh view of women, and her answer may be mockery of it. The line is spoken by the old woman and is not Zarathustra’s or Nietzsche’s instruction as such.

Use with care

Widely quoted as proof of Nietzsche’s misogyny. The speaker is a character, and the passage around it contains Zarathustra’s own sexist generalisations about women, which are set out in the chapter.

Topics

Power

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Sources

Cite it

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883), Part 1, chapter 18 (“Old and Young Women”, Von alten und jungen Weiblein), translated by Thomas Common (1909). Spoken by an old woman. Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/thou-goest-to-women-do-not-forget-thy-whip/ (31 October 2026).

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Checked by people

People who checked this entry against its source, under their own names. Their checks do not change the verdict: an editor reviews every entry.

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