How to Say "Be Quiet" in French

tais-toi

The English phrase 'be quiet' is translated into French as tais-toi.

The phrase is used as a command to tell someone to stop talking.

Which one should you use?

While tais-toi is a direct command, you can use the interjection Chut ! if you want to ask for silence more gently or less commandingly.

The form tais-toi is the singular imperative, used when speaking to one person you know well or to a child.

If you want to tell someone to be quiet in a very rude or aggressive way, you might hear ferme-la. It is a slang contraction of ferme ta gueule, where gueule refers to an animal's maw rather than a human mouth.
The phrase motus is a playful or secretive way to tell someone to be quiet or to keep a secret. It comes from the Latin word for 'motion' and implies that no word should move from the lips.
The verb taire in tais-toi is used not only for silence but also to describe keeping a secret. For example, taire la vérité means 'to keep the truth hidden'.

Tais-toi et va dans ta chambre !
Be quiet and go to your room!
This sentence demonstrates the use of tais-toi in an imperative command.
Tatoeba #8008308 by Aiji, translation #2900770 by AlanF_US
Tais-toi et écoute quand je parle !
When I speak, you be quiet and listen!
This sentence shows how to use tais-toi to demand silence and attention.
Tatoeba #3278166 by sicerabibax, translation #796128 by awynands
Tais-toi et retourne dans la voiture.
Be quiet and get back in the car.
This sentence uses tais-toi as part of a command to return to a vehicle.
Tatoeba #3451959 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #3329417 by Hybrid
Soyez silencieux, s'il vous plaît
Please be quiet
Tais-toi, je veux te raconter une blague
Be quiet, I want to tell you a joke
5 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are at the cinema and one is talking too much.

Sources

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