Cállate
informal, blunt
In Mexico "be quiet" is Cállate to one person, which is blunt, and Cállense to a group. A polite version is Silencio, por favor.
Meaning: request for silence (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| Cállate | informal, blunt |
| Silencio, por favor | polite |
| Cállense | to a group |
Which one should you use?
Cállate can sound rude, especially with adults. Teachers and organizers prefer silencio, por favor or guarden silencio, por favor.
How does it change in a sentence?
Cállate comes from callarse, "to stop talking". The group form is cállense because Mexican Spanish uses ustedes, not vosotros.
Did you know?
- The tone of cállate changes a lot with the voice. A friendly ya cállate between friends can even mean "stop, you are kidding".
Examples in context
- Cállate, por favor, estoy estudiando.Be quiet, please, I am studying.
- Silencio, por favor, va a empezar la obra.Quiet, please, the play is about to start.
- Niños, cállense ya.Kids, be quiet now.
Example conversation
A teacher, la maestra Laura, calms her class in a school in Toluca.
- Maestra LauraNiños, silencio, por favor.Kids, quiet, please.
- NiñoPerdón, maestra.Sorry, teacher.
- Maestra LauraGracias, ahora abran el libro.Thank you, now open your book.
