זײַ שטיל
zay shtil
The phrase 'be quiet' in Yiddish is זײַ שטיל (zay shtil).
זײַ שטיל is a command used to tell someone to stop making noise.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative form of 'to be' (זײַ) and the adjective 'quiet' (שטיל).
How do you pronounce it?
zay shtil
Did you know?
- In Yiddish literature, a 'quiet' character might be described as שטיל to imply they are not just silent, but also modest or unassuming.
- The word שטיל shares its ancestry with the English word 'still', making it a cognate that looks and sounds very similar to its Germanic cousin.
- While זײַ שטיל is the direct translation, Yiddish culture often employs a wide range of colorful idioms to express the idea of 'shutting up' that are far more idiomatic than this literal phrase.
Examples in context
- זײַ שטיל, איך וויל שלאַפֿן.zay shtil, ikh vil shlafn.Be quiet, I want to sleep.
- זײַ שטיל אין דער קלאַס.zay shtil in der klas.Be quiet in the class.
- זײַ שטיל, דאָס איז אַ סוד.zay shtil, dos iz a sud.Be quiet, this is a secret.
Example conversation
Berl and Reizel are in a movie theater.
- בערל Berelרייזל, זײַ שטיל, ביטע!Reizel, zay shtil, bite!Reizel, be quiet, please!
- רייזל Reizelוואָס פאַסירט? איך האָב גאָרניש געזאָגט.Vos pasirt? Ikh hob gornish gezogt.What's happening? I didn't say anything.
- בערל Berelדו רעדסט צו פֿיל.Du redst tsu fil.You are talking too much.
- רייזל Reizelנוך איין מאָל, איך וועל זײַן שטיל.Nukh eyn mol, ikh vel zayn shtil.One more time, I will be quiet.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שטיל, CC BY-SA 4.0.
