quédate quieto
/kedate kjeto/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'be still' is translated into Spanish as quédate quieto.
This phrase is a command used to tell someone to stop moving their body. It specifically refers to physical stillness. It is not used to mean 'be calm' or 'be quiet' in a metaphorical or auditory sense.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb quedarse (to stay/remain) and the adjective quieto (still/motionless).
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter No te muevas, which means 'don't move'.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a female, the adjective must change from quieto to quieta, resulting in quédate quieta. To command a group of people to be still, use the plural form quédense quietos.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, shouting ¡Quieto! is the standard command used by police or security forces to tell a suspect to 'freeze'.
- While quieto means motionless, it shares a linguistic ancestor with the Latin 'quies', which is the root of the English word 'quiet'.
- The adjective quieto can also be used to describe a person's temperament, referring to someone who is 'calm' or 'sedentary' rather than just physically motionless.
Examples in context
- Por favor, permanezca quieto/a mientras habloPlease be still while I speak
- Por favor, tranquilícese y permanezca quieto/aPlease calm down and be still
- Quédate quieto/a mientras tomo una fotoStay still while I take a picture
- No te muevas o arruinarás el juegoDon't move or you'll mess up the game
- En la biblioteca, debes permanecer quieto/a y no hacer ruido.In the library, you should be still and not make noise.
- ¡No te muevas mientras te pongo esta curita!Don't move while I put this band-aid on you!
- Quédate quieto para la foto.Be still for the photo.
- ¡Quédate quieto, que te vas a caer!Be still, you're going to fall!
- Por favor, quédate quieto un momento.Please, be still for a moment.
Example conversation
Daniel is trying to put a bandage on Lucía's arm.
- DanielQuédate quieto, Lucía, que te voy a curar.Be still, Lucía, I'm going to treat you.
- LucíaEs que me pica mucho la piel.It's just that my skin itches a lot.
- DanielLo sé, pero quédate quieto ahora.I know, but be still now.
- LucíaEstá bien, ya no me muevo.Okay, I'm not moving anymore.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quieto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
