Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| callar | /kaˈʝaɾ/ |
| acallar | /akaˈʝaɾ/ |
To make someone or something quiet, you can use callar or acallar. You can also use the noun silencio to refer to silence. The phrase ¡A callar! is a specific command used to tell a group of people to be quiet immediately. For a more formal request, you can say Silencio, por favor (silence, please) or Te agradecería si pudieras callarte (I would appreciate it if you could be quiet).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal situations, you might say ¡Cállate! to someone you know, which is a blunt way to say 'shut up' and can be perceived as rude or aggressive. For more polite or formal settings, use Silencio, por favor or the phrase Te agradecería si pudieras callarte.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Spanish, the reflexive form callarse is much more common when you are telling someone to be quiet or describing someone who has stopped talking. Additionally, the construction ¡A + infinitive! is used to issue a command to a group of people to perform an action immediately, such as ¡A callar!
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈʝaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that callar can also mean to keep a secret or to withhold information, such as in the phrase callar la verdad (to keep the truth quiet).
Did you know?
- The verb callar shares an ancient ancestor with the Greek word khaláō, which meant 'to loosen' or 'to relax'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, telling someone ¡Cállate! is considered a significant social faux pas that can immediately end a friendly conversation.
- In some regions, the phrase callar can be used as a metaphor for death or the 'eternal silence' of the grave in formal poetry.
Examples in context
- ¡A callar!Hush!This sentence is useful for a command to a group to hush.Tatoeba #4554093 by swyter, translation #689811 by sacredceltic
- ¿Te vas a callar?Will you hush?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is going to hush.Tatoeba #11999796 by shekitten, translation #11927559 by CK
- Por favor, un poco de silencioPlease, a little bit of silence
- Necesito concentrarme, ¿puedes bajar la voz?I need to concentrate, could you lower your voice?
- Trata de callar a los niños por un momento.Try to quiet the children for a moment.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are in a library.
- DanielDebemos callar para no molestar.We must hush so we don't disturb others.
- LucíaTienes razón, Daniel.You are right, Daniel.
- DanielMira, ese chico no quiere callar.Look, that boy won't hush.
- LucíaYo le diré que guarde silencio.I will tell him to be quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hush” translations and entries callar, acallar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acallar, callar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
