estoy quieto
/estoi kjeto/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'I am still' is expressed in Spanish as estoy quieto.
The phrase estoy quieto is used specifically to state that a person is not moving.
What does it mean word for word?
The word quieto literally means 'still', 'motionless' or 'quiet' in terms of movement.
Which one should you use?
Do not use estoy quieto to mean 'I am still [doing something]'. Use todavía estoy to express that an action is continuing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, one might say Aún sigo aquí to mean 'I am still here'. In Argentina, the phrase Sigo en la mía means 'I am still in my own thing'.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the adjective must change from quieto to estoy quieta.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ¡Quieto! as a command is the standard way to tell someone to 'freeze' or stop moving immediately, similar to a police officer's command.
- The word quieto is a learned borrowing from the Latin word quiētus, which is the ancestor of the English word 'quiet'.
- Depending on the region, quedarse quieto can be used idiomatically to mean someone is behaving themselves or staying out of trouble, even if they are physically moving.
Examples in context
- ¿Ya te has ido? No, sigo aquí.Are you already gone? No, I am still here.
- ¿Estás trabajando en el proyecto? Sigo haciendo el proyecto.Are you working on the project? I am still working on the project.
- ¿Terminaste tus tareas? Todavía estoy haciendo mis tareas.Did you finish your homework? I am still doing my homework.
- Estoy quieto para la foto.I am still for the photo.
- Si no me muevo, estoy quieto.If I don't move, I am still.
- Prometo que estoy quieto.I promise that I am still.
Example conversation
Mateo is posing for a photo that Sofía is taking.
- MateoYa estoy quieto, Sofía.I am still now, Sofía.
- SofíaNo te muevas más, Mateo.Don't move anymore, Mateo.
- MateoSí, estoy quieto ahora.Yes, I am still now.
- SofíaPerfecto, voy a tomar la foto.Perfect, I'm going to take the photo.
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.
