请安静
qǐng ānjìng
The Chinese phrase for "please be quiet" is 请安静 (qǐng ānjìng).
The phrase 请安静 is a polite request for people to stop making noise. Other variations include 请保持安静, which means "please maintain silence" and 请安静一点, which translates to "please be a bit quiet".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 请 (qǐng), meaning "please" and 安静 (ānjìng), meaning "quiet" or "peaceful".
Which one should you use?
请保持安静 specifically asks someone to maintain a state of silence and 请安静一点 is used to ask someone to be a bit quieter.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
请安静 is suitable for environments like libraries, classrooms or public announcements. In casual settings, you might use 请安静一点 or the colloquial expression 别吵, which means "don't make noise". For a non-verbal, informal way to tell someone to be quiet, you can use the sound 嘘 (shh).
How do you pronounce it?
qǐng ānjìng
Did you know?
- If you want to tell someone to stop being noisy in a very blunt, almost aggressive way, you might say 吵死了 (chǎo sǐ le), which translates to 'noisy to death'.
- The colloquial 别吵 (bié chǎo) uses the word 吵, which can also mean 'to quarrel' or 'to argue', implying that noise is often linked to conflict.
- In China, the gesture for 'be quiet' often involves placing the index finger vertically over the lips, but doing so to a superior can be perceived as overly blunt or rude despite the polite words 请安静.
Examples in context
- 请保持安静 ，我们要开始会议了。Please maintain silence, we are about to start the meeting.
- 别吵 ，我们好好看电影吧。Don't make noise, let's watch the movie properly.
- 图书馆里请安静。Túshūguǎn lǐ qǐng ānjìng.Please be quiet in the library.
- 请安静，我正在看书。Qǐng ānjìng, wǒ zhèngzài kànshū.Please be quiet, I am reading.
- 同学们，请安静一下。Tóngxuémen, qǐng ānjìng yīxià.Students, please be quiet for a moment.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are in a movie theater.
- 志强 Zhiqiang雨婷，请安静，电影开始了。Yǔtíng, qǐng ānjìng, diànyǐng kāishǐ le.Yuting, please be quiet, the movie has started.
- 雨婷 Yuting对不起，我忘了。Duìbùqǐ, wǒ wàng le.Sorry, I forgot.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没关系，现在安静就好。Méiguānxì, xiànzài ānjìng jiù hǎo.It's okay, as long as you're quiet now.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，我不说话了。Hǎo de, wǒ bù shuōhuà le.Okay, I won't talk anymore.
