静かにしてください
shizuka ni shite kudasai
The Japanese phrase for "please be quiet" is 静かにしてください (shizuka ni shite kudasai).
This phrase is used to make a polite request for someone to stop making noise. While it is a polite way to ask, the phrase remains a direct instruction and may sound stern depending on the tone you use.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 静かに (shizuka ni) is an adverbial form meaning "quietly".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal environment, you can use 静かにしてください or the even more formal お静かにお願いします。 If you are speaking to a friend or someone you are familiar with, you can use the informal 静かにして。 Avoid using 静かにしろ, as this is a harsh command that is considered rude in polite conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The request becomes informal and more direct by dropping the kudasai from the end of the phrase, resulting in 静かにして.
How do you pronounce it?
shizuka ni shite kudasai
When do people say it?
In Japan, placing your index finger in front of your lips to signal the "shh" sound is a widely understood gesture for silence.
Did you know?
- While 静かにしてください is polite, saying it too many times in a row can actually sound like a reprimand. In highly polite social circles, people often use indirect phrases like 少し賑やかですね ('It is a bit lively, isn't it') to signal a need for quiet.
- Japanese culture values kuuki wo yomu or 'reading the air'. Often, a person will signal the need for 静かに simply by pausing their own speech and looking at the noise-maker, without saying a word.
- While placing a finger to your lips is common, in some strict Japanese social contexts, it can be seen as patronizing or condescending, especially toward adults.
Examples in context
- 静かにしてください。Please be quiet.Tatoeba #12316446 by small_snow, translation #449049 by CK
- もう遅いから、静かにしてください。Please be quiet. It's late already.This sentence is useful for expressing that it is late and requesting silence with 静かにしてください.Tatoeba #11056314 by DJ_Saidez, translation #11056312 by DJ_Saidez
- 図書館では静かにしてください。Toshokan de wa shizuka ni shite kudasai.Please be quiet in the library.
Example conversation
A student is studying in a cafe when a loud person nearby is bothering them.
- 陽太 Yotaすみませんが、少し静かにしてください。Sumimasen ga, sukoshi shizuka ni shite kudasai.Excuse me, but please be quiet a little.
- 結衣 Yuiあ、ごめんなさい。A, gomen nasai.Oh, I am sorry.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you.
- 結衣 Yuiいえ、失礼しました。Ie, shitsurei shimashita.No, excuse me.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
