静か
shizuka[ɕizɨka̠]
The Japanese word for quiet is 静か (shizuka), which is an adjective meaning with little sound.
While 静か refers to a lack of noise, you may encounter related nouns like 静寂, which refers more specifically to a profound, heavy or poetic silence.
Meaning: with little sound (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 静か refers to a lack of noise, the related noun 静寂 refers more specifically to a profound, heavy or poetic silence.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Adding the honorific prefix お makes the command or request to be quiet sound much more polite and formal, resulting in お静かに.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the adjective as an adverb (e.g., 'be quiet' or 'do something quietly'), add the particle に to the end of 静か to form 静かに. To use the adjective directly before a noun (e.g., 'a quiet room'), add the particle な to the end of 静か to form 静かな.
How do you pronounce it?
shizuka
Did you know?
- In Japanese aesthetics, a 'quiet' space is not just an absence of noise but a deliberate design choice known as 間, or 'ma', where the silence is as important as the sound.
- The word 静か shares a linguistic root with 沈む, which means 'to sink' or 'to set' like the sun. This links the idea of quietness with the physical act of descending.
- The term 静か is often used to describe a person's personality as 'reserved' or 'introverted', rather than just the volume of their voice.
Examples in context
- 静かにしてくれ。Keep quiet.This example shows how to use 静か in a command to keep quiet.Tatoeba #142521 by small_snow, translation #272043 by CK
- 皆さんお静かに。Please be quiet, everybody.This example shows a polite way to ask a group of people to be quiet using 静か.Tatoeba #184988 by small_snow, translation #22119 by CK
- お静かに・・・。Please be quiet.This example shows a polite request to be quiet using 静か.Tatoeba #226994 by small_snow, translation #449049 by CK
- 彼女は授業中にいつも静かです。She is always quiet during class.
- ちょっとしずかにお願いします。Could you please be a little quiet?
- 山の静かさに心が癒される。One's heart is healed by the quietness of the mountains.
- 126 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are at a library.
- 陽太 Yotaここはとても静かだね。Koko wa totemo shizuka dane.It is very quiet here, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、集中できるよ。Un, shuuchuu dekiru yo.Yeah, I can concentrate.
- 陽太 Yota少し静かすぎるかもしれない。Sukoshi shizukasugiru kamo shirenai.It might be a little too quiet, though.
- 美咲 Misaki図書室だからね。Toshoshitsu dakara ne.That's because it's a reading room.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 静か, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 静か, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
