How to Say "Quietly" in Arabic

بهدوء

bihudu'

The English adverb "quietly" is translated into Arabic as بهدوء (bihudu').

Meaning: producing little or no noise (adv)

What does it mean word for word?

The prefix بـ functions as a preposition meaning "with" or "by", used here to turn the noun هدوء (calmness/quiet) into an adverbial phrase.

In Arabic, the adverb "quietly" is often constructed as a prepositional phrase (bi- + noun) rather than a single modified adjective.

bihudu'

The root of بهدوء is shared with the word for 'guidance' هداية. In classical Arabic, the concept of 'quiet' is deeply linked to the idea of being rightly guided or tranquil in spirit.
In some Arabic-speaking cultures, a person described as acting بهدوء might be praised for their 'composure' or 'stability' during a crisis, rather than just their volume.
In many Arabic dialects, if you want someone to be quiet, instead of using the adverbial 'quietly', you might use the word 'shush' (شششش), which mimics the sound of air, similar to the English 'shush'.

من فضلك أقفل الباب بهدوء.
Please close the door quietly.
This sentence is useful for requesting that a door be closed without making noise using the form بهدوء.
Tatoeba #489142 by saeb, translation #272060 by CK
أدار فاضل مقبض الباب بهدوء و دخل إلى المنزل.
Fadil quietly turned the doorknob and entered the house.
This sentence demonstrates how an action like turning a doorknob can be performed using the form بهدوء.
Tatoeba #5879144 by OsoHombre, translation #5877773 by OsoHombre
فتح فاضل المنزل بهدوء و دخل على أطراف أصابعه.
Fadil quietly opened the backdoor and tiptoed into the house.
This sentence shows how to describe entering a place quietly using the form بهدوء.
Tatoeba #7140889 by OsoHombre, translation #5877771 by OsoHombre

Nour and Ziad are in a library.

نور Nour

من فضلك، تحدث بهدوء يا زياد.
Min fadlak, tahaddath bi-hudu' ya Ziyad.
Please, speak quietly Ziad.
زياد Ziad

أنا آسف، نسيت أننا في المكتبة.
Ana asif, nasitu annana fil-maktaba.
I am sorry, I forgot we are in the library.
نور Nour

يجب أن نتحرك بهدوء هنا.
Yajib an nataharrak bi-hudu' huna.
We must move quietly here.
زياد Ziad

حسناً، سأكون حذراً الآن.
Hasanan, sa-akunu hadiran al-an.
Alright, I will be careful now.

Sources

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