shh
The English phrase "shh" is translated into Italian as shh.
shh is used to request silence.
Meaning: requesting silence (intj)
Which one should you use?
While shh is used to request silence, you may encounter other forms. In informal situations, the sound ssst is used to quiet someone down, whereas the word Silenzio is used in formal situations to indicate silence.
Did you know?
- While 'shh' is globally understood, an Italian might use the word Piano to mean 'quietly' or 'softly'. It literally means 'slowly', but it is the standard way to ask someone to lower their volume.
- In many Italian regions, a person might attempt to grab silence by making a specific 'tsk' sound with their tongue, known as a 'clic'. This is often perceived as more of a sharp reprimand than the soft 'shh' sound.
- If you want to silence a group of children in a classroom, an Italian teacher might use the word Zitto instead of a simple 'shh'. While it translates to 'be quiet', it is grammatically singular and can sound quite blunt.
Examples in context
- Shh, stai parlando troppo forte.Shh, you're speaking too loudly.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use shh when someone is speaking too loudly.Tatoeba #617236 by Guybrush88, translation #328571 by fcbond
- Ssshhh, presto inizia il film!Shh, the movie is about to start!
- Ssst, stai disturbando gli altri.Shh, you're disturbing the others.
- Silenzio, per favore.Silence, please.
- Zitto, lo stanno cercando.Shh, they're looking for him.
- Shh, il bambino dorme.Shh, the baby is sleeping.
- Shh, sto cercando di concentrarmi.Shh, I am trying to concentrate.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are in a library.
- FrancescoGuarda che libro interessante, Giulia!Look at what an interesting book, Giulia!
- GiuliaShh, Francesco, siamo in biblioteca.Shh, Francesco, we are in the library.
- FrancescoHai ragione, scusa.You are right, sorry.
- GiuliaParliamo più piano.Let's speak more quietly.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
