¡Chis!
The Spanish way to say "shhh" is ¡Chis!
¡Chis! is an exclamation used to tell someone to be quiet.
Which one should you use?
While ¡Chis! is used to signal silence, other options include silencio for a neutral or formal context and ¡Calla! for a more direct, informal way to tell someone to be quiet. If you are addressing a single person directly to silence them, you may also use the command form ¡Cállate!
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, silence is signaled through a sharp clicking sound made with the tongue against the roof of the mouth. This non-verbal gesture can replace ¡Chis! entirely in many social settings.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, ¡Chis! mimics the sharp hiss of a snake or steam, rather than the soft 'sh' sound common in English.
- The phrase ¡Chitón! is often used in a more absolute way than ¡Chis!, effectively demanding that not a single further sound be made.
Examples in context
- Por favor, mantengamos el silencio durante el examen.Please, let's keep silence during the exam.
- ¡ Cállate! Estás en la biblioteca.Be quiet! You're in the library.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are in a library.
- Lucía¡Chis! Tenemos que estudiar.Shhh! We have to study.
- DanielLo siento, me olvidé dónde estábamos.I'm sorry, I forgot where we were.
- LucíaHabla más bajo, por favor.Speak quieter, please.
- DanielEstá bien, Lucía.Alright, Lucía.
