тсс
tss[t͡ss]
The Russian word for shush is тсс (tss).
The form тсс is an onomatopoeic interjection used to signal someone to be quiet, similar to the English 'shh'.
Meaning: To be quiet (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
tss
Did you know?
- The gesture of putting a finger to the lips often accompanies тсс, but in some Russian contexts, a sharp 'tss' sound made with the tongue against the teeth is used to get a dog's attention to stop barking.
- While тсс is used to request silence, it can actually sound quite aggressive or impatient if whispered too sharply to a stranger.
- Unlike the English 'shh' which relies on a soft 'sh' sound, тсс relies on a sharp 'ts' sound, which is physically much more percussive.
Examples in context
- Тсс! Это секрет.Shush! It's a secret.This sentence shows how to use тсс to indicate that something is a secret.Tatoeba #6927204 by odexed, translation #6731015 by Eccles17
- Тише, пожалуйста.Quieter, please.
- Тсс, ребёнок спит.Tss, rebyonok spit.Shush, the baby is sleeping.
Example conversation
In a library, Alexander and Maria are trying to study.
- Александр AleksandrТсс, здесь должна быть тишина.Tss, zdes' dolzhna byt' tishina.Shush, it should be quiet here.
- Мария MariaПрости, Александр, я буду тише.Prosti, Aleksandr, ya budu tishe.Sorry, Alexander, I will be quieter.
- Александр AleksandrТсс, я пытаюсь сосредоточиться.Tss, ya pytayus' sosredotochit'sya.Shush, I am trying to concentrate.
- Мария MariaХорошо, я молчу.Khorosho, ya molchu.Okay, I am being quiet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry тсс, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
