Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| صَه | ṣah |
| اُسْكُت | uskut |
| اِخْرَس | iḵras |
These terms are used to command someone to stop talking or to be silent.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly in tone and style. صَه is a classical, highly concise command used to demand silence, often perceived as more authoritative or literary than modern spoken versions. اُسْكُت is a standard, direct way to say "be quiet" or "shut up" that is widely understood across most Arabic dialects. اِخْرَس is much more aggressive and insulting than اُسْكُت, carrying a connotation similar to "shut your trap" or "shut the hell up".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms change based on whom you are addressing. اُسْكُت and اِخْرَس are the masculine singular imperatives. To address a female, you would say uskuti for the former and iḵrasi for the latter. To tell a group of people to shut up, use the plural imperative forms uskutū (derived from اُسْكُت) or iḵrasū (derived from اِخْرَس).
How do you pronounce it?
ṣah
Did you know?
- The classical command صَه is not actually a verb, but rather a noun meaning 'silence'. It functions as an instantaneous command to cease all sound immediately.
- The word اِخْرَس is linguistically rooted in the concept of being mute or unable to speak, making it a much more biting insult than simply asking for quiet.
- In certain cultural contexts, telling an elder اُسْكُت is considered a grave social transgression, regardless of whether the speaker intends it to be rude.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ahmed are arguing in a room.
- سارة Saraأحمد، صَه ولا تصرخ!ahmad, sah wala tasrukh!Ahmed, shut up and don't shout!
- أحمد Ahmedلماذا تقولين لي ذلك؟limadha taqulina li dhalik?Why are you telling me that?
- سارة Saraلأن صوتك عالٍ جداً.li-anna sawtaka alin jiddan.Because your voice is very loud.
- أحمد Ahmedحسناً، سأصمت.hasanan, sa-asmut.Fine, I will be quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shut up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
