tais-toi
Shut up in French, said to one person you know well, is tais-toi, that is tais-toi! If unsure, use tais-toi. Wiktionary also lists taisez-vous! formal or plural and ferme-la! informal and impolite.
Meaning: "Stop talking." (intj)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| tais-toi |
| taisez-vous! formal or plural |
| ferme-la! informal and impolite |
| boucle-la! informal and impolite |
| la ferme! informal and impolite |
| ta gueule! informal and very impolite |
tais-toi! tells one person to stop talking. It is a command, so it is said directly to someone.
Which one should you use?
taisez-vous! is the formal form or the one for several people. ferme-la!, boucle-la! and la ferme! are informal and impolite, close to shut it. ta gueule! is informal and very impolite, and is best avoided.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
Use tais-toi! only with one person you know well. With a stranger or a group, use taisez-vous!
Did you know?
- When using the very impolite ta gueule!, you are actually referring to the 'maw' or 'gullet' of an animal, rather than a human mouth.
- Using the formal taisez-vous! can actually make the command sound more aggressive or cold than the informal version because it creates a sharp emotional distance between the speakers.
- The expression boucle-la! comes from the verb boucler, meaning to buckle or fasten, as if the speaker is asking the listener to buckle their mouth shut.
Examples in context
- Tais-toi, je n'arrive pas à me concentrer.Shut up, I can't concentrate.
- S'il te plaît, tais-toi un moment.Please, shut up for a moment.
- Tais-toi et écoute ce que je dis.Shut up and listen to what I am saying.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are studying together in a quiet library.
- GabrielManon, tu parles trop fort.Manon, you are talking too loudly.
- ManonJe ne disais rien de spécial !I wasn't saying anything special!
- GabrielTais-toi, s'il te plaît.Shut up, please.
- ManonD'accord, je me tais.Okay, I'll be quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shut up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
