dùin do bheul
The English phrase "shut up" is translated into Gaelic as dùin do bheul.
The phrase is used as a direct and blunt command to tell someone to stop talking.
Meaning: "Stop talking." (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb dùin (close) and the noun phrase do bheul (your mouth).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
dùin do bheul is an informal expression. It is a direct command equivalent to the English "shut up".
Did you know?
- The word dùin shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'door', as both describe the act of closing or blocking an opening.
- If you were to say dùin do bheul to an elder or a person of high status in a traditional setting, it would be viewed as a severe social transgression rather than just a blunt remark.
- In Gaelic, the word beul for 'mouth' is used in the idiom a’ bheul a’ sàbhailadh, meaning to keep a secret, which literally translates to 'the mouth saving'.
Examples in context
- Dìreach dùin do bheul.Just shut up.
Example conversation
Callum and Mairead are arguing about a movie.
- CallumDùin do bheul, Mairead!Shut up, Mairead!
- MaireadNach robh mi ag ràdh an fhìrinn?Wasn't I telling the truth?
- CallumChan eil mi ag èisteachd riat.I am not listening to you.
- MaireadTha thu cho rude!You are so rude!
