閉嘴 / 闭嘴
bìzuǐ
The English phrase "shut up" can be translated into Mandarin as 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 (bìzuǐ). If unsure, use 閉嘴 / 闭嘴. Wiktionary also lists 住口 (zhùkǒu).
Meaning: "Stop talking." (intj)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 | bìzuǐ |
| 住口 | zhùkǒu |
閉嘴 / 闭嘴 is a blunt way to command silence, typically used during moments of anger or frustration.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 literally means "close mouth."
Which one should you use?
While both 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 and 住口 mean "shut up," 住口 is slightly more formal or literary than the blunt 閉嘴 / 闭嘴.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
閉嘴 / 闭嘴 is an informal and often rude way to tell someone to shut up. For a polite way to ask someone to silence themselves, you should use 请安静 (please be quiet).
How do you pronounce it?
bìzuǐ
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the word 閉 in 閉嘴 can be swapped with 封, as in 封口, which implies a more permanent or forced silence, such as 'sealing' someone's lips with a bribe.
- If you use 閉嘴 toward an elder or a superior, it is considered a grave insult that goes far beyond simply being 'impolite'.
- The word 口 used in 閉嘴 and 住口 is a pictograph that originally represented an open mouth, making the written phrase a visual representation of the act of closing it.
Examples in context
- 你現在可以住口了。You can shut up now.This sentence shows how to use 住口 to tell someone they can stop talking now.Tatoeba #6073876 by verdastelo9604, translation #5629440 by Hybrid
- 我認為湯姆不會住口。I thought Tom would never shut up.This sentence uses 住口 to express a thought about someone not stopping their speech.Tatoeba #6075488 by verdastelo9604, translation #1938801 by CK
- 请停止讲话，我们需要集中注意力。Please stop talking, we need to concentrate.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shut up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
