cala a boca
/ˈka.lɐ a ˈbo.kɐ/
The English phrase "shut up" is translated into Portuguese as cala a boca. Wiktionary also lists cale-se and cale a boca.
Meaning: "Stop talking." (intj)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| cala a boca | /ˈka.lɐ a ˈbo.kɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈka.l‿ɐ ˈbo.kɐ/ (Brazil) |
| cale-se | |
| cale a boca | /ˈka.li a ˈbo.kɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈka.l‿ɐ ˈbo.kɐ/ (Portugal) |
| cala-te |
You can also use Cala-te to mean "shut up" or "be quiet". If you wish to say "Stay quiet", you would use Fica quieto.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cala a boca literally means "shut the mouth".
Which one should you use?
Cala a boca is the informal way to say "shut up", using the second person singular (tu) conjugation. While cala a boca is more universal in Brazil, cala-te is a common reflexive form used in Portugal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form cala-te is a reflexive form.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of cala a boca is /ˈka.lɐ a ˈbo.kɐ/. The stress is on the first of the four syllables.
Did you know?
- The word boca originates from a Celtic word that was adopted into Latin as bucca before entering Portuguese.
- Using cale-se is considered more grammatically formal and is often seen in dubbed foreign films to make the dialogue sound more neutral.
- While 'shut up' is often an aggressive command in English, the Portuguese cala a boca is frequently used jokingly between close friends to interrupt a silly or exaggerated story.
Examples in context
- Cala a boca, idiota!Shut up, dumbass!Tatoeba #1664775 by alexmarcelo, translation #4824039 by whitefishglobal
- Cala a boca e senta.Shut up and sit down.Tatoeba #2500525 by alexmarcelo, translation #2499064 by Hybrid
- Cala a boca e dirige.Shut up and drive.Tatoeba #6771896 by lucasmg123, translation #5757828 by CM
- Ana: Fica quieto, por favor. A reunião ainda não terminou.Ana: Stay quiet, please. The meeting is not over yet.
- Pedro: Cala-te! Não percebes que estás a atrapalhar?Pedro: Shut up! Can't you see you are disturbing?
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are arguing in the living room.
- GabrielVocê fala demais, Juliana!You talk too much, Juliana!
- JulianaEu não estou fazendo nada!I'm not doing anything!
- GabrielCala a boca, por favor.Shut up, please.
- JulianaVocê é muito grosso, Gabriel.You are very rude, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shut up” translations and entries cala a boca, cale a boca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, boca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
