Ways to say it
| Romanian | Note |
|---|---|
| taci din gură | |
| tăceți | |
| taci naibii | informal |
| taci în mă-ta | |
| taci în mă-sa | |
| taci în pula mea | vulgar |
| taci în pizda mă-tii | vulgar |
| taci în pizda mă-sii | vulgar |
| taci în futere | vulgar |
| taci în pula calului | vulgar |
| taci naiba | informal |
| taci dracului | impolite, informal |
| taci dracu' | impolite, informal |
All these forms are used to command someone to stop talking. While the simple imperative Taci! is a common informal way to say "shut up!" among friends, the phrase taci din gură serves as a more direct and forceful command. For a much more formal and polite approach, you might use the sentence "Ar fi recomandat să tăceți!", which translates to "It would be advisable for you to be quiet!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase taci din gură literally means "be silent from [your] mouth".
Which one should you use?
The form taci is the simple imperative meaning "be silent", whereas taci din gură is a direct command equivalent to "shut up".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms vary significantly in intensity and politeness. Tăceți is the plural or polite form of the command. For a direct but non-vulgar command, use taci din gură. Informal, slightly more forceful options include taci naibii (similar to "shut the hell up"), taci naiba and the colloquial, impolite taci dracu' (similar to "shut the hell up"). Highly aggressive or impolite forms include taci dracului (similar to "shut the fuck up") and the very vulgar expressions taci în mă-ta, taci în mă-sa, taci în pula mea, taci în pizda mă-tii, taci în pizda mă-sii, taci în futere, taci în pula calului.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use tăceți instead of taci when you are addressing more than one person or when you wish to use a formal tone.
Did you know?
- The expression taci în pula calului uses a surreal image of a 'horse' to add emphasis to the command to shut up.
- Many aggressive Romanian commands to be silent use the word naiba, which serves as a linguistic 'shield' to avoid naming the devil directly.
- The Romanian word gură comes from the Latin 'gula', which originally referred to the 'gullet' or 'throat' rather than the 'mouth'.
Examples in context
- Taci din gură, idiotule!Shut up, dumbass!This example shows how to use taci din gură in a harsh command.Tatoeba #4984256 by fathe, translation #4824039 by whitefishglobal
- Să vedem dacă o să taci din gură.Let's see if you'll shut up.This sentence demonstrates the use of taci din gură in a conditional context.Tatoeba #10788015 by megamanenm, translation #10098096 by DJ_Saidez
- Taci din gură, că mă doare capul!Shut up, my head hurts!
Example conversation
Ioana and Gabriel are arguing in the kitchen.
- IoanaNu mai vorbi, taci din gură!Stop talking, shut up!
- GabrielDe ce ești așa nervoasă, Ioana?Why are you so nervous, Ioana?
- IoanaPentru că nu te mai suport.Because I can't stand you anymore.
- GabrielBine, tăcerem amândoi.Fine, we both stay silent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shut up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries din, gură, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
