Cállate, niño
/ˈkaʝate ˈniɲo/word by word
The English phrase "shut up, little boy" is translated into Spanish as Cállate, niño.
Which one should you use?
If you are addressing more than one boy, you must change the verb to the plural imperative Cállense and the noun to the plural niños to say "shut up, little boys".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form Cállate is the imperative (command) form used for the informal tú second-person singular.
Did you know?
- The word niño shares a distant linguistic relative in the English word 'nun', as both potentially stem from similar imitative roots of early speech.
- In Spain, the term niño is sometimes used as a colloquial term of endearment for a partner, similar to how 'baby' is used in English.
- The verb callar does not just mean 'to shut up'. It can also mean 'to keep a secret' or 'to remain silent' in a reflective or respectful way.
Examples in context
- Cállate, chiquillo.Shut up, little boy
- Cállate, niño, que estoy hablando.Shut up, little boy, I am talking.
- ¡Cállate, niño! La película va a empezar.Shut up, little boy! The movie is about to start.
Example conversation
Lucía is tired of Mateo's constant interruptions.
- Mateo¡Mira esto, Lucía! ¡Mira!Look at this, Lucia! Look!
- LucíaCállate, niño, que estoy leyendo.Shut up, little boy, I'm reading.
- MateoPero es muy importante.But it's very important.
- LucíaNo me importa, guarda silencio.I don't care, be quiet.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cállate, niño) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries niño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
