cállate, niñita
The English phrase "shut up little girl" is translated into Spanish as cállate, niñita.
This phrase is a command used to tell a young girl to stop talking.
Which one should you use?
You can adjust the tone or meaning by changing the forms. Replacing the diminutive niñita with niña results in cállate, niña, which translates to "shut up, girl" and removes the "little" aspect, making the address more neutral or blunt. Another informal option is Cállate, chiquilla.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cállate is the imperative (command) form for the informal tú second person. In written Spanish, commands of this nature are frequently accompanied by exclamation marks, such as ¡Cállate, niñita!, to indicate a forceful tone.
Did you know?
- If a person wants to be extremely rude or aggressive, they might replace cállate with cierra el pico, which literally translates to 'close your beak'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, adding the diminutive suffix -ita to a word like niña can actually make a command feel more condescending or patronizing rather than affectionate.
- In some Latin American contexts, the word niñita can be used sarcastically to refer to an adult woman to imply she is acting childishly or being immature.
Examples in context
- Cállate, niñita, que estoy trabajando.Shut up, little girl, I am working.
- ¡Cállate, niñita, ahora mismo!Shut up, little girl, right now!
- Cállate, niñita, no quiero oírte.Shut up, little girl, I don't want to hear you.
Example conversation
Alejandro is trying to read while Elena talks constantly.
- AlejandroCállate, niñita, que quiero leer.Shut up, little girl, I want to read.
- Elena¡No soy una niñita!I'm not a little girl!
- AlejandroEntonces deja de gritar.Then stop screaming.
- ElenaEstá bien, me callo.Fine, I'll be quiet.
