cállate, hombre
/ˈkaʝate ˈombɾe/word by word
The English phrase "shut up, man" is translated into Spanish as cállate, hombre.
This phrase is an informal and blunt command used to tell a man to stop talking.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cállate is a combination of the verb callar (to silence) and the reflexive pronoun te (yourself), literally meaning "silence yourself".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase cállate, hombre is highly informal. Depending on the tone of voice used, it can be perceived as rude or aggressive.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, a common informal way to say "shut your mouth" is Cierra el pico.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing a group of people but still using hombre as a colloquial filler, you would change the command to the plural form cállense, hombre.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkaʝate ˈombɾe/
Did you know?
- The word hombre shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'humus' and the word 'human', both tracing back to a root meaning 'earth' or 'ground'.
- In some contexts, saying cállate with a playful tone among close friends is used as a way to say 'no way' or 'you are joking', rather than a literal command to stop talking.
- If you want to express extreme impatience rather than just a simple command, you can add the word ya to create ¡cállate ya!
Examples in context
- Cállate, hombre, estás diciendo tonterías.Shut up, man, you are talking nonsense.
- Por favor, cállate, hombre.Please, shut up, man.
Example conversation
Mateo is complaining loudly about the music in a cafe.
- Mateo¡Es demasiado fuerte!It is too loud!
- SofíaCállate, hombre, no es para tanto.Shut up, man, it is not that bad.
- Mateo¡Pero si me duele la cabeza!But my head hurts!
- SofíaEntonces ve a otro sitio.Then go somewhere else.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cállate, hombre) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hombre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
