閉嘴 / 闭嘴
bìzuǐ
The English phrase "shut up" can be translated into Mandarin using 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 (bìzuǐ) or 住口.
Meaning: "Stop talking." (intj)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 | bìzuǐ |
| 住口 | zhùkǒu |
Both forms are imperative expressions used to command someone to stop speaking immediately.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 閉嘴 / 闭嘴 literally means "close mouth", while 住口 literally means "stop mouth" or "stop the mouth".
Which one should you use?
閉嘴 / 闭嘴 is a more blunt expression that can be perceived as rude or aggressive. In contrast, 住口 is slightly more formal or literary and is often found in written contexts or used during more controlled reprimands.
How do you pronounce it?
bìzuǐ
Did you know?
- While 閉嘴 is the literal translation of 'shut up', speakers often use the phrase 你有事嗎 which means 'is something wrong with you' to signal that someone should stop talking in a socially unacceptable way.
- The term 住口 uses a character 住 that usually means 'to live' or 'to reside', but here it functions as a command to 'stay' or 'halt' a physical action.
- Using 住口 can sound like something a character in a 'wuxia' historical drama would shout during a heated argument.
Examples in context
- 你現在可以住口了。You can shut up now.This sentence demonstrates how to use 住口.Tatoeba #6073876 by verdastelo9604, translation #5629440 by Hybrid
- 我認為湯姆不會住口。I thought Tom would never shut up.This sentence uses 住口.Tatoeba #6075488 by verdastelo9604, translation #1938801 by CK
- 朋友们一致说：“你闭嘴！”Friends collectively said, "Shut up!"
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shut up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
