שקט
shéketmasculine
Silence in Hebrew is expressed as שקט (shéket) or דממה.
Meaning: lack of sound (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| שקט | shéket | masculine | |
| דממה | dmamá | /dmaˈma/ (Modern Israeli) | feminine |
The term refers to a lack of sound. In everyday commands, you can say שקט! to demand that someone be quiet. You may also encounter the idiomatic phrase שקט ושלווה, which describes a state of quiet and serenity. The related verb השתיק means to make something silent.
Which one should you use?
שקט is the standard, common word for 'silence' or 'quiet' used in everyday contexts. In contrast, דממה refers to a profound, heavy or absolute silence, often used in a literary or dramatic sense.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While שקט is primarily used as a masculine noun for 'silence', it can also function as an adjective meaning 'quiet' or 'calm'. דממה is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
shéket
Did you know?
- While שקט is common for 'quiet', the word דממה is often used in the Bible to describe a 'still small voice' or a divine silence that reveals a deeper presence.
- In Hebrew, the root of שקט is related to the concept of 'rest' and 'tranquility', meaning that 'silence' is linguistically tied to the feeling of being at peace.
- The verb להשתיק (to silence) is used in modern Hebrew technology slang for 'muting' a device, a direct functional evolution from the idea of making a person quiet.
Examples in context
- שרר שקט לא נוח.There was an uncomfortable silence.This sentence shows how to describe an uncomfortable atmosphere using שקט.Tatoeba #5532935 by fekundulo, translation #5322829 by Hybrid
- אני לא אוהב שקט.I don't like silence.This sentence expresses a personal preference regarding שקט.Tatoeba #2161084 by MrShoval, translation #2150439 by Hybrid
- השתררה דממה לזמן מה.There was a brief silence.This sentence illustrates the use of דממה to describe a period of silence.Tatoeba #8241751 by Rwmpelstilzchen, translation #3722196 by CM
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agur and Ido are in a library.
- עגור Adiיש פה שקט נעים מאוד.yesh po sheket na'im me'od.There is a very pleasant silence here.
- עידו Idoכן, אני אוהב את השקט הזה.ken, ani ohev et ha-sheket ha-ze.Yes, I love this silence.
- עגור Adiבוא נשמור על השקט עבור כולם.bo nishmor al ha-sheket avur kulam.Let's keep the silence for everyone.
- עידו Idoאת צודקת, עגור. נהיה שקטים.at tzodeket, Agur. nihiye sheketim.You are right, Agur. We will be quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silence” translations and entries שקט, דממה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
