zamknij się
The Polish equivalent of the English phrase 'stfu' is zamknij się.
zamknij się is used to demand immediate silence and is often used in heated arguments or to express extreme annoyance.
Which one should you use?
zamknij się is a blunt command, serving as the direct equivalent of 'shut up'. If you wish to be polite and ask for silence instead, you should use proszę, nie mów nic or proszę o ciszę.
How does it change in a sentence?
zamknij się is the singular imperative form, used when addressing one person. If you are telling a group of people to shut up, you should use the plural form zamknijcie się.
Did you know?
- If you want to be even more aggressive than zamknij się, Polish speakers often use the phrase pysk zamknij, which refers to the mouth of an animal.
- The verb zamknij also means 'lock' or 'close'. Telling someone zamknij się literally tells them to 'close yourself' as if they were a door or a box.
- Because zamknij się is a direct imperative, using it with a stranger is considered a massive social transgression that can lead to physical altercations.
Examples in context
- Zamknij się!Shut up!
- Bardzo bym docenił ciszęI would greatly appreciate some silence.
- Po prostu zamknij się!Just shut up!
- Zamknij się i daj mi spokój.Shut up and leave me alone.
- Nie chcę cię słuchać, zamknij się.I don't want to listen to you, shut up.
Example conversation
Paweł and Agnieszka are having a heated argument.
- PawełZawsze robisz wszystko po swojemu!You always do everything your own way!
- AgnieszkaTo nieprawda, nie mów tak.That's not true, don't say that.
- PawełZamknij się, nie chcę tego słuchać!Shut up, I don't want to hear it!
- AgnieszkaNie mów tak do mnie.Don't talk to me like that.
