im đi
[ʔim˧˧ ʔɗi˧˧]word by word
The English phrase "stop talking" translates to Vietnamese as im đi.
im đi is used as a blunt, direct command to tell someone to be quiet immediately. Depending on your tone and your relationship with the person you are speaking to, this phrase can sound very rude.
Which one should you use?
While im đi is a blunt command, you can use im miệng đi to be even more aggressive and rude, as it is equivalent to "shut your mouth". If you need to request silence more politely, you should use Xin vui lòng im lặng. For addressing a group of people in a setting like a classroom or a meeting, the word trật tự (meaning order or quiet) is a more polite and formal option.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
im đi is a direct and blunt command. For formal situations, use Xin vui lòng im lặng to request that someone stops talking politely. In informal or heated situations, im miệng đi is a very rude and aggressive way to express the same idea. When you want to command a group to be quiet formally, use trật tự.
Did you know?
- The word đi in the command im đi does not mean 'to go' in a literal sense, but it functions as an imperative marker to make the command feel more urgent.
- Using im đi without a proper subject or pronoun can make the phrase feel incredibly sharp and dismissive in Vietnamese social hierarchies.
- Although the word đi looks like the Chinese character 移 (meaning 'to move'), this is a false cognate and the connection is purely coincidental.
Examples in context
- Bạn có thể dừng nói được không?Can you please stop talking?
- Xin vui lòng im lặng trong phòng họp.Please be quiet in the meeting room.
- Im đi!Stop talking!
- Anh im đi!You, shut up!
- Im đi cho tôi làm việc.Stop talking so I can work.
Example conversation
Lan and Tuấn are having a heated argument in the living room.
- LanAnh lúc nào cũng nói sai hết!You are always wrong!
- TuấnEm không hiểu vấn đề rồi.You don't understand the problem.
- LanIm đi! Tôi không muốn nghe nữa.Shut up! I don't want to hear it anymore.
- TuấnĐược rồi, tôi sẽ im lặng.Fine, I will be silent.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (im, đi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries đi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
