Translation guide
How to express being silent in Japanese, from simple quietness to formal silence.
Telling someone to be quiet or describing someone who is not speaking.
Adjective meaning 'quiet'. Used to describe a state or to ask someone to be quiet.
Please be quiet.
The children became quiet.
Verb meaning 'to stop talking' or 'to fall silent'. Often used as a command: 黙れ (damare) is very rough.
The imperative 黙れ is harsh and can be offensive. Use 静かにしてください for polite requests.
Polite way to ask for silence, often used in public announcements or formal settings.
Please be quiet.
Literally 'shut your mouth'. Stronger and more direct than 静かに. Can be rude.
Very direct and potentially offensive. Use with caution.
Shut your mouth!
Choosing not to speak, especially to keep a secret or avoid trouble.
The te-iru form of 黙る, meaning 'to remain silent' or 'to keep quiet' about something.
Describing a person who is habitually quiet or doesn't talk much.
Noun/adjective meaning 'taciturn' or 'reticent'. Describes a person of few words.
Describing a silent environment or moment of silence.
The English phrase 'be silent' is often translated as 静かにする or 黙る, but direct commands like 黙れ can be extremely rude. Use 静かにしてください for polite requests.
静か refers to general quietness (sound level), while 黙る specifically means to stop talking or to keep silent. Use 静か for environments, 黙る for people's speech.
The room is quiet.
Please remain silent during the performance.
彼は急に黙った。
He suddenly fell silent.
I intend to keep silent about that matter.
Literally 'not split the mouth', meaning to refuse to talk or confess.
The suspect wouldn't talk.
To keep a secret. Focuses on protecting information.
He promised to keep the secret.
He is a man of few words.
More formal/literary term for being quiet and not speaking much.
a taciturn craftsman
Literally 'the number of words is few', a common way to say someone is quiet.
She doesn't talk much.
Noun meaning 'silence' or 'stillness', often used for a profound quiet.
Silence enveloped the area.
Noun meaning 'silence', often implying a heavy or awkward silence between people.
The silence continued.
Noun form of 静か, meaning 'quietness' or 'silence'.
I like the quiet of the night.
彼は黙っている。
He is silent (not speaking).
He kept silent about the incident.
She is a quiet person.