Translation guide
How to tell someone to be quiet, or describe quietness, in Japanese. Includes direct commands, polite requests, and descriptive words.
You want to directly tell someone to stop talking or be quiet, from casual to forceful.
Casual command meaning 'Be quiet.' Used among friends, family, or to children. Can sound blunt.
Be quiet!
Polite request meaning 'Please be quiet.' Suitable for most situations where you need to ask politely.
Please be quiet in the library.
Casual command meaning 'Shut up' or 'Be silent.' Stronger and ruder than 静かにして. Use with caution.
Can be very rude; only use with close friends in informal settings or when angry.
Shut up!
Formal or refined way to say 'Quiet, please.' Often used by staff in theaters, libraries, or announcements.
Quiet, please.
You want to describe a situation, place, or person as quiet, or the act of quieting something down.
Adjective meaning 'quiet' or 'silent.' Used for places, environments, or people.
You want to gently soothe a baby or someone upset to be quiet or calm.
Onomatopoeia for 'shh' or 'hush,' used to gently tell someone to be quiet, especially babies.
You want to express the idea of hushing up a scandal, rumor, or secret.
English 'hush' as a verb (e.g., 'He hushed the crowd') does not have a single direct equivalent. Use 静める (to quiet) or 黙らせる (to make someone shut up) depending on context. The interjection 'hush!' is best translated as しーっ or 静かにして.
静かにして is a general 'be quiet' and can be polite or casual. 黙って is stronger, closer to 'shut up,' and implies stopping speech entirely. Use 静かにして unless you intend to be rude.
The park at night is quiet.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to become quiet' or 'to calm down.' Used for sounds, crowds, or emotions.
The storm passed and the sea became calm.
Transitive verb meaning 'to quiet' or 'to calm' something or someone.
The mother quieted the crying baby.
Verb meaning 'to fall silent' or 'to stop talking.' Often implies a sudden or deliberate silence.
He suddenly fell silent.
Shh, the baby is sleeping.
Soothing sound used when comforting a child or pet, similar to 'there, there.' Not a direct 'hush' but serves a similar calming function.
There, there, don't cry anymore.
Verb meaning 'to hush up' or 'to cover up' a scandal or incident. Literally 'to rub out.'
The company tried to hush up the scandal.
Verb meaning 'to silence someone' or 'to buy someone's silence,' often by paying them off or threatening.
They hushed the witness.
Formal verb meaning 'to conceal' or 'to cover up.' Used in legal or official contexts.
The government hushed up the truth about the accident.