Silent in Different Languages
Discover 'Silent' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Silent
Afrikaans stil | ||
Albanian i heshtur | ||
Amharic ዝም | ||
Arabic صامتة | ||
Armenian լուռ | ||
Assamese নীৰৱ | ||
Aymara amukiña | ||
Azerbaijani səssiz | ||
Bambara dotugu | ||
Basque isilik | ||
Belarusian маўчаць | ||
Bengali নীরব | ||
Bhojpuri खामोश | ||
Bosnian nijemo | ||
Bulgarian мълчи | ||
Catalan en silenci | ||
Cebuano hilom | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 无声 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 無聲 | ||
Corsican mutu | ||
Croatian nijemo | ||
Czech tichý | ||
Danish stille | ||
Dhivehi އަޑުމަޑު | ||
Dogri खमोश | ||
Dutch stil | ||
English silent | ||
Esperanto silenta | ||
Estonian vaikne | ||
Ewe zi ɖoɖoe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) tahimik | ||
Finnish hiljainen | ||
French silencieux | ||
Frisian stil | ||
Galician en silencio | ||
Georgian ჩუმად | ||
German leise | ||
Greek σιωπηλός | ||
Guarani kirirĩme | ||
Gujarati મૌન | ||
Haitian Creole silans | ||
Hausa shiru | ||
Hawaiian hāmau | ||
Hebrew שקט | ||
Hindi मूक | ||
Hmong uas ntsiag to | ||
Hungarian csendes | ||
Icelandic þegjandi | ||
Igbo nkịtị | ||
Ilocano naulimek | ||
Indonesian diam | ||
Irish adh | ||
Italian silenzioso | ||
Japanese サイレント | ||
Javanese meneng wae | ||
Kannada ಮೂಕ | ||
Kazakh үнсіз | ||
Khmer ស្ងាត់ | ||
Kinyarwanda ceceka | ||
Konkani शांत | ||
Korean 조용한 | ||
Krio nɔ de tɔk | ||
Kurdish bêdeng | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) بێدەنگ | ||
Kyrgyz үнсүз | ||
Lao ງຽບ | ||
Latin tacet | ||
Latvian kluss | ||
Lingala nye | ||
Lithuanian tyli | ||
Luganda okusirika | ||
Luxembourgish roueg | ||
Macedonian молчи | ||
Maithili मूक | ||
Malagasy mangina | ||
Malay senyap | ||
Malayalam നിശബ്ദത | ||
Maltese siekta | ||
Maori puku | ||
Marathi शांत | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯇꯨꯃꯤꯟꯅ ꯂꯩꯕ | ||
Mizo reh | ||
Mongolian чимээгүй | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) တိတ်ဆိတ် | ||
Nepali मौन | ||
Norwegian stille | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) chete | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଚୁପ୍ | ||
Oromo callisaa | ||
Pashto غلی | ||
Persian بی صدا | ||
Polish cichy | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) silencioso | ||
Punjabi ਚੁੱਪ | ||
Quechua upallalla | ||
Romanian tăcut | ||
Russian тихий | ||
Samoan filemu | ||
Sanskrit शांत | ||
Scots Gaelic sàmhach | ||
Sepedi homotšego | ||
Serbian ћути | ||
Sesotho khutsa | ||
Shona nyarara | ||
Sindhi خاموش | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නිහ .යි | ||
Slovak ticho | ||
Slovenian tiho | ||
Somali aamus | ||
Spanish silencio | ||
Sundanese jempé | ||
Swahili kimya | ||
Swedish tyst | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) tahimik | ||
Tajik хомӯш | ||
Tamil அமைதியாக | ||
Tatar эндәшми | ||
Telugu నిశ్శబ్దంగా | ||
Thai เงียบ | ||
Tigrinya ፀጥታ | ||
Tsonga miyela | ||
Turkish sessiz | ||
Turkmen dymdy | ||
Twi (Akan) dinn | ||
Ukrainian мовчазний | ||
Urdu خاموش | ||
Uyghur جىمجىت | ||
Uzbek jim | ||
Vietnamese im lặng | ||
Welsh distaw | ||
Xhosa cwaka | ||
Yiddish שטיל | ||
Yoruba ipalọlọ | ||
Zulu athule |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "Stil" in Afrikaans can also mean "quiet", "calm" or "still". |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "i heshtur" can also mean "the silent one" or "the one who is silent". |
| Amharic | The Amharic word "ዝም" can also refer to a type of traditional bread or to the sound of a bell. |
| Arabic | The word "صامتة" has a number of meanings besides its most common meaning of "silent": it can also mean "consonant" or "dumb". |
| Armenian | "Լուռ" (silent) is a cognate with Persian "lour", possibly from a hypothetical Middle Iranian word "rōl-, lōl-", which meant "dumb" and may have been cognate with Greek "lōlos" meaning the same. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "səssiz" in Azerbaijani can also mean "calm" or "peaceful." |
| Basque | This word may ultimately trace back to an Indo-European root that also gave rise to the Proto-Indo-European word for "night". |
| Belarusian | The word "маўчаць" also means "to withhold information" or "to be silent about something" in Belarusian. |
| Bengali | The Bengali word "নীরব" is derived from Sanskrit "नीरव" (nir-rava, without sound) and also means "still" or "motionless". |
| Bosnian | The word 'nijemo' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'němъ', which originally meant 'speechless' or 'mute'. |
| Bulgarian | The word "мълчи" is also used in Bulgarian to mean "to be quiet" or "to keep a secret". |
| Catalan | (Catalan) The noun "silèncis" (plural form of "silènci") may also refer to musical rests in compositions. |
| Cebuano | The root word of 'hilom' is 'lilom' which means 'to sink', therefore 'hilom' is someone who has 'sunk' into silence. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 无声 (wúshēng) also means 'quietly' or 'without speaking'. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 無聲 is also used to describe a musical instrument with no sound or a weapon that makes no noise. |
| Corsican | Corsican "mutu" also means "mute" and derives from Medieval Latin "mutitō" or "mutitas", and Proto-Romance "*mutitu". |
| Croatian | Croatian 'nijemo' is related to 'mute' and to 'dumb' and derives from the root 'nem-' meaning 'not' or 'lacking'. |
| Czech | The word "tichý" can also mean "calm" or "peaceful" in Czech. |
| Danish | The word "stille" in Danish, derived from the Germanic "stilan" or "stillare," carries the primary meaning of "calm" or "tranquil" and can also refer to the "cessation of movement," encompassing concepts beyond mere absence of sound. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "stil" can also refer to a style, fashion, or manner. |
| Esperanto | Esperanto's "silenta" originates from Latin, meaning "a forest" and "sylvan." |
| Estonian | The Estonian word "vaikne" is cognate with the Finnish "vaikenea" and Hungarian "hallgat", all meaning "to be silent". |
| Finnish | The word 'hiljainen' is etymologically related to 'hiljaisuus', which means 'silence or stillness', and 'hiljastyä', which means 'to grow silent'. |
| French | Derived from the Latin word "silere" meaning "to be silent" or "to keep silent", the French word "silencieux" maintains the primary meaning of "silent" while also carrying the meaning of "muffler" or "silencer". |
| Frisian | The Frisian word "stil" also means "still" or "calm". |
| Galician | In Galician, "en silencio" can also mean "discreetly" or "without making a fuss" |
| Georgian | The word "ჩუმად" can also mean "secretly" or "stealthily". |
| German | The word is sometimes used as a prefix meaning "softly" or "gently". |
| Greek | In Ancient Greek, "σιωπηλός" also meant "calm sea" |
| Gujarati | The Sanskrit word “mšuna”, meaning 'dumb,' is the root of the Gujarati word “māun”, meaning 'silent,' which also has the alternate meaning of 'dumb' or 'mute.' |
| Haitian Creole | Silans is derived from the French word "silence" and can also mean "calm" or "peaceful". |
| Hausa | The word "shiru" derives from the Proto-West-Atlantic root "-shir" meaning "to be numb, paralyzed, or dead," suggesting a figurative extension from the state of physical silence to the state of figurative silence. |
| Hawaiian | The word hāmau can also mean "to quench thirst" or "to relieve hunger". |
| Hebrew | "שקט" can also refer to a time of death or repose. This meaning has likely roots in a parallel meaning in Aramaic: 'cessation, rest'. Some suggest it might be linked to its similar sounding Sanskrit cognate: 'shama, śānta.' |
| Hmong | In the Hmong Daw script, the word "uas ntsiag to" can be interpreted to also mean "deaf" or "mute". |
| Hungarian | The word "csendes" also means "calm" or "peaceful" in Hungarian. |
| Icelandic | The same word in Icelandic, "þegjandi," derives from a word in Old Norse with the same meaning but which also meant "patient". |
| Igbo | Igbo "nkịtị" also refers to a mute or deaf-mute individual, and may derive from "kpịtị" (to make dumb or deaf) or "kwịtị" (to be dumb or mute). |
| Indonesian | The word "diam" is derived from the Old Javanese word "di-am" which means "to stop speaking". |
| Irish | "Adh" can also mean "oath" or "vow". |
| Italian | In Italian, 'silenzioso' can also refer to a person or thing that is 'calm' or 'peaceful'. |
| Japanese | 'サイレント' is also a loanword meaning 'cyclone', written with different kanji (サイクロン). |
| Javanese | In Javanese, "meneng wae" also means "do nothing" or "be idle". |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಮೂಕ" has an alternate meaning of "mute", as someone incapable of speaking. |
| Kazakh | "Үнсіз" is also used to refer to the voiceless consonants in linguistics. |
| Korean | "조용한" was originally used to describe a place surrounded by trees and was later used to mean "quiet". |
| Kurdish | The word 'bêdeng' also means 'deaf' or 'mute' in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | "үнсүз" means "consonant" in the phonetic sense (as opposed to "vowel"), which is not immediately obvious from its literal meaning "without sound/voice". |
| Lao | The word |
| Latin | Tacet in Latin can also refer to a section of a musical score where a voice or instrument is silent. |
| Latvian | The word 'kluss' has also been used in Latvian to describe something 'not worth mentioning' since 1783. |
| Lithuanian | Originating from the word "tylus", "tyli" is also an Old Church Slavonic loanword and is related to words such as "tyly" (back), "tylus" (quiet), and "tylu" (peace). |
| Luxembourgish | The word "roueg" originates from the Old High German word "rowig", meaning "restful" or "quiet". |
| Macedonian | Another meaning of the word "молчи" is "the silence". |
| Malagasy | The word 'mangina' can also mean 'deaf' or 'dumb' in Malagasy. |
| Malay | The root word of "senyap" is "yap" which means noise, its opposite meaning is denoted by the negative prefix "se-". |
| Maltese | The word "siekta" is of Arabic origin, and it also means "calm" or "peaceful". |
| Maori | In Maori, "puku" can also refer to a large stomach, a full bladder, or a swollen area. |
| Marathi | The word 'शांत' also means 'peaceful' or 'calm' in Marathi. |
| Mongolian | The word "чимээгүй" in Mongolian can also mean "unresponsive" or "without sound". |
| Nepali | The word "मौन" also means "vow of silence" in a religious context. |
| Norwegian | In Old Norse, stille means "to stand," reflecting the stillness associated with silence. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "chete" in Nyanja (Chichewa) can also mean "only" or "just". |
| Pashto | The word "غلی" can also refer to a type of cloth or fabric. |
| Persian | The word "بی صدا" literally means "without sound" and can also refer to someone or something that is shy or introverted. |
| Polish | In Old Polish, the word "cichy" also meant "hidden" or "invisible". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Silencioso" can also mean "peaceful" or "quiet" in Portuguese. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "tăcut" (silent) is related to the Albanian "të qetë" (peaceful), the Bulgarian "тих" (calm), and the Hungarian "csendes" (peaceful). |
| Russian | The word "тихий" can also mean "calm", "peaceful", or "gentle" in Russian. |
| Samoan | In Samoan, "filemu" also refers to something hidden or concealed |
| Scots Gaelic | The Gaelic word `sàmhach` originally referred to a calm sea, and also means 'lonely' or 'peaceful'. |
| Serbian | Ћути comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kotъ, meaning “cat”, and is related to the word “ћућорити”, meaning “to purr”. |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, the word "khutsa" also refers to the act of silencing someone or remaining silent. |
| Shona | The Shona word "nyarara" also means "to be patient" or "to wait." |
| Sindhi | Sindhi word "خاموش" also refers to a person who does not share secrets. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word 'නිහ .යි' in Sinhala can also mean 'not talking' or 'at rest'. |
| Slovak | "Ticho" can also refer to a Czech folk music, similar to polka. |
| Slovenian | Derived from Proto-Slavic, "tiho" is also used figuratively to describe the quality of something that does not make sound. |
| Somali | "Aamus" also refers to an omen and a type of dance in Somali. |
| Spanish | The word "silencio" in Spanish shares the same root as "syllabus" and "syllable" and originally referred to the written text of a speech or other vocal performance. |
| Sundanese | The word 'jempé' in Sundanese originally meant 'not talking' but has since expanded to include 'silent' in a broader sense. |
| Swahili | The word "kimya" in Swahili shares its root with the word "chema" in Luganda, which means "something sacred or mysterious." |
| Swedish | "Tyst" also means "quiet" or "dull" in Swedish, and derives from the Germanic word "thustaz," meaning "silent" or "dark." |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Tahimik is also a term used in Philippine martial arts which can mean both a state of being silent as well as the act of silencing an opponent. |
| Tajik | The word "хомӯш" in Tajik can also mean "to keep a secret" or "to be quiet and reserved." |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "அமைதியாக" can also refer to the quality of being calm or peaceful. |
| Thai | The word "เงียบ" is derived from the Proto-Austroasiatic language, likely meaning "to rest" or "to be calm". |
| Turkish | "Sessiz" can also mean "soundless" or "still" in Turkish. |
| Ukrainian | "Мовчазний" in Ukrainian can also mean "speechless" or "mute". |
| Urdu | The word خاموش (silent) can also refer to a type of musical pause used in qawwali performance. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, "jim" also refers to a silent letter in the Arabic alphabet. |
| Vietnamese | "Im lặng" can also be translated as "be quiet" in English. |
| Welsh | "Distaw" means "silent" in Welsh, and its etymology suggests a hidden or secret sound. |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word cwaka has no literal meaning, but is often used to describe a state of quiet or stillness. |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, 'שטיל' can also mean 'calm', 'tranquil', or 'unmoving'. |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word "ipalọlọ" also refers to a type of dance associated with masquerades. |
| Zulu | Athule is also derived from Zulu words for peace, tranquility, and solitude. |
| English | The term 'silent' can also be used figuratively, to refer to something that is suppressed or concealed. |