- callar
- v.1 to keep quiet about.2 to keep quiet, to be silent.quien calla otorga silence signifies consent3 to silence.Ricardo calló a Susana Richard silenced Susan.4 to be quiet, to stop talking.hacer callar a alguien to silence somebodymandar callar a alguien to tell somebody to shut up¡calla! shut up!¡calla, si eso me lo dijo a mí también! guess what, he said that to me, too!5 to hold one's tongue, to shut up, to be silent, to be quiet.María calló para protegerlo Mary held her tongue to protect him.6 to hush up, to keep under one's hat.María calló la verdad sobre el caso Mary hushed up the truth about the case.* * *callar► verbo intransitivo1 (no hablar) to be quiet, keep quiet■ calló porque no quería pelearse she kept quiet because she didn't want to quarrel2 (dejar de hablar) to stop talking, shut up■ cuando calló todos aplaudieron when he stopped talking everybody clapped■ ¡quieres callar! will you shut up!3 (un ruido) to stop► verbo transitivo1 (esconder) to keep to oneself, not mention■ él calló su opinión he kept his opinion to himself\FRASEOLOGÍAa la chita callando familiar on the quiet, on the sly¡calla! figurado never!, no!¡cállate! keep quiet!, be quiet!quien calla otorga silence gives consent* * *1. VI1) (=dejar de hablar) to be quiet
¡calla, que no puedo oír la radio! — be o keep quiet, I can't hear the radio!, shut up o (EEUU) hush up, I can't hear the radio! *
su madre le mandó callar — his mother ordered him to be quiet, his mother told him to shut up
-Ernesto se casa -¡calla! ¡eso no puede ser! — "Ernesto is getting married" - "you're joking! that can't be true!"
2) (=no hablar) to say nothing, keep quietal principio optó por callar — initially he decided to say nothing o keep quiet
2. VT1) (=hacer callar)calló a los niños con un cuento — he got the children to be o keep quiet by reading them a story
reparten dinero para callar las protestas — they're giving out money to silence o quell complaints
¡calla o cállate la boca! — * shut your mouth! **, shut your face! **
2) (=ocultar) to keep to o.s., keep quietserá mejor callar este asunto — it's best to keep this matter to ourselves o keep this matter quiet
3.See:* * *1.verbo intransitivo to be quiet, shut up (colloq)no pude hacerlo callar — I couldn't get him to be quiet
hacer callar a la oposición/prensa — to silence the opposition/the press
ya tiene tres niños - calla! — (fam) she has three children now - never! o she hasn't! (colloq)
2.quien calla otorga — silence implies o gives consent
callar vta) <secreto/información> to keep ... quietb) (AmL) <persona> to get ... to be quiet, to shut ... up (colloq)3.callarse v prona) (guardar silencio) to be quietcállate la boca! — (fam) shut your mouth! (sl)
cuando entró todos se callaron — when he walked in everyone went quiet o stopped talking
la próxima vez no me callaré — next time I'll say something
b) (no decir) <noticia> to keep ... quiet, keep ... to oneself* * *----* callarse = go + quiet, shut up, keep + quiet.* hacer callar = shush, hush, quieten.* mandar callar = shush, hush.* matarlas callando = wolf in sheep's clothing.* * *1.verbo intransitivo to be quiet, shut up (colloq)no pude hacerlo callar — I couldn't get him to be quiet
hacer callar a la oposición/prensa — to silence the opposition/the press
ya tiene tres niños - calla! — (fam) she has three children now - never! o she hasn't! (colloq)
2.quien calla otorga — silence implies o gives consent
callar vta) <secreto/información> to keep ... quietb) (AmL) <persona> to get ... to be quiet, to shut ... up (colloq)3.callarse v prona) (guardar silencio) to be quietcállate la boca! — (fam) shut your mouth! (sl)
cuando entró todos se callaron — when he walked in everyone went quiet o stopped talking
la próxima vez no me callaré — next time I'll say something
b) (no decir) <noticia> to keep ... quiet, keep ... to oneself* * ** callarse = go + quiet, shut up, keep + quiet.* hacer callar = shush, hush, quieten.* mandar callar = shush, hush.* matarlas callando = wolf in sheep's clothing.* * *callar [A1 ]vito be quiet, shut up (colloq)calla, que no me dejas oír be quiet o shut up, I can't hearlloró toda la noche, no hubo manera de hacerlo callar he cried all night, nothing we could do would make him stopya tiene tres niños — ¡calla! (fam); she has three children now — never! o she hasn't! (colloq)quien calla otorga silence implies o gives consent■ callarvt1 ‹secreto› to keep … to oneselfintentaron callar estas cifras they attempted to keep these figures quiet2(AmL) ‹persona› callen a esos niños get those children to be quiet, shut those kids up, will you? (colloq)■ callarsev pron1 (guardar silencio) to be quiet¡cállate! be quiet!, shut up! (colloq)¡cállate la boca! (fam); shut your mouth! (sl)¿te quieres callar de una vez? will you shut up!cuando entró todos se callaron when he walked in everyone went quiet o stopped talkingla próxima vez no me callaré next time I won't keep quiet2 (no decir) ‹noticia› to keep … quiet, keep … to oneself* * *
callar (conjugate callar) verbo intransitivo
to be quiet, shut up (colloq);◊ no pude hacerlo callar I couldn't get him to be quiet;
hacer callar a la oposición to silence the opposition
verbo transitivoa) ‹secreto/información› to keep … quietb) (AmL) ‹persona› to get … to be quiet, to shut … up (colloq)
callarse verbo pronominala) (guardar silencio) to be quiet;◊ ¡cállate! be quiet!, shut up! (colloq);
cuando entró todos se callaron when he walked in everyone went quiet o stopped talking;
la próxima vez no me callaré next time I'll say somethingb) (no decir) ‹noticia› to keep … quiet, keep … to oneself
callar
I verbo intransitivo
1 (parar de hablar) to stop talking: calla un momento, ¿qué ruido es ése?, be quiet, what's that noise?
2 (no decir nada) to keep quiet, say nothing: tus ojos asienten y tu boca calla, your eyes say it all
II verbo transitivo (dejar de dar una noticia) not to mention o to keep to oneself: desconfía de sus palabras, callarán la verdad, you can't trust what they're saying, they are going to hush up the truth
♦ Locuciones: ¡calla!, (para indicar sorpresa) never!: ¡calla, no me digas que se casó!, did she really marry?
hacer callar, (hacer que alguien pare de hablar) to get someone to be quiet
(silenciar) to silence: ¡no podrán hacernos callar! they can't make us keep our mouths shut
quien calla otorga, silence speaks volumes
'callar' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
hacer
- para
- silenciar
- mandar
- querer
English:
hush
- shout down
- shut up
- silence
- quiet
- shut
- unsaid
* * *callar♦ vi1. [no hablar] to keep quiet, to be silent;Compquien calla otorga silence signifies consent2. [dejar de hablar] to be quiet, to stop talking;mandar callar a alguien to tell sb to shut up;hacer callar a alguien to silence sb;¡calla! shut up!;¡calla, si eso me lo dijo a mí también! guess what!, he said that to me, too!;¡calla, que me he dejado el paraguas en el tren! gosh! I've left my umbrella on the train!;los cañones callaron tras tres días de combate after three days of battle the guns fell silent♦ vt1. [ocultar] to keep quiet about;calló la verdad para no inculpar a su amigo she withheld the truth so as not to incriminate her friend2. [acallar] to silence♦ See also the pronominal verb callarse* * *callarI v/i (dejar de hablar) go quiet; (guardar silencio) be quiet, keep quiet;¡calla! be quiet!, shut up!II v/t silence* * *callar vi: to keep quiet, to be silentcallar vt1) : to silence, to hush¡calla a los niños!: keep the children quiet!2) : to keep secret♦ See also the reflexive verb callarse* * *callar vb to be quiet / to keep quiet [pt. & pp. kept]no sabía qué decir y calló she didn't know what to say and kept quiet
Spanish-English dictionary. 2013.