cállense
“cállense” means “Be quiet!” in Spanish (Addressing a group (formal or Latin American usage)).
📝 In Action
¡Cállense, por favor! No puedo escuchar la película.
A1Be quiet, please! I can't hear the movie.
El profesor gritó, '¡Cállense todos y presten atención!'
A2The teacher shouted, 'Everyone be quiet and pay attention!'
Si no se cállense ahora mismo, los sacaré del aula.
B1If you don't quiet down right now, I will take you out of the classroom.
Word Connections
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Imperfect
Present
Preterite
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cállense
Question 1 of 2
If you wanted to tell just ONE person you address formally (Usted) to be quiet, what word would you use?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The verb *callar* comes from the Latin *chalare*, meaning 'to keep quiet.' *Cállense* is the conjugated command form of the reflexive version, *callarse*, which means 'to quiet oneself.'
First recorded: Medieval Latin (as *chalare*)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'cállense' rude?
It can be very direct, similar to 'Shut up!' in English, but it depends heavily on context and tone. Using '¡Cállense, por favor!' (Be quiet, please!) softens the command significantly. If you want to be very polite, use '¡Guarden silencio!' (Keep silence!).
How do I make this command negative (telling them NOT to be quiet)?
To make a negative command, you switch the verb order and use the subjunctive form: '¡No se callen!' (Don't be quiet!).