cállense
KYE-yehn-seh
Quick Reference
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
It's a Command!
This word is a direct order (the imperative mood). It tells a group of people (ustedes) to perform the action of 'callarse' (to quiet oneself).
The Attached 'se'
Because the base verb is reflexive ('callarse'), the command form must include the pronoun 'se', which is attached to the end of the verb ('callen' + 'se').
The Accent Mark
When a pronoun is attached to an affirmative command, the original stress of the verb must be kept. The accent mark on the 'á' forces the stress onto that syllable: CÁ-llen-se.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Accent
Mistake: "callense"
Correction: cállense (Without the accent, the stress shifts to the second syllable, sounding unnatural.)
Using the wrong pronoun
Mistake: "cállenlos"
Correction: cállense (The reflexive verb requires 'se' because the people are quieting *themselves*, not quieting *others*.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal vs. Informal
This form ('cállense') is used to command a group of people. In Latin America, it is the standard way. In Spain, they would often use 'callaos' (the vosotros form) if addressing friends, but 'cállense' is always understood.
✏️ 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
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!).