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There are particularly loud Chinese fellows working together in the university study room I'm working in. How do I politely ask them to quiet down?

I found a literal translation on Google Translate (能否请你安静), but I don't know if it has a rude connotation.

4 Answers 4

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Well, avoid the exclamation mark.

  • 請保持安靜!
    Please keep quiet!

  • 安靜!
    Quiet!

  • 小聲點!
    Lower your voice!

  • 請小聲點!
    Please lower your voice!

These from the above are a little commanding in tone, especially the second and third. You may change the tone by switching to a request rather than a command.

能否請你安靜 is relatively better. I usually go with this:

請問可以小聲點嗎? 謝謝。

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  • 能否請你安靜 sounds weird... Vote up for the last one Mar 3, 2013 at 7:15
  • 3
    I prefer 你们都给我闭嘴! :P... Mar 3, 2013 at 7:49
  • @MikeManilone Indeed it sounds weird, because you are stiffly asking for permission to ask people to keep quiet (not just lowering voice), so it may sound a little sarcastic.
    – shirleywu
    Mar 3, 2013 at 8:25
  • @JamesJiao, that's funny, but it works! LOL
    – 杨以轩
    Mar 3, 2013 at 10:37
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    In Cantonese: (you might hear this on TV) 你哋一個二個同我收爹! Mar 5, 2013 at 8:09
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In court, the judge usually say: 请保持肃静! or 请肃静! or 肃静! In normal daily life, if you want someone shut up gentlely, you can say: 请保持安静! or 安静! or 小声点! or 请小声点!

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well,sorry for some Chinese interupt your study:P.

Chinese will understand your intention but it sounds not that much original in Chinese.

you can say :拜托,都安静点,不然就出去。very serious word but very effective.

or you can say:请小点声,谢谢。

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  • It's not polite in any culture to pose an either or demand. Unless you are the librarian. The first literally translate to "Please, all be quiet, or get out." It is not more effective; it slaps people on the face unnecessarily. The second one is very good however.
    – shirleywu
    Mar 5, 2013 at 18:20
  • @shirleywu OKey,i just follow the comment 你们都给我闭嘴!/jeje
    – Winnie
    Mar 6, 2013 at 1:53
  • if politeness isn't an issue, then whatever :)
    – shirleywu
    Mar 6, 2013 at 3:49
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I would try just saying 拜托 first, since it will be understood that you are referring to the noise level without having to actually say it.

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