Imagine this… you’re riding on a bus in Tel Aviv. Next to you is someone talking on their cellphone much too loud. How should you ask them to “keep it down”?

Today we’ll talk about those who talk too much and discuss the possible ways to ask them to stop, politely and impolitely.

Click here for the all-Hebrew version of this episode

New Words and Expressions:

Shotkim – We are silent – שותקים

Shatak – He was quiet – שתק

Lishtok – To be quiet – לשתוק

Shtok/shteki/shteku shniya – Shut up for a sec. – שתוק/שתקי/שתקו שנייה

Hu/hi lo shatak/shatka – He/she didn’t shut up – היא/הוא לא שתק/שתקה

Stom/Stemi/Stemu – Shut up (imp.) – סתום/סתמי/סתמו

Stom/Stemi ta’pe – Shut your mouth – סתום/סתמי ת’פה

Bo’na hu lo satam kol ha-nesi’a – He wouldn’t shut up the entire ride – בוא’נה הוא לא סתם כל הנסיעה

Bo’na hi lo satma kol ha-nesi’a – She wouldn’t shut up the entire ride – בוא’נה היא לא סתמה כל הנסיעה

Sheket – Silence – שקט

Sheket bevakasha – Quiet please – שקט בבקשה

Slicha, efshar tipa yoter be-sheket? – Is it possible to do it a tad more quietly? – סליחה, אפשר טיפה יותר בשקט?

Kashkeshan – Blabbermouth – קשקשן

Dai, ya kashkeshan – Stop it, you’re just talking – די, יא קשקשן

Dai, shamanu – Ok, we heard you – די, שמענו

Dai, shamanu otcha/otach – Enough already, we’ve heard you – די, שמענו אותך

Dabran, Dabranit – Chatterbox – דברן, דברנית

Hu medaber ve-medaber ve-medaber – He talks and talks and talks – הוא מדבר ומדבר ומדבר

Hi medaberet ve-medaberet ve-medaberet – She talks and talks and talks – היא מדברת ומדברת ומדברת

At hoferet – You are going on and on – את חופרת

Playlist and Clips:

Hava Alberstein – Perach Ha-lilach (lyrics)

Koki Livne – Sheket (lyrics)

Idan Yaniv – Mi Im Lo Idan Yaniv (lyrics)

Dabranit (Commercial)

Shai Yom-Tov – At Hoferet

Matsav Ha-uma – Shtok, stom