01
still
quiet
Without noise; quiet or silent.
example
Sei bitte still, das Baby schläft.
Please be quiet; the baby is sleeping.
still
quiet / still
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
'Still' means 'leise' (quiet) or 'unbewegt' (motionless). It is a false friend of the English word 'still', which describes an ongoing action. For that, German uses the word 'noch' (still/yet).
EXAMPLE
Er arbeitet noch an seinem Projekt.
He is still working on his project.
Adjective and adverb
'Still' can stand before a noun as an adjective or describe a verb as an adverb. As an adverb, it remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Wir machten einen Spaziergang an einem stillen See.
We took a walk by a still lake.
Context clue
Whether 'still' means 'leise' (quiet) or 'unbewegt' (motionless) depends on the context. 'Still sein' (to be quiet) or 'still werden' (to become quiet) usually refers to noise, while 'still sitzen' (to sit still), 'still stehen' (to stand still), or 'still halten' (to hold still) describes lack of movement.
EXAMPLE
Als die Lehrerin ins Zimmer kam, wurden alle Schüler sofort still.
When the teacher came into the room, all the students immediately became quiet.
Fixed expression
The combination 'stilles Wasser' (still water) is a fixed expression for water without carbonation. It is frequently used in restaurants and cafés.
EXAMPLE
Einmal Pommes und ein stilles Wasser, bitte.
One order of fries and a still water, please.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning 'heimlich' (secret) or 'unbemerkt' (unnoticed), 'still' appears in fixed expressions, e.g. 'ein stiller Teilhaber' (silent partner), 'eine stille Beobachterin' (a silent observer), or 'stille Reserven' (hidden reserves).
EXAMPLE
Sie war nur eine stille Beobachterin des Gesprächs und sagte nichts.
She was only a silent observer of the conversation and said nothing.
Compare with
still vs laut
loud / according to
'laut' and 'still' can be opposites when it comes to noise. 'laut' means that you hear something strongly. 'still' means that there is no noise, or almost no noise. Learners may confuse 'still' with 'leise' or 'ruhig'. 'still' often sounds stronger: it does not just mean low volume, but real silence. With people, 'still' can also mean that someone is not saying anything.
still
Beim Training sitzt das Kind ganz still auf der Bank.
During training, the child sits completely still on the bench.
laut
Bitte sprich nicht so laut, die anderen warten auf dem Amt.
Please don't speak so loudly; the others are waiting at the government office.
In real life
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