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
still
Without movement; motionless or still.
EXAMPLE
Das Wasser des Sees war heute Morgen vollkommen still.
The water of the lake was completely still this morning.
stilles Wasser
still water
Water without carbonation.
EXAMPLE
Ich hätte gern ein stilles Wasser, bitte.
I'd like a still water, please.
still
silent / hidden
Secret, hidden, or unnoticed.
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein stiller Teilhaber der Firma und tritt nicht öffentlich in Erscheinung.
He is a silent partner in the company and does not appear publicly.
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 ruhig
quiet / calm
Both words can describe a situation with little noise or movement. Still emphasizes more strongly that practically nothing can be heard or seen, while ruhig can also describe a generally relaxed situation with some activity. Choose still when there is almost complete silence or immobility.
still
Während der Prüfung bleibt der Flur vor dem Raum völlig still.
The hallway outside the room remains completely silent during the exam.
ruhig
Im Park ist es am frühen Morgen ruhig, obwohl schon einige Menschen spazieren gehen.
The park is quiet early in the morning, even though a few people are already out walking.
In real life
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