die Stille
silence
A state in which there are no sounds; complete noiselessness or quiet.
EXAMPLE
Nachdem der Motor ausging, herrschte eine unheimliche Stille.
After the engine stopped, an eerie silence fell.
die Stille
silence / stillness
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Meanings
die Stille
stillness
A state of motionlessness, inner calm, or peace.
EXAMPLE
Er saß am See und genoss einfach nur die Stille des Moments.
He sat by the lake and simply enjoyed the stillness of the moment.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'die Stille' (silence/stillness) is derived from the adjective 'still' (quiet/still). When a place or situation is 'still', then there is 'Stille' there.
EXAMPLE
Sei bitte still, ich brauche etwas Stille zum Arbeiten.
Please be quiet; I need some silence to work.
Typical verbs
'Stille' (silence/stillness) is often combined with certain verbs that describe a state. Typical phrases are 'Stille herrscht' (silence reigns/there is silence), 'Stille tritt ein' (silence falls), or 'die Stille genießen' (to enjoy the silence/stillness).
EXAMPLE
Als der Redner eine Pause machte, trat plötzlich Stille im Saal ein.
When the speaker paused, silence suddenly fell in the hall.
Fixed expression
The expression 'in aller Stille' means that something happens secretly, unnoticed, or without much publicity.
EXAMPLE
Das Paar hat in aller Stille geheiratet, ohne Gäste einzuladen.
The couple got married quietly, without inviting any guests.
Compare with
Stille vs Ruhe
quiet / calm
Ruhe and Stille both refer to a quiet state. Ruhe mainly means that there are no disturbing sounds; Stille emphasizes more strongly that nothing at all can be heard. Therefore, a place can still offer Ruhe despite occasional quiet sounds.
Stille
Als auch das Rascheln aufhört, herrscht im Lesesaal völlige Stille.
Once the rustling stops too, the reading room is completely silent.
Ruhe
Im Lesesaal findet sie Ruhe, obwohl leise Seiten rascheln.
She finds Ruhe in the reading room, even though pages are rustling softly.
In real life
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