German · Emotions & Descriptions
"Quiet" in German: leise
leise
Note: peaceful: ruhig
Quiet (low volume) in German is leise. Say Sei bitte leise or Die Musik ist leise. Ruhig more often means calm or peaceful, not only soft sound.
Library
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How to pronounce leise
Say it
LY-zuh
/ˈlaɪ̯zə/
LY-zuh. Soft ei as eye. Soft final e.
"Quiet" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| leise | quiet / soft (sound) Volume and soft speech. | Volume and soft speech. |
| Sei leise! | Be quiet! Direct request. | Direct request. |
| ganz leise | very quietly Extra soft. | Extra soft. |
| ruhig | calm / peaceful Different nuance; not the headword. | Different nuance; not the headword. |
How to use leise in real life
- 1Library
Bitte sprecht hier alle leise.
Please everyone speak quietly here.
Leise for volume.
- 2Night
Mach die Tür leise zu.
Close the door quietly.
Leise as adverb.
- 3Music
Der Film beginnt leise und wird dann lauter.
The film starts quietly and then gets louder.
Leise vs lauter.
Mistakes English speakers make with leise
Incorrect: Sei ruhig! (when you only mean lower the volume)
Correct: Sei leise!
For soft volume prefer leise; ruhig is calm/peaceful.
Incorrect: leiser Mann (wrong ending for nominative)
Correct: leiser Mann is fine for soft-spoken; for volume say Er spricht leise.
As an adverb of volume, leise stays uninflected: spricht leise.
Good to know
Quiet cars on trains are Ruhebereich, where leise talking is expected. Germans often shush with Pssst more than a long lecture — then Sei bitte leise.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Watching a movie with neighbors nearby
ChatPal
Können wir den Ton etwas leise stellen?
Can we turn the volume down a bit?
You
Ja. Ich stelle ihn ganz leise.
Yes. I'll set it very quiet.
ChatPal
Danke. Sprich auch leise, die Wand ist dünn.
Thanks. Speak quietly too, the wall is thin.
You
Alles klar. Ab jetzt nur noch leise Kommentare.
Got it. From now only quiet comments.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Quiet" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Quiet" in German
How do you say quiet?
Leise for soft sound.
Be quiet?
Sei bitte leise!
Leise or ruhig?
Leise = soft volume; ruhig = calm/peaceful.
Very quietly?
Ganz leise.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
