Te calla vs Cállate?
Why is it cállate? Calla is present usted form while te is tu form?
Shouldn't it be Callase?
Why is there a line above the a in cállate? One more question, why isn't it Se calla or Te callas?
3 Answers
actually all of the forms you said... do exist, and they all have different meanings...
Te calla (he/she shuts you up)
Cállate (shut yourself up) it has the tilde... because that's how it's pronounced... with the stress on the 1st "a"
Se calla (formal you) (would you shut up)
Te callas (Shut up)
cállate and te callas... sound more aggressive, and between those... I'd say "te callas" is an stronger command. Of course all of this needs to have the right entonation...
"Cállate" is imperative, means "you, shut up".
"Te calla" would be referring to somebody that uses to shuts you up: "La maestra te calla", "The teacher shuts you up".
"Se calla" sould be referring to somebody that quiets itself: "Cuando yo hablo, él se calla", "When I speak, he shuts up".
I would have thought 'Be quiet' for usted would be
¡Cállese!
However, if one is going to tell someone else to shut up, we have left the realm of 'polite talk' , therefore I doubt you would hear this form, what do you think?
