Meaning & use
shtum
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Not speaking, especially in order to keep a secret or avoid giving information.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like keep, stay, or remain; it is not used before a noun.
Patterns
- keep shtum
- stay shtum
- remain shtum about something
When the police asked him about the missing money, he kept shtum.
She stayed shtum about her plans, so no one knew what she was going to do.
If you want to avoid trouble, it's best to remain shtum.
Common combinations
- keep shtum
- He decided to keep shtum and not tell anyone what he had seen.
- stay shtum
- She stayed shtum during the meeting, not wanting to share her opinion.
- remain shtum
- The witness chose to remain shtum about the details.
- shtum about something
- They were both shtum about the surprise party.
Synonyms and how they differ
- silent
- Silent is a general word for not speaking; shtum is more informal and often suggests deliberately keeping a secret.
- mum
- In the phrase 'keep mum', this is very similar but slightly old-fashioned; shtum is more common in British English.
- tight-lipped
- Tight-lipped means refusing to speak about something, often because of anger or secrecy; shtum is more casual.
Opposites
Commonly confused: shtum or shut?
shtum vs shut
Shut means closed; shtum means silent. They sound similar but have different meanings.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'After the argument, he decided to ______ shtum and not say a word.'
Choose one answer.
The correct verb is 'keep' because 'keep shtum' is a fixed phrase meaning to stay silent. The other verbs do not collocate with 'shtum' in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shtum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.