“keep quiet”是英语中常用的短语,核心含义是“保持安静”,强调“持续处于不发声、不喧闹的状态”;也可引申为“对某事保密”(需搭配介词“about”)。以下是具体解析:
“keep quiet”是“keep + 形容词”的结构(quiet为形容词,表“安静的状态”),表示让某人/自己持续保持“不说话、不制造噪音”的状态,适用于需要安静的场景(如图书馆、教室、医院等)。
1、 祈使句(直接命令/请求)
用于提醒或要求对方立刻安静,是最常用的口语表达:
Keep quiet! The movie is starting.(安静!电影要开始了。)
Please keep quiet in the museum.(请在博物馆里保持安静。)
2、 带宾语补足语(要求他人保持安静)
常用结构:tell/ask sb. to keep quiet(告诉/要求某人保持安静):
The teacher told the students to keep quiet during the test.(老师要求学生考试时保持安静。)
Can you ask your dog to keep quiet? It’s barking too loud.(你能让你的狗安静点吗?叫得太大声了。)
3、 描述状态(主语主动保持安静)
用于说明某人“一直保持安静”的状态:
The baby kept quiet while her mom was on the phone.(妈妈打电话时,宝宝一直很安静。)
He kept quiet throughout the meeting because he had nothing to say.(整个会议他都保持安静,因为没什么好说的。)
当“keep quiet”后接介词“about”时,表示“对某件事守口如瓶、不透露”,强调不向他人提及某事:
She decided to keep quiet about her promotion until it was official.(在晋升正式公布前,她决定保密。)
Please keep quiet about our plan—we don’t want others to know.(请对我们的计划保密——我们不想让别人知道。)
1、 不要混淆“quiet”与“quietly”:
“keep”是系动词,后面需接形容词(quiet)作表语,不能用副词(quietly)。例如:
❌ Keep quietly!(错误)
✅ Keep quiet!(正确)
2、 “keep quiet” vs “be quiet”:
“be quiet”强调“现在立刻安静下来”(瞬间动作);
“keep quiet”强调“持续保持安静”(状态的延续)。
例如:Be quiet!(安静!——现在别说话);Keep quiet!(保持安静!——接下来都别出声)。
“keep quiet”是实用的日常短语,既可以直接要求他人“保持安静”,也能表示“对某事保密”。掌握其核心结构和引申用法,就能在不同场景中准确使用啦!