Tahimik

Tahimik is a Filipino word that means quiet, silent, or calm. It is commonly used as an adjective to describe people who are reserved, environments with little noise, or sounds that are hushed. In everyday speech, examples include “Tahimik ang gabi” (The night is quiet) and “Tahimik siya sa klase” (They are quiet in class).

As a native term in Tagalog and other Philippine languages, tahimik has several forms and usages. The base form is tahimik; it can be intensified to napakatahimik (very quiet) or combined with other words, such as tahimik na lugar (quiet place). It functions as both a descriptive attribute and a predicate adjective in sentences.

Culturally, tahimik often conveys notions of contemplation, restraint, or understated presence. In literature, film, and music, the word can evoke serenity, privacy, or inward focus, and it is frequently used to describe atmospheres that are calm or somber rather than loud or chaotic.

Notable usage of the word appears in the stage name of Kidlat Tahimik, the Filipino filmmaker born Eric de Guia in 1942. The name combines kidlat (lightning) and tahimik (quiet/silent), signaling a deliberate contrast between speed and stillness and reflecting an artistic persona. Tahimik also appears in broader Filipino discourse as an everyday descriptor of mood, place, and character.