tysta

Tysta is a Swedish verb meaning to quiet, hush, or silence, and in some contexts to suppress something such as noise or information. It is used transitively with a direct object, for example to quiet a crowd or to hush up rumors. The sense can extend to reducing ambient noise, calming a situation, or making people less vocal. In addition to its literal use, tysta can appear in metaphorical or evaluative phrases referring to suppressing discussion or inconvenient information.

The term is closely related to the Swedish adjective tyst, which means silent or quiet. Both share a common root in the language’s Germanic heritage, and tysta represents a verbal development derived from that root. In everyday language, tysta appears in both formal and informal contexts, such as instructions, media reporting, and literary narration.

Examples of usage include phrases meaning to quiet a noisy room, to calm down a contentious debate, or to hush up rumors. The word can carry a neutral sense of reducing sound or, depending on context, a more negative sense of suppressing information or dissent. The imperative form, where applicable, is used to command silence in a given moment.

See also: tyst, tystnad, tysta ner. While related, these terms function differently: tyst describes a state of silence, tystnad denotes the act or condition of silence, and tysta is the verb that brings about quiet or suppression.