Signification
Making someone stop talking by force
Contexte culturel
In Turkey, interrupting someone is generally considered rude, but 'lafı ağzına tıkmak' is a specific kind of interruption that implies the speaker was wrong or out of line. It's a tool of social correction. Screenwriters love this phrase. It's used to create 'climax' moments in arguments where the hero finally silences the villain. It signals a shift in power. Turkish political culture is very confrontational. Politicians often boast about how they 'shut up' their opponents using this phrase in their rallies. Among younger generations, this can be used almost admiringly when someone delivers a 'savage' comeback.
Watch your tone
Even if you use the phrase correctly, your body language and tone will determine if you sound 'cool' or just 'mean'.
Use with 'Lafı'
Always try to include 'lafı' or 'sözü' to sound more like a native speaker. 'Ağzına tıktım' alone sounds a bit incomplete.
Signification
Making someone stop talking by force
Watch your tone
Even if you use the phrase correctly, your body language and tone will determine if you sound 'cool' or just 'mean'.
Use with 'Lafı'
Always try to include 'lafı' or 'sözü' to sound more like a native speaker. 'Ağzına tıktım' alone sounds a bit incomplete.
The 'Elder' Rule
Never use this phrase to describe your actions toward someone older than you in Turkey; it's a major social faux pas.
Passive form
You can use 'Lafı ağzına tıkıldı' to say 'He was shut up' (passive voice).
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the phrase.
O kadar çok yalan söyledi ki, sonunda kanıtları gösterip lafı ______ ______.
The phrase 'lafı ağzına tıkmak' is the standard idiom for silencing someone with evidence.
Which situation best fits the phrase 'lafı ağzına tıkmak'?
A situation where...
The phrase implies a forceful and often rude silencing.
Complete the dialogue.
Ayşe: 'Neden sustun?' Mehmet: 'Selin öyle bir cevap verdi ki...'
Mehmet is explaining why he became silent—Selin shut him up.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Silencing Someone: Formal vs. Slang
Banque d exercices
3 exercicesO kadar çok yalan söyledi ki, sonunda kanıtları gösterip lafı ______ ______.
The phrase 'lafı ağzına tıkmak' is the standard idiom for silencing someone with evidence.
A situation where...
The phrase implies a forceful and often rude silencing.
Ayşe: 'Neden sustun?' Mehmet: 'Selin öyle bir cevap verdi ki...'
Mehmet is explaining why he became silent—Selin shut him up.
🎉 Score : /3
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, it's not a swear word, but it is very informal and can be considered rude or aggressive depending on the context.
Absolutely not. It's far too informal and implies a lack of respect for the person's right to speak.
'Tıkmak' implies a sudden, forceful action. 'Tıkamak' means to block or clog. In this idiom, they are often used interchangeably, but 'tıkmak' is more common in slang.
You say 'Lafı ağzıma tıktı.'
Yes, you can use 'Sözümü kesti' (He interrupted me) or 'Beni susturdu' (He silenced me).
Not always, but it often implies the person was saying something wrong, annoying, or unnecessary.
Yes, literally it means to stuff something into a mouth, like 'Çocuğun ağzına yemeği tıktı' (She stuffed the food into the child's mouth).
Yes, very. It's a key phrase for dramatic confrontations.
It takes the dative case: ağz-ı-n-a.
Yes, you can say 'Lafı ağzına tıktım' to brag about how you won an argument.
Expressions liées
susturmak
synonymTo silence
sesini kesmek
similarTo cut the voice / Shut up
lafı ağzında bırakmak
similarTo leave the word in the mouth
ağzının payını vermek
builds onTo give someone their mouth's share
söz hakkı tanımamak
contrastNot to grant the right to speak
