緘默 / 缄默
jiānmò
To keep quiet in Chinese, the default form is 緘默 / 缄默 (jiānmò). Wiktionary also lists 沉默 (chénmò).
Meaning: remain silent (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 緘默 / 缄默 | jiānmò |
| 沉默 | chénmò |
The term is used to describe the act of remaining silent. For a neutral way to express the action of 'keeping' or 'maintaining' silence, you can use the verb 保持 (bǎochí) before 沉默.
Which one should you use?
While both terms refer to being silent, 緘默 / 缄默 is more formal and literary than 沉默.
How do you pronounce it?
jiānmò
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, 沉默 is often seen as a sign of wisdom or strength rather than awkwardness. A person who remains silent in a tense situation is sometimes described as having a 'heavy' presence.
- The formal term 緘默 (jiānmò) contains the character 緘, which literally refers to 'sealing' something with wax or paper. It evokes the image of physically sealing one's lips shut to ensure no sound escapes.
- In Chinese, 'keeping quiet' can be described as 'keeping a silent mouth' using the phrase 守口如瓶 (shǒu kǒu rú píng). This idiom compares a person's mouth to a sealed bottle to emphasize extreme discretion.
Examples in context
- 人們無法保持沉默。People can't keep quiet.This sentence illustrates the use of 沉默 to show that people are unable to remain silent.Tatoeba #736278 by Martha, translation #7787237 by sharris123
- 请保持安静。Please keep quiet.
- 别吵！Don't make noise!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “keep quiet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
