yên tĩnh
[ʔiən˧˧ tïŋ˦ˀ˥]
The English word "quiet" can be translated into Vietnamese as yên tĩnh or im lặng.
Meaning: with little sound (adj)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| yên tĩnh | [ʔiən˧˧ tïŋ˦ˀ˥] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔiəŋ˧˧ tɨn˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| im lặng | [ʔim˧˧ laŋ˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔim˧˧ laŋ˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
Depending on the context, you will use different forms to describe silence. Use yên tĩnh to describe a peaceful or quiet environment or atmosphere. Use im lặng to describe a person being silent or the act of keeping quiet. When used as a command, im lặng functions like "be quiet" or "shut up". To specify the action of being quiet, you can use the verb giữ (keep) or duy trì (maintain) before these terms.
Which one should you use?
yên tĩnh is used for describing a quiet environment, whereas im lặng is used for describing a person or a state of silence or translating to "silent" in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say something is "too quiet", place the word quá (too) before the adjective yên tĩnh, resulting in quá yên tĩnh.
Did you know?
- The word for the Japanese currency 'yen' is also written as yên in Vietnamese.
- In Vietnamese, the word yên can also mean a 'saddle' for a horse, which is a completely different word from the one used in 'quiet'.
- In Vietnam, the way one asks for silence varies greatly by social hierarchy, and using im lặng with a superior can be seen as very rude.
Examples in context
- Ở đây yên tĩnh quá.It's too quiet here.The sentence is useful for describing how quiet a location is using yên tĩnh.Tatoeba #13657161 by leucammieuvu, translation #13655555 by araneo
- Im lặng. Em bé đang ngủ.Keep quiet. The baby is sleeping.The sentence is useful for an imperative command to be quiet using im lặng.Tatoeba #1552470 by trieuho, translation #1546313 by CK
- Bố tôi bảo tôi giữ im lặng.Dad told me to keep quiet.The sentence is useful for describing the action of keeping quiet using im lặng.Tatoeba #9126475 by dotheduyet1999, translation #3983869 by AlanF_US
- Hãy giữ yên lặng trong thư viện.Please keep quiet in the library.
- Mong các bạn im lặng trong buổi họp này.Please be quiet during this meeting.
- Hãy giữ yên tĩnh để không làm phiền người khác.Please keep quiet so as not to disturb others.
- Hãy giữ yên lặng ở nhà sách để mọi người đều có thể đọc sách một cách tĩnh tại.Please keep quiet in the bookstore so that everyone can read peacefully.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mai and Hùng are sitting in a cafe to study.
- MaiQuán cà phê này thật yên tĩnh.This coffee shop is really quiet.
- HùngỪ, rất thích hợp để học bài.Yeah, it is very suitable for studying.
- MaiAnh có muốn gọi thêm nước không?Do you want to order more drinks?
- HùngKhông, mình cứ ngồi đây thôi.No, let's just sit here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quiet” translations and entries yên tĩnh, im lặng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries im lặng, yên, yên tĩnh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
