沉默
chénmò
The Chinese word for silence (as a noun) is 沉默 (chénmò).
沉默 refers to a lack of sound or, more specifically, a person's choice to remain silent or a lack of speech. It is used in proverbs, such as saying speech is silver but silence is gold. You can also use the idiom 沉默寡言 to describe a person who is naturally taciturn or a person of few words. If you want to describe an atmosphere that is serene, tranquil or calm, use 寂静. If you want to describe a state of having no sound, you can use 无声.
Meaning: lack of sound (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The second character in 沉默, 默, means silent or tacit.
Which one should you use?
While 沉默 refers to a person's choice to remain silent or a lack of speech, 安静 refers to a quiet environment or a lack of noise.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 沉默 as an adverb meaning 'silently', you add the particle 地 after it to form 沉默地.
How do you pronounce it?
chénmò
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, 沉默 can be a sign of respect or wisdom rather than awkwardness. In certain social contexts, remaining silent is a way to avoid conflict and maintain 'face' for others.
- The character 默 is a phono-semantic compound where the left side represents 'black' or 'dark', suggesting that silence is like a darkness of sound.
- While 沉默 is a noun or adjective, Chinese has a specific term 静默 used for formal moments of silence, such as those observed to honor the deceased during a memorial.
Examples in context
- 开口是银，沉默是金。Speech is silver, silence is gold.This sentence illustrates the proverb that speech is silver and silence is gold using 沉默.Tatoeba #4182617 by ekgermana, translation #239721 by jakov
- 我的问题遭到了冷寂的沉默。My questions were met with a frosty silence.This sentence shows how silence can be described as frosty using 沉默.Tatoeba #4757604 by ryanwoo, translation #4752680 by marllboro06
- 常言道：言语是银，沉默是金。As the saying goes: Speech is silver, silence is gold.This sentence provides a common saying about the value of silence using 沉默.Tatoeba #3580013 by CLARET, translation #3622640 by weihaiping
- 在图书馆里，请保持寂静 (Zài túshūguǎn lǐ, qǐng bǎochí jìjìng)In the library, please maintain silence.
- 请安静一下，我要开始演讲了 (Qǐng ānjìng yīxià, wǒ yào kāishǐ yǎnjiǎng le)Please be quiet, I am about to start my speech.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are waiting for an exam result in a quiet room.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这里的沉默让我感到很紧张。Zhèlǐ de chénmò ràng wǒ gǎndào hěn jǐnzhāng.The silence here makes me feel very nervous.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也一样，我快不能忍受这种沉默了。Wǒ yě yīyàng, wǒ kuài bùnéng rěnshòu zhè zhǒng chénmò le.Me too, I can almost not stand this silence anymore.
- 佳怡 Jiayi俊杰，我们聊聊天打破沉默吧。Jùnjié, wǒmen liáo liáo tiān dǎpò chénmò ba.Junjie, let's chat to break the silence.
- 俊杰 Junjie好主意，佳怡，你想聊什么？Hǎo zhǔyì, Jiāyí, nǐ xiǎng liáo shénme?Good idea, Jiayi, what do you want to talk about?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silence” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
