Chinese–EnglishWith examples

沉默

chén mò · chen mo

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 4Old HSK 5

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. taciturn
  2. uncommunicative
  3. silent
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In a conversation

0:21 cartoon

Why so quiet?

  1. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)今天(jīntiān)怎么(zěnme)这么(zhème)沉默(chénmò)？

    Why are you so quiet today?

  2. Dengdeng

    没有(méiyǒu)啊(a)，我(wǒ)在(zài)想(xiǎng)事情(shìqing)。

    No, I'm just thinking.

  3. Liangliang

    想(xiǎng)什么(shénme)？说(shuō)出来(chūlái)听听(tīngtīng)。

    About what? Say it out loud.

  4. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)在(zài)想(xiǎng)，沉默(chénmò)是(shì)金(jīn)。

    I'm thinking: silence is golden.

  5. Liangliang

    好(hǎo)，那(nà)我们(wǒmen)一起(yīqǐ)沉默(chénmò)三(sān)分钟(fēnzhōng)。

    Okay, let's be silent together for three minutes.

  6. Dengdeng

    好(hǎo)，可是(kěshì)我(wǒ)的(de)肚子(dùzi)不(bù)沉默(chénmò)。

    Okay, but my stomach isn't silent.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

他(tā)发(fā)言(yán)完(wán)后(hòu)，大(dà)家(jiā)陷(xiàn)入(rù)了(le)沉(chén)默(mò)。

When he finished speaking, everyone was silent.

Tatoeba: Chinese by jin1 · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

面(miàn)对(duì)这(zhè)个(ge)问(wèn)题(tí)，他(tā)选(xuǎn)择(zé)了(le)沉(chén)默(mò)。

Faced with this question, he chose to remain silent.

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How to write

Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
沉
chén

to submerge; to immerse

默
mò

silent; to write from memory

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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