TongTong
Sign in

沉默寡言 (chén mò guǎ yán) — reticent, taciturn, quiet and reserved

Definition

An idiom meaning 'taciturn' — describes someone who is habitually quiet and reserved, often by nature rather than choice. Stronger and more literary than the plain adjective 安静.

idiom
reticenttaciturnquiet and reserved

Examples

  • 沉默寡言，。
    Tā yí xiàng chén mò guǎ yán, kāi huì shí hěn shǎo fā yán.
    He has always been reticent and rarely speaks at meetings.
  • 沉默寡言，。
    Bié kàn tā chén mò guǎ yán, qí shí xīn lǐ shén me dōu qīng chǔ.
    Although he is taciturn, he actually knows everything in his heart.
  • 沉默寡言，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo xìng gé chén mò guǎ yán, bú tài xǐ huan shè jiāo.
    She has been reserved since childhood and doesn't really enjoy socializing.

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 沉 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
黑
黑hēi默mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

默 pairs 黑 with 犬 (dog), and 黑 gives the sound.

Open 默 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 頁頁yèhead

The form 寡 pairs 宀, a house, with 頁, a head: one head in a house, alone.

Open 寡 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.