一声不吭 (yī shēng bù kēng) — not say a single word; remain completely silent
Definition
Describes a person who stays completely silent — often implying stubbornness, displeasure, or withdrawal. Near-synonym of 一言不发; both are fixed phrases meaning 'not a word', while 鸦雀无声 describes an environment with no sound at all.
phrase
not say a single wordremain completely silent
Examples
- 一声不吭，。Tā yī shēng bù kēng dì zuò zài jiǎo luò, shuí yě bù lǐ.He sat silently in the corner, ignoring everyone.
- ，一声不吭，。Wǒ wèn le tā hǎo jǐ cì, tā yī shēng bù kēng, ràng wǒ hěn dān xīn.I asked him several times, but he didn't say a word, which made me worried.
- 一声不吭，。Zhěng gè wǎn shàng tā yī shēng bù kēng, qì fen hěn gān gà.He didn't say a word the whole evening, and the atmosphere was very awkward.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.