不声不响 (bù shēng bù xiǎng) — quietly, without making a sound; stealthily

Definition

An idiomatic way to say 'without a sound or fuss' — quieter and more discreet than just 安静. Often used to praise someone who gets something done silently, or to hint at sneaky behavior.

idiom
quietlywithout making a soundstealthily

Examples

  • 不声不响。
    Tā bù shēng bù xiǎng dì lí kāi le fáng jiān.
    He left the room quietly.
  • 不声不响。
    Tā bù shēng bù xiǎng dì wán chéng le suǒ yǒu gōng zuò.
    She finished all the work without a fuss.
  • 不声不响。
    Xiǎo tōu bù shēng bù xiǎng dì liū jìn le fáng zi.
    The thief sneaked into the house stealthily.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

不声no sound
不bùnot声shēngsound
偏正Modifier + head
不响no noise
不bùnot响xiǎngsound
偏正Modifier + head

不声 and 不响 stand side by side, meaning no sound and no noise, so the action is done quietly.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 響; 响 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
音音yīnsound
Sound part声符shēngfú
鄉
鄉xiāng響xiǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 響 pairs 音, meaning sound, with 鄉 to give its pronunciation. The simplified 响 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the historical parts.

Open 响 →

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