沉默寡言 — “Silent and reticent”
沉默寡言 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Silent and reticent”. Taciturn; a person of few words. Literally, “Silent and speaks little”.
Frequency
沉默寡言 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 沉chén
- 默mò
- 寡guǎ
- 言yán
沉默寡言 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 沉默寡言
我的新同事性格内向，总是沉默寡言，但工作效率很高，深得领导赞赏。
My new colleague is introverted and always silent and reticent, but his work efficiency is very high and he is highly praised by the leadership.
Origin and Story of 沉默寡言
During the Tang Dynasty, Liang Chongyi, a man from Chang'an, joined the famous general Lai Zhen, who had quelled the An-Shi Rebellion, and followed him to Xiangyang.
In the army, he was silent and reticent, and people considered him steady, gradually promoting him to the rank of a subordinate general.
After Lai Zhen was falsely accused, the army was leaderless, and everyone nominated Liang Chongyi to be their chief.
Soon after, the imperial court officially appointed him as a Jiedushi (military governor).
Idioms Related to 沉默寡言
Synonyms of 沉默寡言
Antonyms of 沉默寡言
More idioms starting with 沉
- chén沉bù不zhù住qì气unable to keep one's composure
- chén沉yuān冤mò莫bái白deep injustice remains unredressed
- chén沉yuān冤mò莫xuě雪grievous injustice that cannot be redressed
- chén沉jǐ几guān观biàn变Calmly observe subtle changes
- chén沉bó博jué绝lì丽profound, vast, and exquisite writing
- chén沉hòu厚guǎ寡yán言Profound and taciturn
- chén沉yín吟bù不jué决Ponder deeply, hesitate, unable to decide
- chén沉yín吟wèi未jué决Ponder and hesitate, unable to decide
- chén沉yín吟zhāng章jù句Pondering literary works
- chén沉shēng声jìng静qì气speaking in a low, calm voice
- chén沉mì密guǎ寡yán言quiet and reserved
Questions about 沉默寡言
- What does 沉默寡言 mean?
- 沉默寡言 (chén mò guǎ yán) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Silent and reticent”.
- How do you pronounce 沉默寡言?
- 沉默寡言 is pronounced chén mò guǎ yán in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 沉默寡言 literally mean?
- Literally, 沉默寡言 means “Silent and speaks little”. It is used to mean “Silent and reticent”.
- Where does 沉默寡言 come from?
- 沉默寡言 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 沉默寡言?
- 沉默：不出声；寡：少。不声不响，很少说话。