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钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌
钳口吞舌

钳口吞舌 — “To keep silent”

钳口吞舌 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep silent”. To seal one's lips; to refuse to speak or utter a word, often due to inability or unwillingness. Literally, “Clamp the mouth and swallow the tongue”.

Frequency

钳口吞舌 Pronunciation and Pinyin

钳口吞舌 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
钳
qián10clamp or pliers
口
kǒu3mouth, opening, entrance
吞
tūn7swallow, engulf, annex
舌
shé6tongue

Example Sentence with 钳口吞舌

当被问及事情的真相时,他只是钳口吞舌,没有透露任何信息。
When asked about the truth of the matter, he merely clamped his mouth and swallowed his tongue, revealing no information.

Idioms Related to 钳口吞舌

Synonyms of 钳口吞舌

  • qián钳kǒu口jié结shé舌struck dumb, unable to speak

Antonyms of 钳口吞舌

  • zhí直yán言bù不huì讳speak frankly without hesitation

More idioms starting with 钳

  • qián钳kǒu口bù不yán言keep silent
  • qián钳kǒu口cè侧mù目silent with sidelong glances
  • qián钳kǒu口jiǎo挢shé舌struck dumb with astonishment or fear
  • qián钳mǎ马xián衔méi枚march silently and disciplined

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Questions about 钳口吞舌

What does 钳口吞舌 mean?

钳口吞舌 (qián kǒu tūn shé) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep silent”.

How do you pronounce 钳口吞舌?

钳口吞舌 is pronounced qián kǒu tūn shé in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 钳口吞舌 literally mean?

Literally, 钳口吞舌 means “Clamp the mouth and swallow the tongue”. It is used to mean “to keep silent”.

What is the Chinese definition of 钳口吞舌?

犹言闭口不言。紧闭着嘴,什么也不说。

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