鸦雀无声
鸦雀无声 (yā què wú shēng) literally means “crows and sparrows without sound” and expresses “completely silent; so quiet you could hear a pin drop”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: ya que wu sheng, ya que wu sheng,鸦雀无声 meaning, 鸦雀无声 in english
Completely silent; so quiet you could hear a pin drop
Pronunciation: yā què wú shēng
Literal meaning: Crows and sparrows without sound
Origin & Usage
This idiom describes a scene where even crows (鸦) and sparrows (雀) make no (无) sound (声). These common birds are normally noisy, so their silence indicates extreme quiet. The phrase appeared in texts describing solemn occasions, tense moments, or places of deep concentration. It represents perfect silence where even ambient noise disappears. Modern usage describes complete silence in normally noisy settings, often indicating attention, tension, or solemnity.
Examples
English: "The audience fell completely silent when the speaker began."
Chinese: 演讲者开始时，观众鸦雀无声。
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 鸦雀无声 mean in English?
鸦雀无声 (yā què wú shēng) literally translates to “Crows and sparrows without sound” and is used to express “Completely silent; so quiet you could hear a pin drop”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 鸦雀无声 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving completely silent; so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
What is the pinyin for 鸦雀无声?
The pinyin pronunciation for 鸦雀无声 is “yā què wú shēng”.