缄默

緘默

jiānmò

verb #17,872

Meanings

1 to keep silent
2 to remain quiet

Characters

to seal; to close (mouth)

Examples

HSK 3

缄默不语有时比说话更有力量。

Jiānmò bù yǔ yǒushí bǐ shuōhuà gèng yǒu lìliang.

Silence is sometimes more powerful than words.

HSK 7-9

面对质问，他选择了缄默。

Miànduì zhìwèn, tā xuǎnzé le jiānmò.

Faced with questioning, he chose to remain silent.

Tips

register

缄默 is more literary and formal than 沉默 (chénmò). It implies a deliberate, often principled silence - closer to English 'reticence' than simply being quiet.

Stroke Order

缄 jiān

默 mò