Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
噤若寒蟬. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
噤若寒蟬, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
噤若寒蟬 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
噤若寒蟬 you have here. The definition of the word
噤若寒蟬 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
噤若寒蟬, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
Cicadas sing in summer and autumn than die soon. The ancients did not realize this and thought cicadas could not make a sound when it was cold, so they use it to describe not dare to speak out. From the Book of the Later Han:
劉勝位為大夫，見禮上賓，而知善不薦，聞惡無言，隱情惜己，自同寒蟬，此罪人也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
刘胜位为大夫，见礼上宾，而知善不荐，闻恶无言，隐情惜己，自同寒蝉，此罪人也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]- From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5th century CE
- Liú Shèng wèi wèi dàfū, jiàn lǐ shàngbīn, ér zhī shàn bù jiàn, wén è wúyán, yǐnqíng xī jǐ, zì tóng hánchán, cǐ zuìrén yě.
- As a scholar-official, Liu Sheng was treated like a distinguished guest, but he couldn't recommend virtuous person, refused to refute evil words, pretended to be deaf and mute, cherished his reputation, and kept silent, he's a sinner.
Pronunciation
Idiom
噤若寒蟬
- to remain silent out of fear; to refrain unwillingly from speaking out
自從被上司數落之後，他便噤若寒蟬，再也不敢發表意見了。 [MSC, trad.]
自从被上司数落之后，他便噤若寒蝉，再也不敢发表意见了。 [MSC, simp.]- Zìcóng bèi shàngsī shǔluò zhī hòu, tā biàn jìnruòhánchán, zài yě bùgǎn fābiǎo yìjiàn le.
- Ever since he was scolded by his boss, he had become silent and never dared to express his opinions again.
Antonyms
References
- “Entry #94943”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.