# 万籁俱寂

wàn lài jù jì

All surrounding sounds fall silent

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Every natural sound is quiet

**Traditional Chinese:** 萬籟俱寂

**Register:** Atmospheric · literary

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Describe profound stillness, often at night.

Stronger and more atmospheric than ordinary quiet.

## Understanding the expression

The expression gathers all the small sounds of the surroundings and then makes them disappear together. Modern use creates an atmosphere of deep quiet in nature, a village, or a resting city. It is especially common in descriptive writing about night. Complete silence may be an impression rather than a literal absence of sound. A faint isolated noise can even make the stillness more vivid by showing how little else is happening nearby.

## Examples

深夜山谷万籁俱寂。

### Traditional Chinese

深夜山谷萬籟俱寂。

shēn yè shān gǔ wàn lài jù jì 。

The valley is profoundly silent late at night.

雪后的村庄万籁俱寂。

### Traditional Chinese

雪後的村莊萬籟俱寂。

xuě hòu de cūn zhuāng wàn lài jù jì 。

The village is silent after the snow.

四周万籁俱寂，只听见脚步声。

### Traditional Chinese

四周萬籟俱寂，只聽見腳步聲。

sì zhōu wàn lài jù jì ， zhī tīng jiàn jiǎo bù shēng 。

Everything is quiet except for footsteps.

他在万籁俱寂中写下日记。

### Traditional Chinese

他在萬籟俱寂中寫下日記。

tā zài wàn lài jù jì zhōng xiě xià rì jì 。

He wrote his diary in the profound stillness.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%90%AC%E7%B1%9F%E4%BF%B1%E5%AF%82)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=338&webMd=1&la=0)

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