# 鸦雀无声

yā què wú shēng

Completely silent

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Neither crows nor sparrows make a sound

**Traditional Chinese:** 鴉雀無聲

**Register:** Neutral · descriptive

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe a room or crowd falling utterly quiet.

It describes soundlessness, not necessarily peace or approval.

## Understanding the expression

Crows and sparrows normally provide small background sounds, so their imagined silence makes the stillness complete. The phrase often describes people listening closely, feeling shocked, or waiting anxiously. A crowded room can therefore become silent without becoming empty. It commonly follows a place or group as the subject. Context explains whether the silence reflects respect, fear, embarrassment, or concentration rather than the idiom itself.

## Examples

宣布结果时，礼堂里鸦雀无声。

### Traditional Chinese

宣佈結果時，禮堂裡鴉雀無聲。

xuān bù jié guǒ shí ， lǐ táng lǐ yā què wú shēng 。

The auditorium was completely silent as the results were announced.

老师一进门，刚才吵闹的教室立刻鸦雀无声。

### Traditional Chinese

老師一進門，剛才吵鬧的教室立刻鴉雀無聲。

lǎo shī yí jìn mén ， gāng cái chǎo nào de jiào shì lì kè yā què wú shēng 。

The noisy classroom fell silent as soon as the teacher entered.

听完那个消息，饭桌旁鸦雀无声。

### Traditional Chinese

聽完那個消息，飯桌旁鴉雀無聲。

tīng wán nà ge xiāo xī ， fàn zhuō páng yā què wú shēng 。

Everyone at the table fell silent after hearing the news.

她开始独奏，全场鸦雀无声。

### Traditional Chinese

她開始獨奏，全場鴉雀無聲。

tā kāi shǐ dú zòu ， quán chǎng yā què wú shēng 。

The whole audience was silent when she began her solo.

## 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=%E9%B4%89%E9%9B%80%E7%84%A1%E8%81%B2)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=353&webMd=1&la=0)

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