📖 Meaning
Complete and utter silence, where not even the smallest noise can be heard. It describes a scene so quiet that even birds like crows and sparrows make no sound, often implying deep stillness or a hushed, attentive atmosphere.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces its literary roots to Song dynasty texts and was popularized in Ming and Qing dynasty vernacular novels such as 《水浒传》 and Cao Xueqin's 《红楼梦》. The imagery draws on the idea that when surroundings are completely still, even the most naturally noisy birds — crows and sparrows — fall silent. It has been used across centuries to dramatize moments of profound quiet, whether from fear, reverence, anticipation, or solemnity.
💡 Example Usage
教室里鸦雀无声，所有学生都在认真地做着考卷。
The classroom was dead silent; every student was concentrating carefully on their exam paper.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鸦雀无声
- Pinyin: yā què wú shēng
- Literal Translation: crow, sparrow, no, sound
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4