Definition
鸦雀无声 describes a place or crowd that is completely silent — not a single sound can be heard. It focuses on the atmosphere of a scene (e.g., a classroom, a hall). 一声不吭 is about a person's action: choosing not to speak a single word, often out of stubbornness or unwillingness.
phrase
dead silencenot a sound to be heard
Examples
- ，鸦雀无声。Lǎoshī yì zǒujìn jiàoshì, jiàoshì lǐ lìkè yā què wú shēng.As soon as the teacher walked into the classroom, it fell dead silent.
- ，鸦雀无声，。Xuānbù huòjiǎng míngdān shí, quánchǎng yā què wú shēng, měi gè rén dōu zài jǐnzhāng de tīng.When the award list was announced, the whole venue was dead silent; everyone was listening nervously.
- ，鸦雀无声，。Zhège mìmì yí bèi shuō chū, huìchǎng shàng shùnjiān yā què wú shēng, méi rén gǎn shuōhuà.As soon as the secret was revealed, the meeting hall instantly fell silent — no one dared to speak.
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