悄悄

• Pinyin: qiāo qiāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 悄 = 忄(heart) + 肖 (resembling, phonetic), quiet/silent

Meaning

Quietly; secretly; stealthily. Doing something without being noticed or making noise.

Describes manner of action: 悄悄地走 (walk quietly), 悄悄话 (whisper/secret talk). Also 悄无声息 (completely silent). Implies intentional quietness or secrecy.

Examples

1. 她悄悄地走进房间，不想吵醒孩子。 She quietly entered the room, not wanting to wake the child.
2. 他悄悄地告诉我这个秘密。 He secretly told me this secret.
3. 时间悄悄地流逝，我们却浑然不觉。 Time slips away quietly, and we don't even notice.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, narrative

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他悄悄地离开了。(He left quietly.)
• 我们悄悄话说完了。(We finished our whispered conversation.)

Don't Say

• 悄悄大声说。(Contradiction — 悄悄 implies quietness)

Origin & History

Reduplication of 悄 (qiāo, quiet). 忄(heart) + 肖 (resembling, phonetic). Quiet-hearted; doing things silently.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal