沈黙

• 読み: ちんもく
• ローマ字: chinmoku
• 漢字の分解: 沈 (chin) — sink, submerge; 黙 (moku) — silence, be quiet
• 発音: /tɕiɴ.mo.kɯ/

意味

Silence; the state of being quiet and not speaking. Hush.

A noun that also functions as a suru verb (沈黙する, to fall silent). Carries a heavier, more deliberate connotation than simply being quiet — it implies a meaningful, often tense or solemn silence. Famously used as the title of Endou Shuusaku's novel 沈黙 (Silence, 1966). Also appears in the expression 沈黙は金 (silence is golden).

例文

1. 会議室に重い沈黙が流れた。
2. 彼は質問に対して沈黙を守った。
3. 沈黙は金ということわざがある。

使い方ガイド

場面: literature, communication, meetings, interpersonal

トーン: solemn

起源と歴史

From Sino-Japanese 沈 (chin, to sink/be submerged) + 黙 (moku, to be silent). Literally 'to sink into silence,' evoking the image of sound sinking away and disappearing.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal