Translation guide
The English word 'silent' covers several distinct meanings in Japanese, from literal quietness to not speaking, being unvoiced, or inactive. The best translation depends on whether you mean a person, place, sound, or action.
Describing a person who is not talking, or the act of staying quiet.
Verb meaning 'to become silent' or 'to stop talking'. Often used in commands like '黙れ！' (Shut up!), but also neutrally.
彼は急に黙った。
He suddenly fell silent.
黙って聞いてください。
Please listen without talking.
The te-iru form meaning 'to be silent' (ongoing state). Common for 'keep quiet' or 'remain silent'.
彼は何も言わずに黙っていた。
He remained silent without saying anything.
Noun meaning 'silence' or 'without words'. Often used in compounds like 無言の圧力 (silent pressure).
Noun for 'silence', often implying a heavy or meaningful pause. Can be used as suru-verb.
Describing a place, environment, or sound level that is low or absent.
Na-adjective meaning 'quiet'. The most common word for a silent room, night, etc.
Describing a person's character: someone who doesn't speak much.
Na-adjective meaning 'taciturn' or 'reticent'. Describes a person of few words.
Referring to something understood without being said aloud.
Describing something that is not currently operating or producing output, like a machine or volcano.
A letter that is written but not pronounced.
Linguistic term for a silent letter. Not commonly known outside language study.
A movie with no synchronized recorded sound.
静か (shizuka) describes an environment or sound level. 黙る (damaru) describes a person stopping speech. Don't use 静か for a person who isn't talking unless you mean they are quiet-natured.
The loanword サイレント is mainly used in specific compounds like サイレント映画 (silent film) or サイレントモード (silent mode on a phone). Using it as a general adjective for quietness sounds unnatural.
彼は会議中ずっと黙っていた。
He remained silent throughout the meeting.
森は完全に静かだった。
The forest was completely silent.
彼女は無言でうなずいた。
She gave a silent nod.
He nodded silently.
沈黙が続いた。
The silence continued.
彼は沈黙を破った。
He broke the silence.
図書館は静かだった。
The library was silent.
静かな夜。
A silent night.
Technical term for 'silence' or 'no sound', used in audio contexts.
無音の部屋で録音する。
Record in a silent room.
彼は無口な人だ。
He is a silent person.
More formal/literary word for 'taciturn', often with a nuance of dignified silence.
寡黙な職人。
A silent craftsman.
It's silently understood.
Plain description meaning 'not active'. For volcanoes, use 休火山 (dormant volcano) or 死火山 (extinct).
その火山は今は活動していない。
The volcano is silent now.
英語の 'knee' の 'k' は黙字だ。
The 'k' in English 'knee' is a silent letter.
Standard term for silent film.
チャップリンの無声映画。
Chaplin's silent films.
Loanword from English, also common.
サイレント映画の傑作。
A masterpiece of silent cinema.