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.
The te-iru form meaning 'to be silent' (ongoing state). Common for 'keep quiet' or 'remain silent'.
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.
Means 'tacit' or 'implicit'. Used in phrases like 暗黙の了解 (tacit understanding).
Describing something that is not currently operating or producing output, like a machine or volcano.
Used metaphorically for machines, guns, etc., that have fallen silent.
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.
He is a quiet person. (personality)
He remained silent throughout the meeting.
Please listen without talking.
He remained silent without saying anything.
無言でうなずいた。
He nodded silently.
沈黙が続いた。
The silence continued.
He broke the silence.
The library was silent.
A silent night.
Phrase meaning 'soundless'. More literal than 静か.
A silent world.
Technical term for 'silence' or 'no sound', used in audio contexts.
Record in a silent room.
He is a silent person.
More formal/literary word for 'taciturn', often with a nuance of dignified silence.
A silent craftsman.
A silent rule.
Means 'without saying'. Often used in set phrases like 言わずと知れた (well-known without saying).
It's silently understood.
The cannons fell silent.
Plain description meaning 'not active'. For volcanoes, use 休火山 (dormant volcano) or 死火山 (extinct).
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.
Chaplin's silent films.
Loanword from English, also common.
A masterpiece of silent cinema.
彼は黙っている。
He is silent. (not speaking now)
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.
森は完全に静かだった。
The forest was completely silent.
She gave a silent nod.