gwik1 jin4 mou4 sing1闃然無聲阒然无声

Jyutpinggwik1 jin4 mou4 sing1

Yalegwīk yìhn mòuh sīng

Definition

Silent without a sound; dead quiet.

writtendescriptions

How it's used

This idiom carries a heavy, almost eerie sense of stillness that goes beyond simple quietness. It is often used to describe a sudden drop in noise, such as when a crowd stops talking abruptly or a room becomes deserted. Because it is a formal four-character idiom, it stands out significantly in casual conversation and is best reserved for dramatic effect.

Examples

seng4成gaan3間fong2房gwik1闃jin4然mou4無sing1聲，daai6大gaa1家dou1都m4唔gam2敢ceot1出seng1聲。

The whole room was dead quiet, nobody dared to make a sound.

dim2點gaai2解tou4圖syu1書gun2館jap6入min6面gwik1闃jin4然mou4無sing1聲㗎？

Why is it so deathly silent inside the library?

Common phrases

jat1一pin2片gwik1闃jin4然mou4無sing1聲

a state of absolute silence

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common adjective like 安靜, but it is a literary idiom that sounds unnatural if used to describe everyday quiet environments like a bedroom or a park. It implies a sense of emptiness or tension that is not present in standard descriptive terms.