諺語 · a single proverb
噤若寒蟬
Simplified: 噤若寒蝉
What does 噤若寒蟬 (jìn ruò hán chán) mean?
噤若寒蟬 (jìn ruò hán chán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "silent as a cicada in winter." In use it means: Too afraid to speak up; keeping quiet out of fear when speaking would be the right thing to do. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "silent as a cicada in winter."
The reading
The cicada is not silent because it has nothing to say. It is silent because the cold has taken its voice. Fear does the same thing to people. The opinion is still there. The observation is still accurate. But the room is cold enough to freeze the tongue, and so the thing that needed saying stays inside.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Hou Han Shu 後漢書, Du Mi 杜密 biography
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 噤若寒蟬 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 噤若寒蟬 (jìn ruò hán chán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Hou Han Shu 後漢書, Du Mi 杜密 biography. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 噤若寒蟬?
In Mandarin it is jìn ruò hán chán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 噤若寒蟬 aloud in Mandarin.