adjective / verb HSK 5
silent · quiet · to write from memory · tacit
Meaning
默 refers to silence, quietness, or the absence of speech. It can describe someone who doesn't speak much or a situation without sound. As a verb, it means to recite or write something from memory without looking at the source material.
Usage
Often appears in compound words like 沉默 (silent), 默写 (to write from memory), and 默默 (silently, quietly). When used alone as an adjective, it has a literary or formal tone. In educational contexts, 默 commonly refers to the act of writing characters or passages from memory as a study technique.
Examples
- 01老师让我们默写生词。.The teacher asked us to write the new vocabulary from memory.
- 02他沉默了很久才开口说话。.He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
Common collocations
- 默哀'to observe a moment of silence
- 默许to tacitly approve
- 默契tacit understanding
- 默读to read silently
Antonyms
Origin
The character 默 consists of 黑 (black, dark) and 犬 (dog). The semantic association relates to darkness and the absence of sound, as darkness is often associated with quietness.