Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Completely silent; utterly still: Describes a state where all sound has ceased absolutely, leaving no audible trace or sign of activity. It implies a sudden and total quiet.
   • Giving no sign of life or communication: Describes a situation where there is a complete absence of news, signals, or any form of contact from someone or something.

2. Adverb:

   • Completely; absolutely: Used to modify a verb, indicating that an action (like stopping or disappearing) has happened totally and finally.

Usage Examples

• Adjective/Adverbial Usage:
  • Căn phòng im bặt khi cô ấy bước vào. (The room fell completely silent when she entered.)
  • Sau cơn bão, khu rừng trở nên vắng bặt. (After the storm, the forest became utterly still and devoid of life.)
  • Tiếng chuông reo một hồi rồi bặt. (The phone rang for a while and then went completely silent.)

Advanced Usage

• "vắng bặt": to be absent/deserted with no trace or sign of life or activity.

  • Con đường thường đông đúc giờ vắng bặt người qua lại. (The usually crowded street is now deserted, with no sign of people passing.)

• "bặt vô âm tín": to be completely out of contact; to not send any news.

  • Anh ấy đi xa đã lâu và bặt vô âm tín. (He left long ago and has been completely out of contact.)

Variants and Related Words

• Im bặt (adj/phrase): to become silent suddenly and completely.

  • Mọi lời tranh cãi im bặt sau tuyên bố của chủ tịch. (All arguments fell completely silent after the chairman's statement.)

• Bằn bặt (adj): (a reduplicated, more emphatic form of bặt) completely, absolutely, utterly.

  • Tin tức về họ bằn bặt từ đó. (News of them has been utterly absent since then.)

Synonyms

• Silent: making no sound.
• Hushed: made quiet.
• Still: without movement or sound.
• Absent: not present or not making contact.

Related Idioms

• Cười bặt: to stop laughing abruptly and completely.

  • Nghe tin đó, mọi người cười bặt. (Hearing that news, everyone's laughter died abruptly.)

• Bặt thiệp (literary): to cease correspondence or communication entirely.

  • Hai người bạn cũ đã bặt thiệp với nhau. (The two old friends have completely ceased correspondence with each other.)

adj

1. Completely silent, giving no sign of life
   • tiếng hát cất lên rồi bặt đi
     the singing voice rose, then was completely silent
   • tiếng súng im bặt
     the guns fell completely silent
   • vắng bặt
     to be away with no sign of life