Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Silently / Quietly: Describes an action performed without making sound or noise, often implying a deliberate, careful, or secretive manner.
   • Without a word / Without speaking: Describes behaving or acting while refraining from speech or comment.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy lặng lặng bước ra khỏi phòng. (She silently stepped out of the room.)
  • Nó lặng lặng nghe mọi người bàn luận. (He listened to everyone's discussion without a word.)
  • Họ làm việc lặng lặng suốt buổi sáng. (They worked quietly all morning.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "lặng lặng" is often used in literary or descriptive contexts to convey a mood of stillness, secrecy, or introspection. It emphasizes the manner of an action more than the state of a person or place.

Variants and Related Words

• Lặng lẽ (adj): quiet, silent, still. Often used interchangeably with "lặng lặng" but can also describe an atmosphere.

  • Con phố vắng lặng lẽ. (The empty street was quiet.)

• Lẳng lặng (adj): This is a direct variant, meaning silently, quietly, without fuss. It is more commonly used in modern Vietnamese.

  • Nó lẳng lặng ngồi xuống. (He quietly sat down.)

Synonyms

• Silently: Making no sound.
• Quietly: With little or no noise.
• Without a word: Without speaking.

Related Idioms

• Lặng lặng mà ăn cỗ: (Literally: To silently eat the feast.) An idiom meaning to benefit quietly without drawing attention, or to achieve success without boasting.
  • Anh ta không khoe khoang, cứ lặng lặng mà ăn cỗ thôi. (He doesn't brag, he just quietly reaps the rewards.)