Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To keep mum / to stay silent: To deliberately refrain from speaking or making any sound, typically to avoid drawing attention to oneself or to conceal one's presence.
   • To lie low: To keep a low profile by being quiet and inconspicuous, often to avoid trouble or detection.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Mọi người nín tiếng khi kẻ lạ đi ngang qua. (Everyone kept mum when the stranger walked by.)
  • Để an toàn, anh ta phải nín tiếng và trốn trong nhà kho. (For safety, he had to lie low and hide in the warehouse.)
  • Đứa trẻ nín tiếng để không bị phát hiện đang chơi trốn tìm. (The child stayed silent to avoid being found while playing hide-and-seek.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often implies a strategic or necessary silence for a specific purpose, such as secrecy, safety, or stealth, rather than a simple lack of speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Nín thinh (verb phrase): To remain completely silent and still. This is a close synonym with a similar connotation of intentional quiet.
  • Cô ấy chỉ nín thinh lắng nghe. (She just remained completely silent and listened.)

Synonyms

• Keep quiet: To refrain from making noise or speaking.
• Stay silent: To not utter any words.
• Keep a low profile: To avoid attracting attention to oneself.

Related Idioms

• Nín như thóc: To be as silent as rice (an idiom emphasizing absolute silence).
  • Cả phòng họp nín như thóc. (The whole meeting room was dead silent.)

1. Keep mum, lie low