The Kanji: 黙 (Moku / Dama)
The kanji 黙 (read as moku or dama) carries the core meaning of "silence," "to be quiet," or "to stop speaking." It is a vivid pictographic character, formed by combining the elements for "black" (黒) and "dog" (犬). One traditional interpretation suggests a dog lurking silently in the darkness, effectively capturing the essence of quietness and refraining from sound.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 黙る (damaru)
Meaning: To become silent; to stop talking; to say nothing.
Example Sentence: ちょっと黙っていてくれませんか。
(Chotto damatte ite kuremasen ka.)
"Could you please be quiet for a moment?"
2. 沈黙 (chinmoku)
Meaning: Silence; reticence; hush.
Example Sentence: 彼の長い沈黙が不安をかき立てた。
(Kare no nagai chinmoku ga fuan o kakitateta.)
"His long silence stirred anxiety."
3. 黙読 (mokudoku)
Meaning: Silent reading.
Example Sentence: 生徒たちは教科書を黙読した。
(Seito-tachi wa kyōkasho o mokudoku shita.)
"The students read the textbook silently."
4. 黙認 (mokunin)
Meaning: Tacit approval; silent consent; turning a blind eye.
Example Sentence: 規則違反を黙認することはできません。
(Kisoku ihan o mokunin suru koto wa dekimasen.)
"We cannot tacitly approve violations of the rules."
In summary, 黙 is the fundamental kanji representing silence. It governs actions from choosing not to speak (黙る) and prolonged quiet (沈黙), to specific applications like reading without voice (黙読) and unspoken consent (黙認).