silence

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 黙 denotes silence or remaining without speaking; its on-reading is もく, and its kun-reading is だまる.
• Basic usage: 黙る means to fall or remain silent, while 黙読 means reading without speaking aloud.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 黙る / 黙読
  • 黙る: This verb means to be silent and can appear in a negative form such as 黙らずに. Example: 大切なことだから、黙らずに自分の意見を話そう。
  • 黙読: Read as もくどく, this word refers to reading a text silently rather than aloud. Example: 最初の五分間は文章を黙読してください。