mute / silent
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mute
Unable to speak or temporarily not speaking, for example because of a disability, shock, or by one's own choice.
Sie war so überrascht, dass sie nur stumm dastehen konnte.
She was so surprised that she could only stand there mute.
silent
Referring to objects or situations: without sound, noiseless, or quiet.
Nach dem Stromausfall blieb der Fernseher stumm.
After the power outage, the television remained silent.
silent
Refers to a film that was produced without a soundtrack.
Charlie Chaplin war einer der größten Stars der stummen Filmära.
Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest stars of the silent film era.
silent reproach
An accusation or criticism that is not spoken but becomes clear through looks or behavior.
Sein enttäuschter Blick war ein stummer Vorwurf.
His disappointed look was a silent reproach.
The adjective 'stumm' (mute/silent) is closely related to the verb 'verstummen' (to fall silent). 'Verstummen' describes the process of becoming quiet, while 'stumm' describes the state of being silent.
Als der Chef den Raum betrat, verstummte das Gespräch sofort.
When the boss entered the room, the conversation fell silent immediately.
If 'stumm' (mute/silent) refers to a person, it means 'not speaking'. If it refers to an object, such as a device, it means 'silent' or 'making no sound'.
Er blieb nach der überraschenden Frage einfach stumm.
After the surprising question, he simply remained mute.
To express the reason for the silence, the construction 'stumm vor + [noun in the dative]' is often used. Typical examples are 'stumm vor Schreck' (speechless with fright), 'stumm vor Wut' (speechless with anger), or 'stumm vor Staunen' (speechless with amazement).
Das Kind war nach dem lauten Knall stumm vor Schreck.
After the loud bang, the child was mute with fright.
In the meaning of 'silent', 'stumm' (silent) is often used for technical devices. A very common action is 'das Telefon stumm schalten' (to mute the phone).
Könntest du bitte dein Handy stumm schalten? Der Film beginnt gleich.
Could you please mute your phone? The movie is about to start.
In the context of films without sound, the fixed combination 'der Stummfilm' (silent film) is usually used. Here, the adjective 'stumm' becomes part of the noun.
Stummfilme wurden oft von einem Klavierspieler im Kino live begleitet.
Silent films were often accompanied live by a piano player in the cinema.
'Ein stummer Vorwurf' (a silent reproach) is a fixed idiom. It describes criticism that is expressed not with words, but only through a look or gesture.
Der unaufgeräumte Zustand der Küche war ein stummer Vorwurf an alle Mitbewohner.
The messy state of the kitchen was a silent reproach to all the roommates.
quiet / still
Still generally describes a situation in which little or nothing can be heard. Stumm, by contrast, focuses on a person or group that is not speaking or not responding. Use still for general quiet, and stumm when the deliberate absence of a voice or response is important.
Auf die anschließende Frage blieb der ganze Saal stumm.
The entire hall remained silent when asked the follow-up question.
Während der Ansprache war es im ganzen Saal still.
The entire hall was quiet during the speech.
