câm như hến
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Mute as a mussel — clamped shut past all prying.
Literally: dumb as a clam
Examples
Hỏi gì nó cũng câm như hến.Whatever you ask, he's shut like a mussel.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “câm như hến” mean?
Mute as a mussel — clamped shut past all prying. Literally: dumb as a clam
Is “câm như hến” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.