不言而喻
不言而喻 (bù yán ér yù) literally means “not speak yet understood” and expresses “self-evident requiring no explanation”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: bu yan er yu, bu yan er yu,不言而喻 meaning, 不言而喻 in english
Self-evident requiring no explanation
Pronunciation: bù yán ér yù Literal meaning: Not speak yet understood
Origin & Usage
This descends from the Mencius, which says of the gentleman that his qualities spread to his four limbs, and his four limbs make them understood without a word being spoken — 不言而喻. What is not stated (不言) is nevertheless grasped (喻). In the original the medium is bearing rather than speech: character shows. Something so plain that saying it aloud would be an insult to the room.
Examples
English: "The implications of the research findings were so clear they required no explanation"
Chinese: 研究结果的含义非常明确，不需要解释
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
闻过则喜
wén guò zé xǐ
Welcome criticism; embrace feedback
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不远千里
bù yuǎn qiān lǐ
Willingly travel far; make great efforts
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一毛不拔
yī máo bù bá
Extremely stingy
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一视同仁
yī shì tóng rén
Treat everyone equally without discrimination
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总而言之
zǒng ér yán zhī
To sum up everything discussed
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言而有信
yán ér yǒu xìn
To be true to one's word
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春风化雨
chūn fēng huà yǔ
Gentle, nurturing influence
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守望相助
shǒu wàng xiāng zhù
Neighbours look out for each other
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 不言而喻 mean in English?
不言而喻 (bù yán ér yù) literally translates to “Not speak yet understood” and is used to express “Self-evident requiring no explanation”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 不言而喻 used?
Situation: The implications of the research findings were so clear they required no explanation
What is the pinyin for 不言而喻?
The pinyin pronunciation for 不言而喻 is “bù yán ér yù”.