不言而喻

Pronunciation: bù yán ér yù Literal meaning: Not speak yet understood

Origin & Usage

Han Dynasty Confucian scholars celebrated this ideal of matters that without (不) being spoken (言) are nevertheless understood (喻). It represented the height of efficient communication, where shared understanding makes explicit explanation unnecessary. Tang Dynasty writers frequently used it to acknowledge common ground before introducing new arguments. The phrase elegantly captures how some truths communicate more powerfully through strategic silence than explicit declaration.

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