讳莫如深
讳莫如深 (huì mò rú shēn) literally means “no concealment runs as deep” and expresses “maintain absolute silence about sensitive matter”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: hui mo ru shen, hui mo ru shen,讳莫如深 meaning, 讳莫如深 in english
Maintain absolute silence about sensitive matter
Pronunciation: huì mò rú shēn Literal meaning: No concealment runs as deep
Origin & Usage
This comes from the Guliang Commentary, which says of a matter too grave to record plainly that there is nothing (莫) so deep (如深) as the concealment (讳) of it. The depth of the silence is itself the measure of what is being hidden, so the evasion becomes evidence. A conspicuous silence, where the refusal to speak is itself the information.
Examples
English: "The family never mentioned the scandal, treating it as a forbidden topic"
Chinese: 家人从不提及这一丑闻，将其视为禁忌话题
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
讳疾忌医
huì jí jì yī
Hiding problems worsens them
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莫逆之交
mò nì zhī jiāo
Be bosom friends
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众所周知
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī
As everyone knows or is widely recognized
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滔滔不绝
tāo tāo bù jué
Talk endlessly; speak at great length
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争论不休
zhēng lùn bù xiū
Argue endlessly without resolution
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一言既出
yī yán jì chū
A promise once made must be kept
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莫名其妙
mò míng qí miào
Makes no sense
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文不加点
wén bù jiā diǎn
Perfect execution without revision
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 讳莫如深 mean in English?
讳莫如深 (huì mò rú shēn) literally translates to “No concealment runs as deep” and is used to express “Maintain absolute silence about sensitive matter”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 讳莫如深 used?
Situation: The family never mentioned the scandal, treating it as a forbidden topic
What is the pinyin for 讳莫如深?
The pinyin pronunciation for 讳莫如深 is “huì mò rú shēn”.