CHENGYU
不言而喻(bù yán ér yù)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- formal
- Source:
- 《孟子·尽心上》
MEANING
- Literal
- to understand without it being said
- Figurative meaning
- self-evident; goes without saying
ORIGIN STORY
Mencius said virtue rooted in the heart shows on the face and back: "The four limbs understand it without a word." The body knows what needs no saying — and so does the phrase.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“it goes without saying”
EXAMPLES
健康的重要性不言而喻。Jiànkāng de zhòngyàoxìng bù yán ér yù.HSK6
The importance of health goes without saying.
两人之间的信任不言而喻。Liǎng rén zhī jiān de xìnrèn bù yán ér yù.HSK6
The trust between them needs no words.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is something so obvious no explanation is needed — not a secret kept quiet.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01