不言而喻

bù yán ér yù

  • Meaning

    Literal

    To understand without needing an explanation

    Usage

    This effectively means "it goes without saying," and it's generally used the same way as in English

  • Connotation

    Neutral

  • Usage Examples

    肺部有了问题就不该抽烟，这是不言而喻的 | Fèibù yǒu le wèntí jiù bù gāi chōuyān, zhè shì bùyán‘éryù de
    It goes without saying that those with lung problems should not smoke
    [Source]

    他给主任送礼的目的不言而喻 | Tā gěi zhǔrèn sònglǐ de mùdì bùyán‘éryù
    The reason he gave the director a gift is self-evident
    [Source]

  • Equivalents

    English

    It goes without saying

    Chinese

    不言而谕 (bù yán ér yù)

  • Entry Notes

    This is an HSK chengyu

  • Origin

    《孟子》(Mèng Zǐ), a classic Confucian work written by the philosopher of the same name. The work is often known in English as "The Book of Mencius."

  • Story

    This chengyu comes from a line in the work listed in the "Origin" section above

  • Citations and Helpful Resources

    • 汉语成语小词典 (hànyǔ chéngyǔ xiǎo cídiǎn)
    • 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn)
    • 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn)
    • 汉语大词典 (hànyǔ dà cídiǎn)
    • ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary
    • Pleco Basic Chinese-English Dictionary
    • 百度百科[x]