📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to something that cannot be told to others, typically because it is shameful, immoral, or secret in nature. It describes motives, secrets, or purposes that one dares not reveal, often implying a hidden agenda or ulterior purpose.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty work 'On the Relationship Between Fiction and Social Change' (《论小说与改变社会之关系》) by Wang Wusheng. In the text, Wang observed that authors of such works were people who suffered deep sorrow and harbored hidden pains that they could not tell others about, which they expressed through indirect metaphors and allegories. The phrase originally referred to these private, unshareable griefs of the writers.
💡 Example Usage
他突然辞职，背后一定有不可告人的目的。
He suddenly resigned; there must be some ulterior motive behind it that he dare not reveal.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不可告人
- Pinyin: bù kě gào rén
- Literal Translation: not, can, tell, others
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4