📖 Meaning
It means something is so obvious that it goes without saying; no words are needed to make it clear. The idiom describes a truth or principle that is self-evident and immediately understood by all.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Mencius: Jin Xin I' (《孟子·尽心上》), a classic Confucian text from the Warring States period. Mencius taught that the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom are rooted in the human heart. He said these virtues manifest naturally in a person's countenance, fill their back, and spread through their four limbs — the body itself understands without needing to be told. The phrase originally described how inner moral qualities radiate outward so plainly that words become unnecessary. Over time, it evolved into a general expression for anything that is self-evident.
💡 Example Usage
他对这份工作的热情是不言而喻的。
His passion for this job is self-evident and needs no explanation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不言而喻
- Pinyin: bù yán ér yù
- Literal Translation: not, speak, yet, understand
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4