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不可告人 (bù kě gào rén) — not to be divulged; hidden (of secrets or ulterior motives)

Definition

A four-character set phrase meaning 'cannot be revealed to others' — almost always used attributively (不可告人的目的/勾当) to flag ulterior motives or shady dealings. Strongly negative in tone.

verb
not to be divulgedhidden (of secrets or ulterior motives)

Examples

  • 不可告人？
    Tā yǒu shén me bù kě gào rén de mù dì?
    What ulterior motives does he have?
  • 不可告人。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī cóng shì zhe yì xiē bù kě gào rén de gòu dàng.
    This company is engaged in some shady dealings.
  • 不可告人。
    Bié zuò nà xiē bù kě gào rén de shì qing.
    Don't do those things that must be kept secret.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不可cannot
不bùnot可kěcan
偏正Modifier + head
告人tell people
告gàotell人rénperson
动宾Verb + object

不可 means cannot and 告人 means tell people, so it says something cannot be told to people.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is unclear: one theory sees 告 as 壴 (a decorated drum) above 口 (an open mouth), while another sees a tongue sticking out of 口.

Open 告 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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