无可非议 (wú kě fēi yì) — beyond reproach; blameless

Definition

A formal written idiom meaning 'beyond reproach' — used to praise a person's action or attitude as entirely correct, with no valid criticism possible.

idiom
beyond reproachblameless

Examples

  • 无可非议。
    Tā de xíng wéi wú kě fēi yì.
    His behavior is beyond reproach.
  • ，无可非议。
    Zài zhè jiàn shì shàng, tā de zuò fǎ wú kě fēi yì.
    In this matter, his approach is beyond reproach.
  • 无可非议，。
    Tā de tài dù wú kě fēi yì, dà jiā dōu hěn zūn jìng tā.
    Her attitude is beyond reproach; everyone respects her.

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.

无可
无wúno可kěpossible
偏正Modifier + head
非议
非fēiblame议yìdiscuss
联合Side by side

无可 means no way, and 非议 means to criticize, so the sense is that there is no way to criticize.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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 →

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

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 議; 议 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yántalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì議⁰yì
Same sound today

The traditional form 議 pairs 言 (talk) with 義 as a sound component; the simplified 议 is a later shorthand.

Open 议 →

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