TongTong
Sign in

不辞而别 (bù cí ér bié) — to leave without saying goodbye

Definition

A set phrase meaning to leave or slip away without telling anyone or saying goodbye — often with a sense of suddenness or secrecy.

phrase
to leave without saying goodbye

Examples

  • 不辞而别，。
    Tā zuó tiān bù cí ér bié, shuí yě bù zhī dào tā qù le nǎ lǐ.
    He left without saying goodbye yesterday, and no one knew where he went.
  • 不辞而别？
    Nǐ wèi shén me bú gào sù wǒ men yī shēng jiù bù cí ér bié?
    Why did you leave without telling us?
  • 不辞而别。
    Tā de bù cí ér bié ràng suǒ yǒu rén gǎn dào hěn bù kāi xīn.
    His leaving without saying goodbye made everyone feel very unhappy.

Origin

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 辞 →

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

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set Phrases

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.