Definition
坦言 (tǎn yán) means 'to say candidly, to speak frankly' — it focuses on openly stating one's thoughts or feelings. As a verb, 坦白 (tǎn bái) more often means 'to confess (especially to a crime)' or 'to be frank' as an adjective; 坦言 is used for honest expression without the implication of admitting wrongdoing.
to say candidlyto acknowledge franklycandid statementfrank words
Examples
- 坦言。Tā tǎn yán zìjǐ bìng bù mǎnyì zhège jiéguǒ.He candidly said that he was not satisfied with this result.
- ，坦言。Zài huìyì shàng, tā tǎn yán le zìjǐ de zhēnshí xiǎngfǎ.At the meeting, she frankly stated her true thoughts.
- 坦言。Tā de tǎn yán ràng suǒyǒu rén gǎndào yìwài.His candid statement surprised everyone.
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