直言 (zhí yán) — to speak bluntly; to be frank

Definition

直言 (zhí yán) means to speak bluntly and frankly, often in formal or serious settings like meetings or critiques. It pairs naturally with 指出 or 不讳, and carries a tone of candor, not rudeness.

verb
to speak bluntlyto be frank

Examples

  • 直言
    Shù wǒ zhí yán, nǐ de fāng àn hái yǒu wèn tí.
    Excuse me for being blunt, but your plan still has problems.
  • 直言
    Tā gǎn yú zhí yán, bú pà dé zuì rén.
    He dares to speak bluntly and is not afraid of offending people.
  • 直言
    Zài huì yì shàng, tā zhí yán zhǐ chū le wèn tí de guān jiàn.
    At the meeting, he bluntly pointed out the key to the problem.

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