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直言不讳 (zhí yán bù huì) — to speak bluntly; to not mince words; to be forthright

Definition

A formal chengyu for 'speaking out frankly and without evasion,' typically used to praise someone's courage in saying the hard truth. Use it for character or writing style, not casual chat.

idiom
to speak bluntlyto not mince wordsto be forthright

Examples

  • 直言不讳。
    Tā zhí yán bù huì dì shuō chū le wèn tí.
    He bluntly pointed out the problem.
  • 直言不讳，。
    Tā zǒng shì zhí yán bù huì, shuō huà hěn zhí jiē.
    She always speaks bluntly and is very straightforward.
  • ，直言不讳。
    Duì yú zhè jiàn shì, nǐ zuì hǎo zhí yán bù huì.
    Regarding this matter, you'd better speak frankly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

直言speak frankly
直zhístraight言yánspeak
偏正Modifier + head
不讳not conceal
不bùnot讳huìconceal
偏正Modifier + head

直言 “speak frankly” and 不讳 “not conceal” together mean saying things openly.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 諱; 讳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
韋
韋wéi諱huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 諱 pairs 言 with 韋: 言 shows the meaning, and 韋 gives the sound.

Open 讳 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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