不言而喻bù yán ér yù(idiom) it goes without saying; it is self-evident

1. 1.

   (idiom) it goes without saying; it is self-evidentidiom

Figurative meaning

It goes without saying; it is self-evident.

• 不not
• 言words; speech
• 而and; and so
• 喻not compositional here

The story

Extended to the four limbs, the four limbs understand without being told.

不言而喻 often follows 这 or 那 as a comment, as in 这是不言而喻的, when a conclusion needs no explanation.

1. HSK 4

   他考上了理想的大学，高兴的心情不言而喻。

   Tā kǎo shàng le lǐxiǎng de dàxué, gāoxìng de xīnqíng bù yán ér yù.

   He got into his ideal university; that he was happy goes without saying.

2. HSK 3

   安全对每个人都很重要，这是不言而喻的。

   Ānquán duì měi ge rén dōu hěn zhòngyào, zhè shì bù yán ér yù de.

   Safety matters to everyone; that is self-evident.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   她拿到奖学金了，开心吗？

   Tā nádào jiǎngxuéjīn le, kāixīn ma?

   She got the scholarship; is she happy?

2. 
   Speaker B:

   那还用问？不言而喻。

   Nà hái yòng wèn? Bù yán ér yù.

   Need you ask? It goes without saying.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   她有没有请大家吃饭？

   Tā yǒu méiyǒu qǐng dàjiā chīfàn?

   Did she treat everyone to a meal?

4. 
   Speaker B:

   请了，昨天晚上。

   Qǐng le, zuótiān wǎnshang.

   Yes, last night.

1. 1.What does 不言而喻 mean?

   AIt goes without saying; it is self-evidentBTo make steady progress incrementallyCTo spare no pains or effort
2. 2.Which sentence uses 不言而喻 correctly?

   A父母爱孩子，这是不言而喻的。B他把书不言而喻地放在桌上。C明天不言而喻地下雪。
3. 3.Which idiom fits best? 他赢了比赛，兴奋的心情____。 (He won the match; that he was excited goes without saying.)

   A不言而喻B循序渐进C不遗余力

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Related idioms

• 不约而同bù yuē ér tóng(idiom) (of two or more people) to take the same action without prior consultation; (usu. used adverbially) all (or both) of them, independently; as if by prior agreementHSK 7–9
• 不可思议bù kě sī yìinconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomableHSK 7–9
• 不知不觉bù zhī bù jué(idiom) unconsciously; unwittinglyHSK 7–9
• 不知所措bù zhī suǒ cuònot knowing what to doHSK 7–9
• 与众不同yǔ zhòng bù tóng(idiom) to stand out from the crowd; distinctive; different from the restHSK 7–9
• 半途而废bàn tú ér fèito give up halfwayHSK 7–9

Browse every entry in the Chinese idioms dictionary.