直言不讳 — “Speak directly without avoiding taboo”
直言不讳 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak frankly and directly without any hesitation, fear, or concealment; to call a spade a spade”. Literally, “speak directly without avoiding taboo”.
Frequency
直言不讳 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 直zhí
- 言yán
- 不bù
- 讳huì
直言不讳 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 直言不讳
在团队会议上，她总是直言不讳地指出项目中的潜在问题，帮助大家及时改进。
In team meetings, she always speaks frankly about potential issues in the project, helping everyone make timely improvements.
Origin and Story of 直言不讳
In 383 AD, the Eastern Jin army decisively defeated the Former Qin army in the Battle of Feishui.
Emperor Xiaowu appointed Liu Bo to guard the northern frontier.
Liu Bo was gravely ill and expected to die soon, feeling he was no longer capable.
He submitted a memorial to the emperor, frankly stating his condition and offering suggestions for governing the country, hoping Emperor Xiaowu would appoint capable individuals to defend the borders.
Idioms Related to 直言不讳
Synonyms of 直言不讳
Antonyms of 直言不讳
More idioms starting with 直
- zhí直shàng上zhí直xià下straight up and down
- zhí直shàng上qīng青yún云meteoric rise to high position
- zhí直rù入yún云xiāo霄soaring high into the sky
- zhí直rù入gōng公táng堂Speak directly and frankly
- zhí直nèi内fāng方wài外upright in spirit and principled in conduct
- zhí直chōng冲héng横zhuàng撞crash about wildly and recklessly
- zhí直kǒu口wú无yán言rendered speechless
- zhí直tǔ吐xiōng胸huái怀speak one's mind frankly
- zhí直zhuàng壮qū曲lǎo老Righteous strong, wrong dispirited
- zhí直rú如xián弦upright and principled
- zhí直dài待yǔ雨lín淋tóu头wait until rain pours on one's head
- zhí直xìng性xiá狭zhōng中straightforward but narrow-minded
Questions about 直言不讳
- What does 直言不讳 mean?
- 直言不讳 (zhí yán bù huì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak frankly and directly without any hesitation, fear, or concealment; to call a spade a spade”.
- How do you pronounce 直言不讳?
- 直言不讳 is pronounced zhí yán bù huì in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 直言不讳 literally mean?
- Literally, 直言不讳 means “speak directly without avoiding taboo”. It is used to mean “to speak frankly and directly without any hesitation, fear, or concealment; to call a spade a spade”.
- Where does 直言不讳 come from?
- 直言不讳 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 直言不讳?
- 讳：避忌，隐讳。说话坦率，毫无顾忌。