不由分说

不由分說

bùyóu-fēnshuō

idiom

Meanings

1 allowing no explanation
2 without letting someone get a word in
3 to act peremptorily

Characters

to distinguish; sort out

to explain; say

Examples

HSK 3

警察不由分说把他带走了。

Jǐngchá bùyóu-fēnshuō bǎ tā dàizǒu le.

The police hauled him off without listening to a word he said.

HSK 3

妈妈不由分说就把电视关了。

Māma bùyóu-fēnshuō jiù bǎ diànshì guān le.

Mom switched off the TV without any argument.

HSK 5

他不由分说，把我拉进了屋里。

Tā bùyóu-fēnshuō, bǎ wǒ lā jìn le wūlǐ.

Without letting me say a word, he pulled me into the house.

Tips

history

Found in the Yuan play 《生金阁》 act 3: 怎么不由分说，便将我飞拳走踢只是打 - 'why, without giving me a chance to explain, do you just rain kicks and punches?' Colloquial Yuan-drama vocabulary that fossilized into standard written use.

grammar

Functions adverbially - usually followed directly by a verb phrase (不由分说 + VP). Common with 把-constructions: 不由分说把...+ verb.

Stroke Order

不 bù

由 yóu

分 fēn

说 shuō