不辞而别

不辭而別

bùcí'érbié

idiom HSK 7 #20,607

Meanings

1 to leave without saying goodbye
2 to take French leave

Characters

to bid farewell; to take leave

and then (literary)

to part; to separate

Literally 'to part without bidding farewell' — leaving without proper goodbyes.

Examples

他不辞而别，让大家很担心。

Tā bùcí'érbié, ràng dàjiā hěn dānxīn.

He left without saying goodbye, making everyone worried.

她不辞而别的原因至今不明。

Tā bùcí'érbié de yuányīn zhìjīn bùmíng.

The reason she left without a word is still unknown.

对不起，上次不辞而别。

Duìbuqǐ, shàng cì bùcí'érbié.

Sorry for leaving without saying goodbye last time.

Tips

usage

不辞而别 implies rudeness or mystery — it's either a social offense (you should have said goodbye) or a dramatic/suspicious disappearance. It's very common in novels and TV dramas for plot twists: the character who 不辞而别 always has a hidden reason.

Stroke Order

不 bù

辞 cí

而 ér

别 bié