直言不讳

直言不諱

zhíyánbùhuì

idiom #27,642

Meanings

1 to speak bluntly
2 to speak frankly without holding back
3 not to mince words

Characters

straight; direct; upright

speech; words; to speak

to avoid mentioning; taboo

Examples

他向来直言不讳，从不说违心的话。

Tā xiànglái zhíyán bùhuì, cóng bù shuō wéixīn de huà.

He has always spoken bluntly and never says things he doesn't mean.

我直言不讳地告诉他这个方案的缺点。

Wǒ zhíyán bùhuì de gàosu tā zhège fāng'àn de quēdiǎn.

I told him bluntly about the flaws in this plan.

Tips

usage

直言不讳 is typically a compliment in Chinese — it describes someone who is refreshingly honest and direct. 讳 means 'to avoid mentioning (something taboo),' so 不讳 means you don't shy away from saying it. Context can occasionally make it a mild criticism.

Stroke Order

直 zhí

言 yán

不 bù

讳 huì