神不知鬼不觉

神不知鬼不覺
shénbùzhī-guǐbùjué
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 without anyone knowing
  2. 2 in total secrecy
  3. 3 stealthily; on the sly

Examples

HSK 4
Tā shénbùzhī-guǐbùjué de bǎ wénjiàn huàn diào le.
He swapped the documents out on the sly.
HSK 7-9
Xiǎotōu shénbùzhī-guǐbùjué de liū jìn le wūzi.
The thief slipped into the house without a soul noticing.
HSK 7-9
Hēikè shénbùzhī-guǐbùjué de jìnrù le xìtǒng.
The hacker entered the system without anyone noticing.

Tips

history
From the Yuan play 《冤家债主》 by an anonymous author: 烦恼神不知鬼不觉 - the worry is known to neither spirits nor ghosts. The image: if not even gods or ghosts notice, no living person stands a chance.
usage
Typically used adverbially with before a verb describing a stealthy action (sneaking, swapping, stealing). Mostly negative or mischievous in tone.

Stroke Order

shén
zhī
guǐ
jué