道不明

dàobùmíng

phrase #51,944

Meanings

1 (something) cannot be clearly explained
2 hard to put into words

Characters

Examples

两个人之间有种说不清、道不明的感觉。

Liǎng ge rén zhī jiān yǒu zhǒng shuō bu qīng, dào bu míng de gǎnjué.

There's a feeling between the two of them that can't quite be explained.

这事的原因道不明,只能慢慢查。

Zhè shì de yuányīn dàobùmíng, zhǐ néng mànmàn chá.

The cause of this matter can't be pinned down — we can only investigate slowly.

Tips

usage

Almost always appears in the fixed pair 说不清道不明 (shuōbuqīng dàobùmíng) — 'can't speak clearly, can't explain' — used for ambiguous feelings, office politics, unresolved relationships.

Stroke Order

道 dào

不 bù

明 míng