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冰炭不言，冷热自明

bīng tàn bù yán , lěng rè zì míngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
ice or coals, whether hot or cold goes without saying (idiom) / fig. sincerity is not expressed in words
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-15ad3ba96dd66cfc. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

冰炭不言，冷熱自明 冰炭不言，冷热自明 [bing1 tan4 bu4 yan2 , leng3 re4 zi4 ming2] /ice or coals, whether hot or cold goes without saying (idiom); fig. sincerity is not expressed in words/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 冰炭不言，冷熱自明

  • 冰
    bīng

    ice / CL:塊|块[kuài] / to chill sth / (of an object or substance) to feel cold / (of a person) cold / unfriendly / (slang) methamphetamine

  • 炭
    tàn

    wood charcoal / coal

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 言
    yán

    words / speech / to say / to talk

  • 冷
    lěng

    cold

    Lěng

    surname Leng

  • 热
    rè

    to warm up / to heat up / hot (of weather) / heat / fervent

  • 自
    zì

    (bound form) self / oneself / from / since / naturally / as a matter of course

  • 明
    míng

    bright / opposite: dark 暗[àn] / (of meaning) clear / to understand / next / public or open / wise / generic term for a sacrifice to the gods

    Míng

    Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) / surname Ming / Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yán dì] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shén nóng] Farmer God

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.