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闭口不言

bì kǒu bù yándictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to keep silent (idiom)
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-76b524d1d03054a0. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

閉口不言 闭口不言 [bi4 kou3 bu4 yan2] /to keep silent (idiom)/

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: 閉口不言

  • 闭
    bì

    to close / to stop up / to shut / to obstruct

  • 口
    kǒu

    mouth / classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc) / classifier for bites or mouthfuls

  • 不
    bù

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

  • 言
    yán

    words / speech / to say / to talk

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.