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Chinese/Dictionary entry

笑而不语

xiào ér bù yǔdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to smile but say nothing
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-f3bad805deebdb9c. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

笑而不語 笑而不语 [xiao4 er2 bu4 yu3] /to smile but say nothing/

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: 笑而不語

  • 笑
    xiào

    to laugh / to smile / to laugh at

  • 而
    ér

    and / as well as / and so / but (not) / yet (not) / (indicates causal relation) / (indicates change of state) / (indicates contrast)

  • 不
    bù

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

  • 语
    yǔ

    dialect / language / speech

    yù

    (literary) to tell / to let (sb) know

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.