Translation guide
How to express that something is understood or agreed upon without being stated explicitly.
Expressing that something is understood or agreed upon without being spoken aloud.
Standard phrase meaning 'tacitly' or 'implicitly'. Used for unspoken understanding or agreement.
彼らは暗黙のうちにその計画に同意した。
They tacitly agreed to the plan.
Literally 'silently', but can imply tacit consent or acquiescence when used in context.
Indicating that an agreement or rule is understood without formal statement.
A noun phrase meaning 'tacit understanding' or 'unspoken agreement'. Often used in social or business contexts.
それは暗黙の了解だった。
That was tacitly understood.
Conveying that something is suggested or implied without direct statement.
暗黙 (あんもく) is a formal noun meaning 'tacitness', often used in compounds like 暗黙の了解 (tacit understanding). 黙って (だまって) is the te-form of 黙る (to be silent) and is more colloquial, implying silent consent or acquiescence.
暗黙の了解で決まった。
It was decided by tacit understanding.
彼は黙ってうなずいた。
He nodded tacitly.
English 'tacitly' is an adverb, but Japanese often uses noun phrases like 暗黙のうちに or set expressions. Direct adverbial translations like タシットリー do not exist. Use the options above depending on context.
彼は黙ってその提案を受け入れた。
He tacitly accepted the proposal.
Means 'without saying' or 'even if not said'. Often used to indicate something is understood without words.
言わずともわかるだろう。
You understand tacitly, right?
A four-character idiom meaning 'heart-to-heart communication' or 'tacit understanding'. More poetic and less common in everyday speech.
私たちは以心伝心で通じ合った。
We understood each other tacitly.
Literally 'unwritten law', referring to a tacit rule or norm. Common in discussions of social conventions.
会社には不文律がたくさんある。
There are many tacit rules in the company.
Means 'indirectly' or 'tacitly'. Used when hinting at something without saying it outright.
彼はそれとなく不満を示した。
He tacitly showed his dissatisfaction.
From the verb ほのめかす (to hint). Implies conveying something tacitly through suggestion.
彼女は辞意をほのめかして言った。
She tacitly hinted at her resignation.