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Words Kanji Guides About

不言不語 (ふげんふご) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

不ふ言げん不ふ語ご

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ご

Meanings

1

noun

silence; not saying a word

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

A yojijukugo meaning complete silence, refraining from speech. Often used in literary or formal contexts.

会かい議ぎ中ちゅう、彼かれは不ふ言げん不ふ語ごを貫つらぬいた。
During the meeting, he maintained complete silence.

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
言say, word
語word, speech, language

Similar words

沈ちん黙もく
沈黙 is the common word for silence, while 不言不語 is a formal, literary yojijukugo emphasizing the act of not speaking.

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 不 (not), 言 (speak), 不 (not), and 語 (talk), literally 'not speaking, not talking'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common four-character pattern for emphasizing a state or action.