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不言実行 (ふげんじっこう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

不ふ言げん実じっ行こう

ふ

げ

ん

じ

っ

こ

う

Meanings

1

action before words; work before talk

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)›

A yojijukugo emphasizing that one should act rather than just talk; often used as a motto or personal principle.

彼かれは不ふ言げん実じっ行こうの人ひとだ

。

He is a man of action, not words.

不ふ言げん実じっ行こうをモットーにしている。

I make it my motto to act before speaking.

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
言say, word
実reality, truth, seed
行going, journey, carry out

Related words

有ゆう言げん実じっ行こう
有言実行 means 'doing what one says' or 'putting words into action', whereas 不言実行 emphasizes acting without prior talk.

Built from

不ふ言げん+実じっ行こう

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 不 (not), 言 (words), 実 (reality/action), and 行 (carry out), literally 'without words, carry out'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a traditional value of valuing deeds over speech.