Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
言わず語らず (いわずかたらず) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, adverb
without saying a word ; tacitly ; unspoken
Describes a situation where something is understood or communicated without being explicitly stated. Often used adverbially with verbs like 分かり合う or 通じ合う.
かた
ら
ず
の
信しん
頼らい
関かん
係けい
が
築きず
か
れ
て
い
た
。
A tacit trust had been built between them.
Similar words 以い 心しん 伝でん 心しん 以心伝心 is a four-character idiom meaning 'heart-to-heart communication' or 'telepathy', often used in Zen contexts. 言わず語らず is a more everyday expression for unspoken understanding.
暗あん 黙もく 暗黙 means 'implicit' or 'tacit' and is used in formal compounds like 暗黙の了解 (tacit agreement). 言わず語らず is a more literary, adverbial phrase.
Etymology A set phrase combining the negative forms of 言う (to say) and 語る (to tell), literally 'without saying, without telling'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it has been used in literary Japanese to express unspoken mutual understanding.
