Chinese idiom · 成语
弦外之音
Meaning
Sound beyond the strings; hidden meaning.
Character by character
Origin and story
literary allusionThe image has an important early antecedent in a prison letter by the fifth-century historian Fan Ye to his nephews. In reflecting on music, he describes a quality that words cannot fully convey: an implication beyond the strings, a resonance whose source is difficult to locate. His wording uses 'meaning beyond the strings,' one of several closely related expressions. The later phrase 'sound beyond the strings' carries the musical image into ordinary conversation and writing. It refers to what a listener understands without its being stated directly, whether a delicate suggestion, an indirect criticism, or an unstated intention.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
她说周末想清静一下，我听出了弦外之音，便取消了聚会。
She said she wanted a quiet weekend; I took the hint and canceled the gathering.
Use for an implied message, not merely a sound or a literal musical overtone.