Chinese idiom · 成语
直言不讳
Meaning
To speak frankly without reserve; blunt honesty.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary expressionThis expression belongs to the long literary tradition of speaking openly to those in authority. The Strategies of the Warring States describes King Xuan of Qi greeting Wang Dou as a man known for candid remonstrance. Wang Dou then challenges the king's claim to value talented people, comparing his choice of favorites in government with his more careful choice of a skilled craftsman.
That passage uses the longer wording 直言正谏不讳. Hàn Diǎn also cites the related 直言无讳 in Liu Kui's Book of Jin biography and the exact modern phrase in later fiction. These attestations show a family of expressions for frank speech, rather than one securely identifiable moment of invention.
In everyday life
会上她直言不讳地指出，预算不足，再好的方案也难以落实。
At the meeting she said frankly that without enough funding, even the best plan would be difficult to carry out.
Speak plainly without concealing your view; frankness does not require insulting anyone.