DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

紙包不住火

简纸包不住火 · 繁紙包不住火

Mandarin · pinyin zhǐ bāo bu zhù huǒ

the truth will come out eventually; a secret can't be kept forever

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

紙: zhǐ · paper
包: bāo · wrap, pack, bundle; package
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
住: zhù · reside, live at, dwell, lodge; stop
火: huǒ · fire, flame; burn; anger, rage
纸: zhǐ · paper

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

3–1–5–4–3 · zhi3 bao1 bu5 zhu4 huo3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

6character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

紙包不住火 · find source passages ↗ · 纸包不住火 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi2 baau1 bat1 zyu6 fo2

Cantonese word readings for 紙包不住火. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

proverb

(figurative) there is no concealing the truth; the truth will come out; murder will out

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack