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語焉不詳

简语焉不详 · 繁語焉不詳

Mandarin · pinyin yǔ yān bù xiáng

to mention sth without elaborating (idiom); not giving details

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Characters in this entry

語: Look up this written character
焉: yān · thereupon, then; how? why? where?
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
詳: Look up this written character
语: yǔ · language, words; saying, expression
详: xiáng · detailed, complete, thorough

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

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Mandarin tones

3–1–4–2 · yu3 yan1 bu4 xiang2

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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.

語焉不詳 · find source passages ↗ · 语焉不详 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jyu5 jin4 bat1 coeng4

Cantonese word readings for 語焉不詳. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) to speak or mention in an undetailed manner

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

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