sam1 ziu3 bat1 syun1心照不宣
Jyutpingsam1 ziu3 bat1 syun1
Yalesām jiu bāt syūn
Definition
To have a tacit understanding; to understand each other without having to say anything.
colloquialcommunicationpeople
How it's used
This idiom describes a situation where two or more people share a secret or a mutual understanding without needing to verbalize it. It often carries a slightly conspiratorial or knowing tone, implying that the silence is intentional and shared. It is frequently used in social contexts where social cues or past experiences make explicit communication redundant.
Examples
We have a tacit understanding, no need to say it out loud.
The two of them have a tacit understanding; everyone knows what happened.
Related words
Common phrases
we both know what's going on
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple synonym of knowing something, but it specifically requires a shared, unspoken agreement between parties. It is not used to describe one person simply knowing a fact on their own.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
