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秘而不宣

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: mì ér bù xuān
  • English Translation: To keep something under wraps (keep secret and not make public)
  • Idiom Composition: 「秘」（Secret; to keep hidden）＋「而」（But; and yet (conjunction)）＋「不」（Not (negation)）＋「宣」（To announce; to make public; to declare）
  • Meaning: To intentionally keep a matter or information secret and refrain from disclosing it to the public. It implies knowing something but choosing not to say it.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「秘而不宣」 contains the following nuances:

  • Intentional Withholding: This idiom does not simply mean that information is unknown; it implies that the parties involved are exercising control over the information and choosing to withhold it for a reason.
  • Focus on the Act of Announcement: The structure 'Not (不) Announcing (宣)' emphasizes the avoidance of official disclosure or public knowledge, making it very common in formal or professional settings.

3. Usage

「秘而不宣」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Official Announcements and Plans: Used when governments, companies, or organizations have made a decision but are not yet ready to make it public. Common in news and business contexts.
    • Example:「关于新产品的发布日期，公司至今仍秘而不宣。」
      （The company is still keeping the launch date of the new product under wraps.)
  • Personal Matters or Surprises: Used for personal reasons, such as keeping a marriage, an illness, or a surprise party secret from others.
    • Example:「他对自己的病情秘而不宣，不想让家人担心。」
      （He kept his illness a secret because he didn't want his family to worry.)
  • Strategic Silence: Refers to strategic silence in negotiations or competitions to avoid showing one's hand to the opponent.
    • Example:「谈判双方对具体的协议内容都秘而不宣。」
      （Both parties in the negotiation have remained silent about the specific details of the agreement.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 政府对这项政策的具体细节暂时秘而不宣。
    （The government is currently keeping the specific details of this policy secret.）
  2. 虽然大家都很好奇，但他对获奖的原因始终秘而不宣。
    （Although everyone is curious, he has remained tight-lipped about the reason for his award.）
  3. 为了给观众惊喜，导演对电影结局秘而不宣。
    （To surprise the audience, the director is keeping the movie's ending a secret.）
  4. 这件事关系重大，我们必须秘而不宣。
    （This matter is of great importance; we must keep it strictly confidential.）
  5. 对于即将到来的人事变动，高层领导秘而不宣。
    （Regarding the upcoming personnel changes, the senior management is withholding the information.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志) in the 'Biography of Lü Meng' (吕蒙传). The general Lü Meng (吕蒙) gave a secret strategy to Lu Su (鲁肃), who respected the advice and 'kept it secret without announcing it' (秘而不宣).
  • In modern usage, the term has expanded from political and military secrets to include marketing strategies, corporate secrets, and personal privacy. It is not necessarily a negative term; it often describes a prudent or cautious attitude while waiting for the right moment to speak.
  • A common writing error involves confusing the character 宣 (xuān, to announce) with 喧 (xuān, noisy). While they sound the same, using the latter would change the meaning entirely and make the idiom nonsensical.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

秘而不宣 (mì ér bù xuān) describes a situation where information is deliberately withheld from the public. It is used in various contexts, such as business product launches, political decisions, or major personal secrets. The focus is specifically on the act of withholding the 宣 (xuān), or 'announcement,' suggesting a strategic or intentional choice to refrain from publication rather than just passive secrecy.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

mì ér bù xuān
秘而不宣
Keeping a Secret
yǒu xiē有些mì mì秘密，shì是yīn wèi因为bù dé bù不得不cáng藏qǐ lái起来；dàn但hái还yǒu有yī zhǒng一种chén mò沉默，shì是yīn wèi因为shí jī时机wèi未dào到。

Some secrets are kept because they must be hidden, but there is another kind of silence because the time is not yet right.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下zhè yàng这样de的shí kè时刻：yī jiā一家kē jì科技gōng sī公司jí jiāng即将fā bù发布yī kuǎn一款huà shí dài划时代de的xīn chǎn pǐn新产品，wài jiè外界dōu都zài在cāi猜tā它de的gōng néng功能，dàn但gōng sī公司nèi bù内部què却yì diǎn一点fēng shēng风声dōu都bù不tòu透；huò zhě或者，nǐ你yǐ jīng已经jīng xīn精心zhǔn bèi hǎo le准备好了yí gè一个jīng xǐ惊喜pài duì派对，míng míng明明xīn lǐ心里hěn很jī dòng激动，dàn但zài在péng yǒu朋友miàn qián面前què却zhuāng zuò装作shén me什么dōu都méi没fā shēng发生。

Imagine a moment like this: a tech company is about to release a revolutionary new product, and the outside world is guessing its features, but not a word is leaked from within the company; or, you have carefully prepared a surprise party and are clearly excited, but you act as if nothing is happening in front of your friend.

zhè zhǒng这种míng míng明明zhī dào知道zhēn xiàng真相，què却gù yì故意bǎo chí保持chén mò沉默、bù不xiàng向wài外gōng kāi公开de的zhuàng tài状态，zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个hěn很jīng zhǔn精准de的chéng yǔ成语，jiào叫“mì ér bù xuān秘而不宣”。

This state of knowing the truth but deliberately remaining silent and not making it public is described by a very precise Chinese idiom called 秘而不宣.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很gōng zhěng工整。

The structure of this term is very neat.

“mì秘”，shì是bǎo mì保密；“xuān宣”，shì是xuān yáng宣扬、gōng kāi公开。

秘 means to keep secret; 宣 means to publicize or make known.

hé qǐ lái合起来，jiù shì就是bǎ把shì qíng事情wǔ捂dé得yán yán shí shí严严实实，jué bù绝不duì wài对外zhāng yáng张扬。

Combined, it means keeping something tightly under wraps and absolutely not publicizing it to the outside world.

wǒ men我们zài在shén me什么qíng kuàng情况xià下huì会yòng用dào到“mì ér bù xuān秘而不宣”ne呢？

In what situations do we use 秘而不宣?

tōng cháng通常bú shì不是wèi le为了suǒ suì琐碎de的xiǎo shì小事，ér shì而是wèi le为了gèng更zhòng yào重要de的dà shì大事。

Usually, it is not for trivial matters, but for more important, major events.

tā它wǎng wǎng往往dài yǒu带有yī zhǒng一种“cè lüè策略gǎn感”。

It often carries a sense of strategy.

bǐ rú比如zài在shāng yè商业jìng zhēng竞争zhōng中，wèi le为了bù不ràng让duì shǒu对手zhī dào知道zì jǐ自己de的dǐ pái底牌，guān jiàn关键de的jì huà计划bì xū必须mì ér bù xuān秘而不宣；yòu又huò zhě或者zài在yī bù一部xuán yí悬疑diàn yǐng电影lǐ里，dǎo yǎn导演duì对zuì hòu最后de的jié jú结局mì ér bù xuān秘而不宣，shì是wèi le为了liú zhù留住guān zhòng观众de的hào qí xīn好奇心。

For example, in business competition, to prevent opponents from knowing one's cards, key plans must be 秘而不宣; or in a suspense movie, the director remains 秘而不宣 about the final ending to maintain the audience's curiosity.

zhè这zhèng shì正是zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最yǒu yì si有意思de的dì fāng地方：tā它miáo shù描述de的，bú shì不是yī zhǒng一种bèi dòng被动de的yǐn mán隐瞒，ér shì而是yī zhǒng一种zhǔ dòng主动de的kòng zhì控制。

This is exactly the most interesting part of this idiom: what it describes is not a passive concealment, but an active control.

dāng当yí gè一个rén人xuǎn zé选择“mì ér bù xuān秘而不宣”shí时，tā他qí shí其实shì是zài在děng dài等待。

When a person chooses to be 秘而不宣, they are actually waiting.

tā他zài在děng dài等待yí gè一个zuì最hé shì合适de的shí jī时机，qù去jiē kāi揭开mí dǐ谜底。

They are waiting for the most appropriate moment to reveal the answer.

zhè zhǒng这种chén mò沉默，wǎng wǎng往往bǐ比dà shēng大声shuō huà说话gèng更yǒu有lì liàng力量，yīn wèi因为tā它zhì zào制造le了qī dài期待，yě也bǎo liú保留le了shén mì神秘gǎn感。

This kind of silence is often more powerful than speaking loudly because it creates expectation and preserves a sense of mystery.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到yǒu rén有人duì对yī jiàn一件zhòng yào重要de的shì qíng事情bì kǒu bù tán闭口不谈，huò zhě或者nǐ你zì jǐ自己zhèng zài正在xīn lǐ心里yùn niàng酝酿yí gè一个dà大jì huà计划shí时，nǐ你kě yǐ可以xiǎng dào想到zhè ge这个cí词。

Next time, when you see someone refusing to talk about an important matter, or when you are brewing a big plan in your heart, you can think of this word.

zhè zhǒng这种yǐn ér bù fā引而不发de的zhuàng tài状态，jiù shì就是“mì ér bù xuān秘而不宣”。

This state of holding back without releasing is 秘而不宣.

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