Chinese word

坦白

Pronunciation

Pinyintǎn bái

Meaning

  • adjectivefrank

Example

他对我很坦白。tā duì wǒ hěn tǎn bái

He is very frank with me.

Illustration for 坦白 (frank)

More examples

我喜欢坦白的朋友。wǒ xǐ huān tǎn bái de péng yǒu

I like candid friends.

Core concept

A clear, open manner that puts real thoughts or facts in front of others.

Common phrases

  • 坦白的朋友tǎn bái de péng yǒu

    candid friend

  • 坦白的回答tǎn bái de huí dá

    candid answer

Similar words

坦率tǎn shuài: Giving views plainly without trying to soften or hide them.
坦诚tǎn chéng: Sharing inner thoughts honestly and with complete sincerity.
真诚zhēn chéng: Being genuine and sincere in feelings, words, or actions.

Definition in Chinese

说话或表现不拐弯抹角，直言真实情况或意见。shuō huà huò biǎo xiàn bù guǎi wān mò jiǎo zhí yán zhēn shí qíng kuàng huò yì jiàn

Word origin

坦 (tǎn, "open and level") + 白 (bái, "clear or white") creates the image of leaving nothing hidden, which extends to frank speech and honest admission.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 坦白说 (tǎnbái shuō, "speaking frankly") often introduces a candid opinion, placing the speaker's real view before the main point.

Other meanings

  • honestadjective
  • confessverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word