Chinese word

无话可说

Pronunciation

Pinyinwú huà kě shuō

Meaning

  • idiomhave nothing to say

Example

听到这个消息，我无话可说。tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xī wǒ wú huà kě shuō

When I heard the news, I had nothing to say.

Illustration for 无话可说 (have nothing to say)

More examples

他对这样的指责只能沉默，真是无话可说。tā duì zhè yàng de zhǐ zé zhǐ néng chén mò zhēn shì wú huà kě shuō

He could only stay silent in response to such accusations and really had nothing to say.

Core concept

Words reach a dead end, so no fitting reply comes out and silence takes over.

Common phrases

  • 让人无话可说ràng rén wú huà kě shuō

    make someone speechless

  • 简直无话可说jiǎn zhí wú huà kě shuō

    absolutely have nothing to say

  • 对...无话可说duì wú huà kě shuō

    have nothing to say to ___

Similar words

哑口无言yá kǒu wú yán: Being struck speechless by surprise or confusion.
无言以对wú yán yǐ duì: Finding no words to answer because a reply or explanation is impossible.
无以言表wú yǐ yán biǎo: Being unable to describe a powerful feeling or situation with words.
沉默不语chén mò bù yǔ: Staying quiet without saying anything.

Definition in Chinese

表示因吃惊、失望、尴尬或无可反驳而暂时说不出合适的话而陷入沉默。biǎo shì yīn chī jīng shī wàng gān gà huò wú ké fǎn bó ér zàn shí shuō bù chū hé shì de huà ér xiàn rù chén mò

Word origin

The idiom 无 (wú, "without") + 话 (huà, "words") + 可 (kě, "can") + 说 (shuō, "speak") presents a situation with no words that can be spoken, which explains the sudden silence.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, it can stand alone as a reaction to sincere shock, frustration, embarrassment, or disbelief, so tone and surrounding context help show which feeling is intended.

Other meanings

  • speechlessidiom
  • at a loss for wordsidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word