"Self-evident" means something can be naturally understood without verbal explanation. Here, "yan" (言) refers to speaking, and "yu" (喻) means to understand or know. This idiom emphasizes that a principle or emotion is so obvious that people can grasp it intuitively without any explanation. It originates from Mencius, "The Heart of Mencius" (Jinxin Shang): "What a gentleman possesses by nature—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom—is rooted in his heart. Its manifestation is pure and radiant, appearing on the face, filling the back, and extending to the four limbs. The four limbs do not speak, yet they are self-evident." Mencius used this to explain that a gentleman's true nature is rooted in the heart, and its outward expression flows naturally without the need for verbal explanation. In terms of usage, this idiom is often employed to describe principles, facts, emotions, or outcomes that are extremely obvious, such as "His efforts are self-evident." Culturally, it reflects the traditional Chinese philosophical thinking of "forgetting words once the meaning is grasped," which values inner understanding over external speech. In emotional tone, it is relatively neutral but is mostly used to emphasize something plainly obvious, carrying a sense of affirmation or emphasis.
📝 Example
1. He won the sales championship for three consecutive years, and his professional competence is self-evident. (Meaning: It can be understood without being said, indicating that his professional competence is very obvious.)
2. Seeing the smiles of the people in the disaster area as they rebuilt their homes, everyone's feelings were self-evident. (Meaning: It can be felt without explanation, indicating that the feelings were very obvious.)