不用说

• Pinyin: bù yòng shuō
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 = not; 用 = to use/need; 说 = to say

Meaning

Needless to say; goes without saying; let alone.

Used to indicate something is obvious or to emphasize that if one thing is true, another even more so. Can function like 'let alone' when followed by a stronger case.

Examples

1. 不用说北京，就连上海的房价也让人望而却步。 Let alone Beijing — even Shanghai's housing prices are prohibitive.
2. 他英语这么好，不用说是出国留过学的。 His English is so good — needless to say, he must have studied abroad.
3. 这么明显的错误，不用说你也看出来了吧。 Such an obvious mistake — needless to say, you noticed it too.

Usage Guide

Context: emphasis, obvious facts, let alone

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 不用说，他肯定是最合适的人选。(Needless to say, he's definitely the best candidate.)
• 专家都解决不了，不用说我们了。(If even experts can't solve it, let alone us.)

Don't Say

• 不用说我不知道答案。(Don't use 不用说 to introduce uncertainty — it's for obvious truths)

Origin & History

不用 (no need) + 说 (to say). No need to state the obvious.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal