# 讳莫如深

huì mò rú shēn

Keep a subject deeply secret

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Treat nothing as more deeply taboo

**Traditional Chinese:** 諱莫如深

**Register:** Formal · descriptive

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe refusal to discuss a sensitive matter.

May protect privacy or conceal wrongdoing; context matters.

## Understanding the expression

The subject is placed so deeply under taboo that ordinary conversation cannot reach it. The expression describes strong secrecy or reluctance to discuss something, often after a controversial event. It can suggest suspicion, but it does not prove guilt. People may also guard painful memories or confidential information. A fair sentence distinguishes the observable silence from any inferred motive, especially where privacy or professional obligations explain the refusal to speak.

## Examples

他对离职原因讳莫如深。

### Traditional Chinese

他對離職原因諱莫如深。

tā duì lí zhí yuán yīn huì mò rú shēn 。

He refuses to discuss why he resigned.

公司对事故调查讳莫如深。

### Traditional Chinese

公司對事故調查諱莫如深。

gōng sī duì shì gù diào chá huì mò rú shēn 。

The company is deeply secretive about the accident investigation.

她对童年经历讳莫如深。

### Traditional Chinese

她對童年經歷諱莫如深。

tā duì tóng nián jīng lì huì mò rú shēn 。

She keeps her childhood experiences private.

双方对谈判细节讳莫如深。

### Traditional Chinese

雙方對談判細節諱莫如深。

shuāng fāng duì tán pàn xì jié huì mò rú shēn 。

Both sides keep the negotiation details strictly secret.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%AB%B1%E8%8E%AB%E5%A6%82%E6%B7%B1)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=519&webMd=1&la=0)

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