Words & Speech
語不成說
어불성설
yǔ bù chéng shuō
Eo-bul-seong-seol
語
말씀 어
不
아닐 불
成
이룰 성
說
말씀 설
Character by character
Meaning
The words do not add up to a statement — it makes no sense.
Origin
A Korean coinage rather than a Chinese classic, common in Joseon-era petitions.
How it is used
A blunt way to say an argument has collapsed on its own logic.
Hanja語不成說
Simplified语不成说
Korean reading어불성설
Pinyinyǔ bù chéng shuō
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does Eo-bul-seong-seol mean?
語不成說 · The words do not add up to a statement — it makes no sense.
Q. Where does Eo-bul-seong-seol come from?
A Korean coinage rather than a Chinese classic, common in Joseon-era petitions.
Q. How is Eo-bul-seong-seol used?
A blunt way to say an argument has collapsed on its own logic.
Idioms in the same group
言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.一言之下 Il-eon-ji-haSettled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.
The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.