HSK 7-9
不瞒你说
bù mán nǐ shuō
To be honest with you; frankly speaking
Structure
不瞒你说 + [Statement/Clause]
How it works
This fixed expression is used to introduce a piece of information that the speaker was previously keeping to themselves or may find slightly embarrassing or serious. It functions as a conversational bridge to signal that the speaker is about to be candid and honest, similar to 'to tell you the truth' in English.
Examples
不瞒你说，我其实早就打算辞职了。
Bù mán nǐ shuō, wǒ qíshí zǎojiù dǎsuàn cízhí le.
To be honest with you, I've actually been planning to resign for a long time.
不瞒你说，这件事我也觉得挺为难的。
Bù mán nǐ shuō, zhè jiàn shì wǒ yě juéde tǐng wéinán de.
To tell you the truth, I also find this matter quite difficult/awkward.
不瞒你说，这次考试我并没抱太大希望。
Bù mán nǐ shuō, zhè cì kǎoshì wǒ bìng méi bào tài dà xīwàng.
To be honest, I didn't actually have high hopes for this exam.
Common mistakes
Using this phrase for general facts or trivial information; it should be reserved for revealing thoughts, feelings, or secrets that weren't immediately obvious.
Tip
Think of '瞒' (mán) as 'to hide' or 'to conceal'. The literal meaning is 'not hiding [it] from you, I say...', which helps remember its function as a transparency marker.
More HSK 7-9 grammar
See 不瞒你说 in real Chinese
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