call a spade a spade

call a spade a spade

Speaking frankly is a Chinese idiom. Pinyin is zh í y á NW ù Hu ì, which means to speak frankly without hiding. It comes from the biography of Yi Qian in the history of Ming Dynasty.

The origin of Idioms

In the biography of Yi Qian in the history of Ming Dynasty by Zhang Tingyu of Qing Dynasty, it is said that "you, the ministers, should not take the past as a warning. If you are not satisfied with the advantages and disadvantages of the country or the government's orders, you should not be outspoken."

Idiom usage

Used as a predicate, attributive, or adverbial; used in writing.

Analysis of Idioms

[synonym]: to be outspoken, to be outspoken, to be outspoken