Saying it
Idioms, Stage 1chunk 7 of 21Talking & listening
The core 'say it' idioms: mentioning something, voicing it, and 'needless to say'.
- kuchi ni surumention, say (aloud); (formal) eat or drinkliterally “put it to the mouth”
- iu made mo naineedless to say, it goes without saying; (X wa iu made mo naku) not to mention Xliterally “no need to go as far as saying it”
- kuchi ni dasusay out loud, put into words, mentionliterally “put it out into the mouth”
Mix-ups kuchi ni suru and kuchi ni dasu both mean say aloud; kuchi ni suru is also formal 'eat or drink', while kuchi ni dasu stresses finally voicing what was held in.
kuchi ni suru
polite kuchi ni shimasu
“put it to the mouth”
mention, say (aloud); (formal) eat or drink
In English: pass one's lips
Uttering or mentioning a word, name or topic, a touch more formal than iu: sono namae, nido to kuchi ni suru na (never mention that name again). It also means eating or drinking: kyou wa mada nani mo kuchi ni shite nai (I haven't had a thing today). Unlike kuchi ni dasu, finally voicing what you'd kept inside, there's no sense of holding back. It's the mouth twin of mimi ni suru.
sono namae, ano hito no mae de wa kuchi ni shinai hou ga ii yo.
Better not mention that name in front of her.
その名前、あの人の前では口にしないほうがいいよ。
sono namae wa, ano kata no mae de wa kuchi ni shinai hou ga ii desu yo.
It's best not to mention that name in front of her.
その名前は、あの方の前では口にしないほうがいいですよ。
Written 口にする · くちにするHeard 196× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kuchi ni dasuMain list suru (Stage 1), -nai hou ga ii (Stage 4)
iu made mo nai
polite iu made mo arimasen
“no need to go as far as saying it”
needless to say, it goes without saying; (X wa iu made mo naku) not to mention X
In English: it goes without saying
Comes before a point everyone already knows, as iu made mo nai kedo... (needless to say...), or as a reply: iu made mo nai desho (that goes without saying). Its most frequent form is iu made mo naku, which after a noun means 'not to mention': eigo wa iu made mo naku, chuugokugo mo perapera (she's fluent in Chinese, not to mention English). It sounds a little formal and is heard most in speeches and announcements; friends often just say mochiron.
Pattern: X made mo nai (no need even to X), as in miru made mo nai. Plain alternatives: mochiron, atarimae.
iu made mo nai kedo, kore naisho ne.
Needless to say, this stays between us.
言うまでもないけど、これ内緒ね。
iu made mo arimasen ga, kore wa naisho de onegai shimasu.
Needless to say, please keep this to yourself.
言うまでもありませんが、これは内緒でお願いします。
Written 言うまでもない · いうまでもないHeard 146× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list iu (Stage 2), mo (Stage 2), -nai (Stage 1)
kuchi ni dasu
polite kuchi ni dashimasu
“put it out into the mouth”
say out loud, put into words, mention
Saying aloud what you've been thinking or feeling, often in the negative about feelings kept inside: kuchi ni dasanai to tsutawaranai yo (if you don't say it, they won't know). Also mentioning a name or subject you shouldn't: sono namae, kuchi ni dasu na (don't mention that name). Only the particle separates it from kuchi o dasu (to meddle); kuchi ni suru is a slightly more formal near-synonym.
omotteru dake ja dame, kuchi ni dasanai to.
Just thinking it isn't enough. You have to say it.
思ってるだけじゃダメ、口に出さないと。
omotteru dake ja dame desu yo, kuchi ni dasanai to.
Just thinking it won't do. You have to say it.
思ってるだけじゃダメですよ、口に出さないと。
Written 口に出す · くちにだすHeard 84× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kuchi ni suruMain list dasu (Stage 4), dame (Stage 1)