Usage of the character 言

(maxim) a mere "thank you" is an insufficient response to a huge favor
(expression of gratitude) words cannot express my appreciation for what you have done

shànyìdehuǎngyán

善意的谎言

[善意的謊言]

white lie

yǔyánshíyànshì

语言实验室

[語言實驗室]

language laboratory

xīnwénfāyánrén

新闻发言人

[新聞發言人]

spokesman

jiǔhòutǔzhēnyán

酒后吐真言

[酒後吐真言]

after wine, spit out the truth
in vino veritas

yányǔshīchángzhèng

言语失常症

[言語失常症]

speech defect

Gòngchǎndǎng Xuānyán

共产党宣言

[共產黨宣言]

Manifesto of the Communist Party
"Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei" by Marx and Engels (1848)

miàozàibùyánzhōng

妙在不言中

[妙在不言中]

the charm lies in what is left unsaid (idiom)

shèhuìyǔyánxué

社会语言学

[社會語言學]

sociolinguistics

bùyǐrénfèiyán

不以人废言

[不以人廢言]

not to reject a word because of the speaker (idiom, from Analects); to judge on the merits of the case rather than preference between advisers

shēnjiàoshèngyúyánjiào

身教胜于言教

[身教勝於言教]

teaching by example beats explaining in words (idiom)
action speaks louder than words

míngbuzhèngyánbushùn

名不正言不顺

[名不正言不順]

(of a title, degree etc) illegitimately conferred

wùwèiyánzhībùyù

勿谓言之不预

[勿謂言之不預]

(idiom) don't say you haven't been forewarned (threat used by the PRC in international diplomacy)

yánjiàobùrúshēnjiào

言教不如身教

[言教不如身教]

Explaining in words is not as good as teaching by example (idiom). Action speaks louder than words.

gǎnnù'érbùgǎnyán

敢怒而不敢言

[敢怒而不敢言]

angry, but not daring to speak out (idiom); obliged to remain silent about one's resentment
unable to voice objections

Běijīng Yǔyán Xuéyuàn

北京语言学院

[北京語言學院]

Beijing Language Institute
former name of 北京語言大學／北京语言大学 ( Běijīng Yǔyán Dàxué) Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)

Shìjiè Rénquán Xuānyán

世界人权宣言

[世界人權宣言]

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Běijīng Yǔyán Dàxué

北京语言大学

[北京語言大學]

Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)

gùzuǒyòu'éryántā

顾左右而言他

[顧左右而言他]

(idiom) to digress from the topic of discussion

tīngqíyánguānqíxíng

听其言观其行

[聽其言觀其行]

hear what he says and observe what he does (idiom, from Analects); judge a person not by his words, but by his actions

zìrányǔyánchǔlǐ

自然语言处理

[自然語言處理]

natural language processing, NLP

miànxiàngduìxiàngyǔyán

面向对象语言

[面嚮對象語言]

object oriented language

yuányǔyánxuéyìshí

元语言学意识

[元語言學意識]

metalinguistic awareness

Guófáng Yǔyán Xuéyuàn

国防语言学院

[國防語言學院]

US Defense Language Institute (founded 1941)

yánbìxìn,xíngbìguǒ

言必信，行必果

[言必信，行必果]

one must be a man of his word and resolute in his work (proverb)

chāowénběnbiāojìyǔyán

超文本标记语言

[超文本標記語言]

hypertext markup language
HTML

kěkuòzhǎnbiāojìyǔyán

可扩展标记语言

[可擴展標記語言]

extensible markup language (XML)

tīngqíyán'érguānqíxíng

听其言而观其行

[聽其言而觀其行]

hear what he says and observe what he does (idiom, from Analects); judge a person not by his words, but by his actions

xūnǐxiànshízhìbiāoyǔyán

虚拟现实置标语言

[虛擬現實置標語言]

virtual reality markup language (VRML) (computing)

yánzhěwúzuì,wénzhězújiè

言者无罪，闻者足戒

[言者無罪，聞者足戒]

don't blame the speaker, take note of his warning (idiom); an exhortation to speak one's mind without fear of reprisals, and with the expectation of being taken seriously

yīyánjìchū,sìmǎnánzhuī

一言既出，驷马难追

[一言既出，駟馬難追]

lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept

jūnzǐyīyán,sìmǎnánzhuī

君子一言，驷马难追

[君子一言，駟馬難追]

a nobleman's word is his bond (proverb)

yánzhěwúyì,tīngzhěyǒuxīn

言者无意，听者有心

[言者無意，聽者有心]

to take a casual remark to heart (idiom)

zhǐkěyìhuì,bùkěyánchuán

只可意会，不可言传

[只可意會，不可言傳]

can be understood, but not described (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子／庄子 ( Zhuāngzǐ)); mysterious and subtle

bīngtànbùyán,lěngrèzìmíng

冰炭不言，冷热自明

[冰炭不言，冷熱自明]

ice or coals, whether hot or cold goes without saying (idiom); fig. sincerity is not expressed in words

rénzhījiāngsǐ,qíyányěshàn

人之将死，其言也善

[人之將死，其言也善]

words of a man on his deathbed always come from the heart (proverb)

kěyǐyìhuì,bùkěyánchuán

可以意会，不可言传

[可以意會，不可言傳]

can be understood, but not described (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子／庄子 ( Zhuāngzǐ)); mysterious and subtle

zhīwúbùyán,yánwúbùjìn

知无不言，言无不尽

[知無不言，言無不盡]

lit. not hiding anything he knows, not stopping before he has said it through (idiom)
fig. frank; outspoken

yǐyándàifǎ,yǐquányāfǎ

以言代法，以权压法

[以言代法，以權壓法]

to substitute one's words for the law and abuse power to crush it (idiom); completely lawless behavior
Might makes right.

bùtīnglǎorényán,chīkuīzàiyǎnqián

不听老人言，吃亏在眼前

[不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前]

(idiom) ignore your elders at your peril

jiāchǒubùkěwàichuán,liúyánqièmòqīngxìn

家丑不可外传，流言切莫轻信

[家醜不可外傳，流言切莫輕信]

Don't spread abroad the shame of the family, don't believe rumors lightly. (idiom)
Don't wash your dirty linen in public, don't listen to others' gossip.