冰炭不言，冷热自明

Traditional form:

冰炭不言，冷熱自明

Pinyin (reading):

bīngtànbùyán,lěngrèzìmíng

Definitions:

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

Characters:

• 冰 - ice; ice-cold
• 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 言 - words, speech; to speak, to say
• 冷 - cold, cool; lonely
• 热 - heat, fever, zeal
• 自 - self; private, personal; from
• 明 - bright, clear; to explain, to understand, to shed light

Traditional characters:

• 冰 - ice; ice-cold
• 炭 - carbon, charcoal, coal
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 言 - words, speech; to speak, to say
• 冷 - cold, cool; lonely
• 熱 - heat, fever, zeal
• 自 - self; private, personal; from
• 明 - bright, clear; to explain, to understand, to shed light