Actions, Not Words 不言実行
fugen jikkō4 characters25 strokes
不言実行 (fugen jikkō) means quietly doing what needs to be done instead of talking about it, letting your actions speak rather than your words.
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Meaning 意味
What 不言実行 means
A Japanese four-character idiom, yojijukugo, read fugen jikkō.
LiterallyNot speaking, carrying out.
不言実行 means not talking about your plans first, but silently carrying out what you should do. It shows an attitude that values action over words.
“Our captain is a fugen jikkō person who never makes speeches but always works the hardest.”
When people write it in Japan. It suits a New Year goal, or any piece that shows a resolve to prove yourself through action rather than words.
Japanese children know every kanji here by 4th grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 不言実行
Regular script (kaisho)
- In 不, make the 1st stroke, a horizontal, long. Start the 2nd stroke touching it and sweep long down to the left; place the 4th stroke, a dot, toward the lower right.
- In 実, sweep the 7th and 8th strokes wide to the left and right. Extend the 8th stroke especially long down to the right to support the character.
- In 行, bring the 6th stroke, a vertical, all the way down and flick it to the left at the end. Make the 5th stroke, a horizontal, longer than the 4th stroke.
Semi-cursive script (gyōsho)
- In 言, the two short horizontals in the middle are linked by a thin line, and the brush flows straight on into the 口 below.
- In 不, write the top horizontal long and rising to the right. Make the dot on the lower right fairly large to balance the sweep to the left.
- In 行, bring the vertical on the right side straight down and long, then flick strongly to the left to finish the character.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
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More free sheets
Proverbs & idioms
Do What You Say有言実行 · yūgen jikkō+ Semi-cursive
A Strong Will Reaches Heaven一念通天 · ichinen tsūten
One Sky over Ten Thousand Miles万里一空 · banri ikkū
One Straight Path of Truth真実一路 · shinjitsu ichiro+ Semi-cursive
Laughter Brings Good Fortune笑門来福 · shōmon raifuku
A Focused Mind Achieves Anything精神一到 · seishin ittō
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