it goes without saying

phrase

It is understood without being said (but will be or was said anyway).

Meanings

phrase
  1. It is understood without being said (but will be or was said anyway).

    Synonyms: needless to say

Synonyms & antonyms

phraseIt is understood without being said (but will be or was said anyway).

Origin

  1. Frenchaller sans dire
  2. Englishit goes without saying

Calque of French aller sans dire.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مِن نَّافِلَةِ القَوْلِ
  • مِن نَّافِلَةِ القَوْلِ (min nāfilati l-qawli)it is understood without being said
Catalan no cal ni dir
  • no cal ni dirit is understood without being said
Chinese Mandarin 不言而喻, 不待說 /不待说
  • 不言而喻 (bùyán'éryù)it is understood without being said
  • 不待說 /不待说 (bùdàishuō)it is understood without being said
Czech to se rozumí samo sebou
  • to se rozumí samo sebouit is understood without being said
Finnish lienee sanomattakin selvää
  • lienee sanomattakin selvää (että...)it is understood without being said
French cela va sans dire
  • cela va sans direit is understood without being said
German es versteht sich von selbst
  • es versteht sich von selbstit is understood without being said
Portuguese nem é preciso dizer, escusado dizer
  • nem é preciso dizerit is understood without being said
  • escusado dizerit is understood without being said
Spanish ni que decir tiene, está de más decir
  • ni que decir tieneit is understood without being said
  • está de más decirit is understood without being said
  • de más está decirit is understood without being said
  • no hace falta decirit is understood without being said
  • sobra / huelga decirit is understood without being said
  • se sobreentiende / subentiendeit is understood without being said
  • ni se tiene que decirit is understood without being said
Ukrainian це само́ собо́ю зрозумі́ло, само́ собо́ю
  • це само́ собо́ю зрозумі́ло (ce samó sobóju zrozumílo)it is understood without being said
  • само́ собо́ю (samó sobóju)it is understood without being said
Cite this entry
APA

it goes without saying. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20goes%20without%20saying

MLA

“it goes without saying.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20goes%20without%20saying. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it goes without saying,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20goes%20without%20saying.

Source: it goes without saying on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.