Definition
可想而知 (kě xiǎng ér zhī) means 'as one can well imagine' — it emphasizes that something is obvious through logical inference or common sense. Unlike 显而易见 (xiǎn ér yì jiàn), which stresses being clearly visible at a glance, or 不言而喻 (bù yán ér yù), which means self-evident without needing words, 可想而知 focuses on the reasoning process: 'you can figure it out from what you already know.'
phrase
it is obvious that...as one can well imagine...
Examples
- 可想而知，。kě xiǎng ér zhī, tā tīng dào zhège xiāoxi hòu yídìng hěn gāoxìng.As one can well imagine, he must be very happy after hearing this news.
- 可想而知，。kě xiǎng ér zhī, zhège xiàngmù xūyào hěn duō shíjiān hé jīnglì.It is obvious that this project requires a lot of time and energy.
- 可想而知，，。kě xiǎng ér zhī, méiyǒu zúgòu de zhǔnbèi, kǎoshì hěn nán tōngguò.As one can well imagine, without adequate preparation, it is very difficult to pass the exam.
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