📖 Meaning
Describes writing that flows so perfectly from the author's mind that not a single character needs to be altered. It praises both the speed and the quality of literary composition, suggesting the writer has achieved effortless mastery.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the "New Book of Tang" (《新唐书》) compiled by Ouyang Xiu in the Song Dynasty. The entry describes the Tang Dynasty literary prodigy Wang Bo (王勃), who would first grind a large amount of ink, drink heavily, then pull a blanket over his face and lie down. Upon waking, he would take up his brush and compose an entire essay in one stroke, without altering a single character. Contemporaries marveled at this and called his method "belly draft" (腹稿), meaning he composed the entire piece perfectly in his mind before writing it down.
💡 Example Usage
他这篇散文一气呵成，不易一字，令人叹服。
He wrote this essay in one breath without changing a single word, leaving everyone in admiration.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不易一字
- Pinyin: bù yì yī zì
- Literal Translation: not, change, one, character
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4