📖 Meaning
Ji Bu was a historical figure renowned for always keeping his word and never breaking a promise. The idiom refers to a promise that is absolutely trustworthy and will certainly be honored.
📜 Origin Story
During the late Qin and early Han Dynasty, Ji Bu was a man from the Chu region celebrated for his unwavering integrity. A popular proverb of the time declared, 'Rather have Ji Bu's single promise than a hundred pieces of gold.' When the scholar Cao Qiu visited Ji Bu, he cited this proverb to explain how Ji Bu's reputation for trustworthiness had spread throughout Liang and Chu. The story was recorded in Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记), cementing Ji Bu as the archetype of a person whose word is as good as gold.
💡 Example Usage
他在商界素有季布一诺的美誉，客户都非常信任他。
He has long enjoyed a reputation in the business world as someone whose promise is as good as gold, and clients trust him completely.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 季布一诺
- Pinyin: jì bù yī nuò
- Literal Translation: Ji Bu, one, promise
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4